Sumo wrestling by the large men of Japan is a national icon as these super sized fellows attempt to push each other out of the ring. Now, these are big men, I mean big! They are superstars in Japan, yet for me, an Australia, I find it all rather strange.
Like many sports, it has a history and a tradition. Sumo is a trial of strength in combat, and associated with Shinto ritual, and even certain shrines carry out forms of ritual dance where a human is said to wrestle with a kami (a Shinto divine spirit). It was an important ritual at the imperial court. Representatives of each province were ordered to attend the contest at the court and fight. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumo)
Check out the New Zealand All Blacks and the passion that team engages with the countrymen and women along with the Haka.
The All Blacks perform a haka (Maori challenge) before each international match. The haka has been closely associated with New Zealand rugby ever since a tour of New South Wales in 1884. The New Zealand native team that toured Britain in 1889/89 used Ake Ake Kia Kaha and the 1903 team in Australia used a mocking haka, Tupoto koe, Kangaru!. The 1905 All Blacks began the tradition of using Ka Mate and by 1914 this was firmly established as part of New Zealand rugby. The 1924 All Blacks used a specially composed haka Kia Whaka-ngawari, but later All Blacks reverted back to Ka Mate. (en.wikipedia.org)
What about the AFL club songs ? ….. now I realise sports across the world have such songs, but none seem to get as get as much public airing as do these AFL songs. The week of the AFL grand-final many radio programs aired the two grand-final club 'songs'. And passionate, I mean passionate !
Moreover, never get in the way or a fiery marauding top level netball match. Talk about a non-contact sport. Anyone who has been to an Australian – New Zealand Netball Test Match has witnesses pressure the like of no other. Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke said after watching one such Test, that in all his years he'd never seen such a contest.
This is the way of Sport. In my 1984 doctoral dissertation I captured one comment that became the touch stone of my understanding of Sport.
In essence, when actually participating, the entire world is at stake, until the final whistle. Life then returns to 'normal'.
That was it! That is Sport! While on the field of play (water, court, whatever), the focus: its passion, ultra determination, never-say-die-never, all exhibits this astonishingly super concentration, yet when the final whistle blows: its kind-of back to 'normal'.
This is the way of Sport.
In my years as an industrial chaplain (1980-1992) one senior manager exclaimed his dismay that he could not find a way to engage the employees at work (their paid jobs) to the same impact as they put into their outside voluntary activities such as Sport. Surprise, surprise !
This is also a lesson about balance and the Christian faith. Focusing 100% on reading the Bible 100% of the time and remain 'balanced' seems to be out of kilter with the New Testament where Jesus himself took time-out. Christians can learn a lot from Sport in relation to timing, focusing and respite.