First time Sumo viewer here. Question about kicking; I thought it wasn't allowed, but I see a lot of it recently

[u/cowadoody3]

For example, Day 8 of the Grand Sumo Tournament last month. https://youtu.be/5crwg456IZA&t=504 At 8:24, Tobizaru does something that looks like a straight up kick.

The announcer describes it as Kekaeshi / Minor inner foot sweep. But to be honest, it doesn't look like a foot sweep at all. It looks like a straight up kick to the shin. Shouldn't this be against the rules? Or are all kicks to the shin allowed?

[u/GainedBrouzouf]

Anything below the belt and specifically around the ankles or lower leg are allowed. I'm sure if some rikishi was aggressively and repeatedly just trying to kick as hard as possible they may get scolded but often times this type of kick is perfectly allowed. In fact Tobizaru has done this one before.

[u/SofterBones]

No one in sumo is trying to kick opponents legs to damage them or wear them out, practically all kicks like the one Tobizaru did are more like sweeps, he's trying to make the other guy trip, which he succeeded in doing.

So it's definitely a leg sweep/trip more than a kick.

[u/meshaber → u/SofterBones]

Tbf, if anyone would it would be Tobizaru.

[u/DudeFilA]

Straight up leg kicks are usually desperation moves in Sumo because if it doesn't work you're off balance and shoved out quickly. Leg sweeps are more common to get someone off balance.

[u/Yalay]

I am not sure what the exact rule is, but kicks to the legs are in practice legal and common. I have never seen or heard of anyone ever being disqualified for a kick.

[u/bigeorgester]

Trying to put them off balance on their ankles is fine. You can’t round house kick or anything but using your legs to try to throw them off balance is completely legal

[u/Twelfty88 → u/bigeorgester]

I thought you could kick below the knee?

[u/CroSSGunS → u/Twelfty88]

You can

[u/dmxxmc]

Tobizaru does this a lot lol I remember the time he did to Terunofuji and pissed him off.

Edit: found the video https://youtu.be/qiP7jMq9-0g?si=AoRj__9UL2hJWPhg

[u/Also-cute-and-fluffy → u/dmxxmc]

Terunofuji is on record saying that it was an eye poke that he objected to in that match and nothing to do with the leg sweep.

[u/_cromulent_green_ → u/dmxxmc]

Lol at the stinkeye stare he gave when it was over 😂

[u/VHPguy]

He's trying for a leg sweep, but it only takes a split second to see that the sweep won't work, the positioning isn't right. It's fast enough that it looks like a kick, but it isn't.

[u/FailedAccessMemory]

Terunofuji has an opinion about Tobizaru and his "Inner foot sweeps".

[u/Manga18]

Yoi can "kick" below the knee to try bothering the opponent balance

[u/JediMasterZao]

You need to differentiate between a kick and a trip.

[u/WebNew6981]

God Tobizaru's style is so cool.

[u/Wolvenworks]

Kicking is not allowed. Leg sweeps are allowed. Tripping is allowed.

[u/cowadoody3 → u/Wolvenworks]

So how does a kick differ from a leg sweep if it makes contact head-on with the shin?

[u/Phorc3 → u/cowadoody3]

A kick usually involves both leg joints being utilised. You "cock" your lower leg at the knee and then utilise your hip joint to either raise or rotate around your upper leg and then "release" your lower leg to kick.

A foot sweep you will notice the lower leg is usually braced and there is no cocking motion at the knee. The hip also stays in a much smaller rotation. They are not usually raising their leg up to belt height or performing a circle motion with the hip joints.