Not many athletic disciplines can hold spectators spellbound through 45 minutes of tradition before the initial score is even determined.
Yet the intricate traditions unfolding in a small clay ring - virtually unchanged for centuries - managed to do just that.
Welcome to the Major Sumo Competition
This multi-day tournament at the Royal Albert Hall features four dozen top-tier sumo wrestlers showcasing a sport whose first mention dates back to the first century BC.
London's Victorian concert venue has been completely reimagined, complete with a elaborate suspended canopy hanging above the ring.
Time-Honored Rituals Meet Modern Technology
It is here the athletes, known as sumo wrestlers, perform their leg stomps to expel negative energies, and where they applaud to summon the gods.
Above all this historical practice, a giant, revolving LED screen - which wouldn't look out of place at an American basketball game - offers the crowd all the data and video they could want.
Global Fans Find Sumo
For an enthusiastic follower, it was a "unexpected footage" that first caught her attention a couple of years ago.
This was quickly followed by the discovery of focused video platforms for rikishi houses, where athletes reside and practice, waking up early to practice, followed by a nutritious chankonabe and then an midday rest - all in the service of bulking up.
From Edinburgh, Different Experience
Different enthusiasts discovered sumo through a more traditional route: a journey to Asia six years ago.
"We considered it a common sightseeing event, but we actually came to adore the sport," notes the enthusiast.
"Subsequently, we tried to find communities, materials, just to expand our knowledge about it," her partner continues.
Rare Opportunity
Visiting the homeland is almost the only way to see a top-flight sumo tournament.
This London competition marks only the second instance the tournament has come to London - the previous visit was in the early nineties.
Even visiting the country doesn't ensure of obtaining admission, with recent years seeing completely booked tournaments.
First-Hand Experience
For many attendees, the UK competition represents the premier chance they have experienced the sport directly - and it doesn't disappoint.
"Seeing it up close, you get a understanding of quickness and the strength which you can't experience on TV," notes one fan. "Their size is impressive."
The Matches
To win the match, one rikishi needs to force his opponent out of the ring or to the surface using raw power.
The majority use one of pair of techniques to achieve this, often in moments - thrusting, or grappling.
Either way, the impact of the two wrestlers meeting in the opening second of the match resounds around the venue.
Premium Seating
The seats right next to the dohyō are of course highly prized - but also, potentially hazardous.
During one recent bout, a 191cm wrestler fell into the spectators - perhaps making those in less expensive positions experience comfort.
Behind the Scenes
Of course, the size of the wrestlers is one of the first things most people think of when they contemplate wrestling.
The hall's organizers revealed they "needed to find and acquire reinforced furniture which can take up to 200kg in weight."
But sumo - for all its popular tournaments - is not without its challenges behind the scenes.
Potential Issues
Perhaps the strict life of a sumo wrestler doesn't look as attractive as it once might have.
Its following among young Japanese is also being threatened by alternative competitions, while Japan's declining population will present additional challenges.
International Network
Not that any of this has concerned enthusiasts in London.
"Seeing all this custom and formality that goes with sumo is especially significant," one enthusiast notes. "Today, watching it directly, you sense that you are more part of it."
For other committed supporters, the excitement "created amazing experiences" - as did interacting with the other fans.
"Emerging from a highly specialized online community and being able to see all these sumo fans in person and being able to chat with other people who are similarly enthusiastic as we are - it was absolutely worthwhile."
