How many winning techniques (kimarite) are there in sumo?
82 kimarite (winning techniques) are officially recognized, along with 5 additional non-technique results such as a wrestler stepping out on his own or a foul. Only around a dozen of the 82 account for most real bouts - the rest are technically valid but rare.
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What you are seeing
The kimarite is announced and displayed on screen (and on some venue boards) immediately after every bout.
Yorikiri (a straightforward force-out at the belt) is by far the most common kimarite across every tournament.
Rare or spectacular kimarite becoming the story of a day is itself part of why longtime fans keep watching - most days are yorikiri and oshidashi, so an unusual one stands out.
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What to watch next
Try to guess the kimarite before it's announced - after a few bouts, the common ones (yorikiri, oshidashi, hatakikomi) become easy to spot.
Watch for whether the win came from pushing straight out, a throw, or an opponent's own misstep - that's the shape of most of the 82 techniques, however exotic the name.
If a bout ends in a way you can't categorize, it was probably one of the rarer kimarite - worth looking up the name afterward.
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A common first-timer mistake
Trying to memorize all 82 before your first tournament. Recognizing the handful of common ones covers the vast majority of what you'll actually see.
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Words you may hear
Kimarite
the official name of the technique that decided a bout
Yorikiri
a force-out win with a firm grip on the belt, the most common kimarite
Oshidashi
a push-out win without a belt grip
Sources and review
Created and photographed in Ryogoku by a Tokyo-based spectator. Facts reviewed against Japan Sumo Association materials on 25 August 2026.
