The 10 Best Sumo books for training & learning about Sumo culture

According to some, Sumo was founded over 2000 years ago which makes it one of the oldest martial arts on the planet. These days it is still alive and well in Japan where Sumo fighters are celebrities and have high status amongst their peers.

For those wondering, Sumo is a form of wrestling. Typically, this involves heavy practitioners but it can also be done by smaller people too. The idea is to throw the opponent out of bounds or to get them touching the floor (touching with their feet is legal). As a result, it can make for a fascinating spectacle seeing two Sumo practitioners going at it.

Because of this, there is still a real interest in Sumo. Whether you’d like to learn how to wrestle like a Sumo or if you’re just interested in the general culture, the books on this list should appeal to you.

The Perfect Guide To Sumo by Ito Katsuharu

Originally written by Ito Katsuharu, this book has been translated into English and is a great starting point for learning about Judo. Here, it goes through the rules, culture, and history. So, if you’re looking to learn more about this beautiful martial art then it’s a good guide.

This book is also accompanied by illustrations from older times and goes into detail about how Sumo is deeply ingrained into Japanese culture. For those that aren’t interested in the history, it’s still a good read on understanding the rules of Sumo.

Sumo Skills by Thomas Zabel

As the title suggests, this book isn’t as focused on the history of Sumo and instead, focuses on Sumo techniques. In other words, if you’d like to improve and learn about how to Sumo wrestle then this book is an ideal place to begin.

This book shows techniques, training methods, and the Japanese terminology behind it all. Unlike other martial arts, there actually isn’t much on Sumo in terms of learning, so in that sense, this book is a welcome relief for those that want to learn.

Sumo by David Benjamin

Compared to other books on this list, David Benjamin’s Sumo is a bit left of field, to say the least. Here, he approaches Sumo and Japanese culture from an American-centric approach and some may find his language and interpretation surrounding Sumo’s disrespectful.

If you can get over this, then it’s actually a decent book that delves into the strategy and tactical side of Sumo wrestling. With this said, it’s ideal for those that want to compete in Sumo and want to have the best possible chance of winning by deploying a smart, tactical game.

Sumo For Mixed Martial Arts by Andrew Zerling

Whilst many think of Sumo as a stand-alone martial art, the reality is that it can also be applied to MMA – according to author Andrew Zerling anyway. This has nearly 50 Sumo techniques as well as over 300 photos which is great if you’re a visual learner.

As you may have figured, Sumo doesn’t allow grabbing the belt and is similar to MMA in some areas of wrestling, as it has a massive emphasis on staying on your feet and not getting pushed around or dominated. In other words, when you think about it, Sumo and MMA actually have a lot in common which is what this book explores.

Sumo A History Of The Sport by Judah Lyons

Returning to the historical side of Sumo, this book is designed to teach the layman about the cultural aspects of the sport. Like others on this list, it starts at the origins of Sumo which was literally thousands of years ago – and then goes to the present day where the martial art is now a professional sport.

Furthermore, it also looks at Sumo and its relation to the Shinto religion. A fascinating read, this will surely teach you some unusual stuff about Sumo which most people aren’t really aware of.

Sumo Sport & Tradition by J.A. Sargeant

Sumo Sport & Tradition is yet another look back at Sumo culture. However, unlike some books it approaches it from a humorous look and is less formal. Therefore, this book is written from a fairly western perspective.

At the same time, the point of this isn’t to insult Sumo or make fun of it. Instead, the goal of Sargeant is to educate readers on the beauty of Sumo and why it’s such a special martial art and sport.

The Way Of Salt by Ash Warren

This book goes over the rise of Sumo and its significance within Japanese culture. For instance, author Ash Warren also demonstrates its links with Buddhism and how the two are connected. It should be noted that although this is a Sumo book, it also covers a lot of information on Japanese life in general.

In fact, you could argue that most of this book is about the Japanese way of life and how it intertwines with Sumo. For any budding Japanese historians out there, The Way Of Salt is a very good starting point.

Sumo Illustrated Fighting Techniques by Kevin Tembouret

For those that want to learn more about the technique side of things, this book is very detailed and is good for beginners and more experienced practitioners. It has over 82 techniques and teaches you how to be a better Rikishi (Sumo wrestler)

You may have figured that this book is accompanied by illustrations too. This makes learning much easier as you don’t just read about the moves, you can also look at how everything works as well which makes it quicker to learn.

Sumo From Rite To Sport by Patricia Lee Cuyler

If you’re interested in how Sumo transitioned from a tradition to an actual sport, then this book does a good book at documenting every step taken. For instance, it looks back at famous Sumo wrestlers, tournament organizations, and those involved throughout its formation.

Unlike other books out there, this focuses more on the recent activities within the Sumo community, as opposed to looking back at its very beginnings. This book is arguably a piece of history these days, seeing as it’s now over 40 years old!

Japanese Practice Notebook For Beginners by Scholastic

Unlike other books on this list, this is a notebook which means it doesn’t offer anything in terms of content. We’ve included this because if you train Sumo wrestling then you may want to take notes whilst at class. The point of this is to learn and memorize what you’re doing which can speed up your progression.

So, what better way to do this than in a Sumo themed notebook?