The California Sumo Association and USASUMO.com were established in 1998 in Los Angeles, California. We are dedicated to;
Teaching sumo techniques and tradition to men and women of all sizes, ages, and backgrounds Training world class sumo athletes who compete internationally
Educating the public about traditional Japanese sumo, and about international amateur sumo
Promoting the sport of sumo through demonstrations, tournaments, and other events Supporting international efforts to make sumo an Olympic sport
In 1997, Andrew Freund, who had watched sumo live while working in Japan in the early 90s, began training in sumo after seeing a sumo demo in Los Angeles. In 1998, he established our group, and began offering practices. In 2000, we brought two-time World Sumo Champion Svetoslav Binev of Bulgaria, who began coaching the weekly classes. In 2006, soon-to-be three-time World Sumo Champion Byambajav Ulambayar of Mongolia was also welcomed into our group.
2001 -- Inaugural competition included elite Japanese team and special guest KONISHIKI.
2002 -- Huge turnout, with 50 of the world's top sumo wrestlers competing!
2003 -- Grand Champion AKEBONO joined us, and led sumo training.
2004 -- Grand Champion MUSASHIMARU was part of our coast-to-coast tour.
2005 -- US Sumo Open moves to the L.A. Convention Center; strong Japanese and international teams compete.
2006 -- Even stronger competition, including repeat World Champion from Japan, plus MUSASHIMARU again!
2007 -- US Sumo Open moves to the L.A. Sports Arena, with a huge crowd, and a new World Champion!
2008 -- Still at the Sports Arena, the same World Champ wins again vs. great foreign competitors.
2009 -- The event moves to the South Bay of Los Angeles, where the World Champ wins again.
2010 -- In Orange County, the event is dominated again by foreign competitors!
2011 -- For the first time, the event is held in Las Vegas, and multiple World Champions win gold.
Paralleling the development of an elite, established, sumo competition, we have also brought sumo into the entertainment limelight, with our featured sumo stars appearing on dozens of TV shows, commercials, and films. We worked extensively on major motion pictures like "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Oceans 13", where our sumo Talent were featured, and we coordinated stunts, set construction, wardrobe, props, and much more for multiple sumo scenes. Our group has also appeared on many international documentaries on National Geographic, Discovery, MTV, and many more. A team of our best sumo wrestlers was also featured on “America's Got Talent” in 2010!
We continue to work with Japanese professional sumo ("Grand Sumo") in various capacities. We collaborated on major pro sumo exhibition tournaments like Grand Sumo Las Vegas and Grand Sumo Los Angeles. We also have frequent interaction with pro sumo teams and selected sumo stars, for special events and appearances.
Our sumo demonstrations and lectures are held nationwide and even overseas. World Champion sumo wrestlers and other elite sumo champions not only entertain, but also educate folks everywhere about sumo techniques, training, and sumo culture.
We are committed to continuing sumo's growth in the U.S., while promoting every aspect of sumo's unique appeal -- from competition to ritual, education to entertainment, and much more.
Media Coverage
Don't miss one of the most exciting tournaments in the world! The US Sumo Open (since 2001) features elite sumo wrestlers, with many National and World Champions!. more >>
