Kotoshōgiku wearing a blue silk mawashi in May 2007.
In sumo, a mawashi (廻 し in Japanese) is the belt or belt worn by the rikishi (sumo wrestlers). It is made of silk and comes in a variety of colors. It measures approximately 9 meters unrolled, about 60 cm wide and weighs approximately four kilos. The rikishi is wrapped in the mawashi with several laps around his waist and is held in the back by a large knot.
Sometimes a rikishi can use his mawashi in such a way that he gains advantage over his opponent. You can wear it without much adjustment to make the grip harder and avoid being thrown or you can also tie it tightly and splash it with water to make it slippery.
Many rikishi are superstitious and change the color of their mawashi to change their luck. Sometimes a defeat can make them change color for the next tournament in an attempt to improve their luck.
The rikishi of the maezumo, jonokuchi, jonidan, sandanme and makushita divisions use a mawashi of cotton and the same color; while the rikishi of the divisions jūryō and makuuchi use a mawashi of silk and of different colors. It is also used during training, which is always silk and white (jūryō and makuuchi) or black (maezumo, jonokuchi, jonidan, sandanme and makushita).
During sumo combats the rikishi also carry a sagari (fringes hanging from the mawashi). The rikishi of the maezumo, jonokuchi, jonidan, sandanme and makushita divisions wear loose the sagari which may be of the same color as the mawashi or may be of a different color to the mawashi. The rikishi of the divisions jūryō and makuuchi carry the adjusted sagari which is always of the same color as that of the mawashi. During training, the sagari is not used.
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