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Not many athletic disciplines can captivate an audience through 45 minutes of ritual before the first point is even determined.

Yet the complex rituals unfolding in a small clay ring - largely unaltered for hundreds of years - succeeded in doing so.

Discover the Major Sumo Competition

This five-day event at the Royal Albert Hall features numerous elite rikishi showcasing a sport whose initial documentation dates back to ancient times.

London's Victorian concert venue has been totally redesigned, complete with a six-tonne Japanese temple roof hanging above the ring.

Time-Honored Rituals Meet Contemporary Displays

It is here the competitors, known as sumo wrestlers, perform their leg stomps to expel evil spirits, and where they strike their hands to attract the deities.

Above all this traditional ritual, a giant, revolving LED screen - that would fit perfectly at an professional sports event - offers the crowd all the data and video they could want.

Global Fans Find Sumo

For Sian Spencer, it was a "random video" that first captivated her a couple of years ago.

This was quickly followed by the discovery of specialized online content for training facilities, where wrestlers live and train, starting their day early to train, followed by a nutritious chankonabe and then an daytime sleep - all in the service of increasing mass.

Hailing from Scotland, Different Experience

Julia and her partner Cezar discovered sumo through a established path: a trip to Japan six years ago.

"We saw it as a common sightseeing event, but we actually came to adore the sport," notes the enthusiast.

"After that, we tried to discover networks, information, just to expand our knowledge about it," adds Cezar.

Special Event

Visiting the homeland is almost the only way to see a top-flight sumo tournament.

This current tournament marks only the second time the tournament has appeared in the capital - the previous visit was in over three decades ago.

Even going to Japan isn't a guarantee of securing tickets, with current times seeing sold-out events.

First-Hand Experience

For multiple fans, the London tournament represents the premier chance they have experienced the sport directly - and it lives up to the hype.

"Seeing it up close, you get a sense of the speed and the force which you can't experience on TV," explains an attendee. "Their stature is remarkable."

The Competition

To achieve victory, one rikishi needs to force his opponent out of the ring or to the surface using brute strength.

The primary group use one of two styles to accomplish this, often in moments - shoving, or clenching.

Either way, the impact of the two wrestlers meeting in the first moment of the match resounds around the hall.

Front Row Positions

The seats right next to the ring are of course highly prized - but also, a bit risky.

During one specific contest, a 191cm wrestler fell into the crowd - perhaps making those in slightly cheaper seats experience comfort.

Behind the Scenes

Of course, the dimensions of the rikishi is one of the initial aspects most people imagine when they consider the sport.

The facility's operators revealed they "were required to locate and buy new chairs which can support 200kg in weight."

But sumo - for all its successful competitions - is not without its difficulties behind the scenes.

Potential Issues

Perhaps the demanding existence of a sumo wrestler doesn't look as attractive as it once might have.

Its popularity among the younger generation is also being challenged by other sports, while Japan's declining population will not help.

International Network

Not that any of this has concerned enthusiasts in London.

"Experiencing the custom and formality that accompanies sumo is particularly meaningful," fan Sian says. "Today, watching it live, you sense that you are more involved."

For other enthusiastic fans, the excitement "created amazing experiences" - as did meeting the fellow enthusiasts.

"Emerging from a very niche online community and being able to witness multiple sumo fans live and being able to speak to other people who are equally passionate as we are - it was completely valuable."