Kinjite

"Kinjite" (禁じ手 or 禁手 lit. "forbidden hand") are various fouls that a sumo wrestler might commit that will cause him to lose the bout. They are:

* Striking the opponent with a closed fist.
* Grabbing the opponent’s hair.
* Jabbing at the opponent’s eyes or solar plexus.
* Simultaneously striking both of the opponent’s ears with the palms.
* Grabbing or pulling the opponent’s groin.
* Grabbing the opponent’s throat.
* Kicking at the opponent’s chest or waist.
* Bending back one or more of the opponent’s fingers.

Any of these is grounds for immediate disqualification ("hansoku") owing to the potential for long-lasting harm to the wrestler involved. They are exceedingly rare and unlikely to be seen in the higher divisions of sumo, especially by the "sekitori" wrestlers.

Perhaps the most common "kinjite" committed is the grabbing of the opponent’s hair. Since it is tied up in a form of "chonmage" one's hand can become inadvertently tangled in it during a bout. Itai once pulled his opponent's hair on two consecutive days when ranked in the "jūryō" division in May 1980.Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lorna |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |id=ISBN 0-8348-0283-x] Other rikishi to have been disqualified in this way include "ozeki" Daikirin, and "yokozuna" Asashoryu in July 2003.

Whilst grabbing the throat is not allowed, pushing the opponent backwards with an open hand against the throat (called a "nodowa") is permitted.

In addition, there are moves that are permitted to professional "rikishi" and forbidden to more junior (school level) wrestlers. One such move is "harite" — slapping the opponent's face with an open hand.

References