- Explosive power and battlefield control
Dating back centuries, Sumo, translating striking one another, is a form of full contact wrestling first recorded in a tale of kami, or gods, battling over the lands of Japan. The national sport of Japan, Sumo, is highly ritualized and steeped in Shinto practices. While professional Sumo is unique to Japan, the sport and practice has spread around the world.
On the surface, the rules of Sumo are simple enough. Matches are won by forcing the opponent to touch the ground outside the dohyō, a circular ring, or the ground in the ring with any part of the body other than the soles of the feet. This is done by pushing, tossing, and striking with intense speed. Mental prowess and strategy are just as critical in these matches as martial skill, as a single misstep can end the match.
Associated Weapons: None
Controlling one’s own, along with their opponent’s, center of gravity is essential in Sumo. This is reflected in a low squat stance that allows them to explode into open hand strikes, grapples, or throws. A Sumo match begins with both competitors place their fists on the ground. These matches can be decided in seconds, and the initial charge can easily decide the final outcome. Because these matches can be so short, fighters hold little back in the process. Closed fist punches are barred in professional Sumo. Kicking is also prohibited, but using one’s legs to trap, manipulate, or otherwise bring down an opponent is allowed.
For those unfamiliar with the sport, one of the most common defining features are the wrestlers’ legendary size. Sumo wrestlers train extensively and eat large amounts of food to support their craft. Do not let their exterior bulk fool you though, these athletes are not as overweight as they might appear, fat concealing the extent of their muscle.
Author’s Note: All builds presented in this series should not be taken as the only way to interpret a given style. Players and GMs are encouraged to treat these as a framework to build their own character’s style.
Style Progression – Average
Fighting Style: Sumo
- Parent Attribute: Strength or Mental
- Primary Role: Offense
- First Secondary Role: Initiative
Common Specialties:
- Explosive Power (Take the automatic Damage of Feedback Drawback for the Fighting Style and Specialty on each Action)
- First Mover Advantage (First Turn Only)
- Heavy Blow
- Trip
Common Combos:
- Bring Down: Heavy Blow – Trip
- Bullrush: Move – Heavy Blow – Trip
- Intercepting Throw: Interrupting Trip – Attack
- Rush Down: Move – Heavy Blow – Heavy Blow
Key Talents:
- Brawn
- Domestic
- Etiquette
- Fitness
- Intuition
- Perception
- Religion
- Shinto
Additional Boons
- Extra Stamina MA
- Languages: Japanese, Korean, Mongolian TY
- Fitness Supports Explosive Power MA
- Pick (Perception or Intuition) Supports First Mover Advantage MA
- Surprising MA
Super Style Sumo Wrestling
The space in front of a Sumo wrestler is theirs to control. When a foe cannot be taken down immediately, the martial artist pivots to moving foes, and locking down the space around them. Unlike other skilled fighters, Sumo wrestlers hold little back and can suffer injury even while defeating superior forces.
Example (Classic Power Level)
Sumo Wrestling 12
- Parent Attribute: Strength
- Primary Role: Offense
Blast MA
Devastating MA
Secondary Role: Support: Mental MA
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Armor MA
Unmoving MA
(S) Bullrush 7
(S) Explosive Power 7
(S) First Mover Advantage 4
(S) Heavy Blow 7
Nothing stands in the way of a Sumo wrestler, except another Sumo wrestler. Lunging with immense force, the fighter can bring down virtually any other fighter with ease. As battle progresses, the martial artist’s skills prevent them from losing ground and assist in redirecting foes.
Cost 1 Power + 12 Selections + 11 AP
Boons
Combo: Bring Down TY
Combo: Bullrush TY
Extra Stamina TY
Languages: Japanese, Korean, Mongolian TY
Fitness Supports Explosive Power MA
Perception Supports First Mover Advantage TY
Surprising MA
Cost 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 9 AP
Use In Conflict
More than virtually any other style, aggression is your strength. Closing ranks with a Slam, while leveraging Explosive Power, First Mover Advantage, and Surprising can decide many encounters before they even get started. High Intuition and Perception help ensure that you act first. However, this power comes at a cost. Impervious foes who can ignore Damage early on may force you to rethink your game plan. Choose your targets wisely though and the power of Sumo will dominate the battlefield.
Note: While the description mentions grappling, Sumo does not focus on extended holds. Mechanically, the grappling done here is more inline with the Trip Combat Maneuver, where the goal is not to maintain a lock on the opponent but to bring them down.
