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Frequently Asked Questions:
- I haven't time to read your whole
web site. What are the basics?
- What happens if it rains on
the day of my outdoor party?
- Are you insured?
- If you work with children,
have you been police checked?
- How much space do you need
for a Sumo Experience event?
- How many people can a Sumo Experience
event cater for?
- How early should I book?
- How long does it take to get the suits on?
- Did I hear right? You do fire-breathing too!?
- Can you help me with invitations?
- Can I drink and Sumo?
- Which suits are right for
me?
- I could hire the suits myself, so what are the extras you offer?
- What is not covered in a Sumo
Experience event?
- What are the future plans for
Sumo Experience?
 Q. I haven't time to read
your whole web site. Can you just tell me the basics?
A. OK, these are the essentials:
- Service - for
the distinctive of what we offer see Welcome.
- Space -
for how much room is needed see FAQ.
- Conditions - for who can and can't Sumo see
Safety.
- Costs -
for fees and our normal travel range
see Rates.
- Booking - for our
email, phone, etc.
see Contact
Q. What happens if it rains
on the day of my outdoor party?
A. You have a choice:
- You can go ahead with the party. The suits
won't be damaged by a little rain. It will just be a bit slippery.
- You can cancel. You will either loose your
deposit, or you can reuse your deposit to re-book for sometime within the following six weeks
Q. Are you insured?
A. We have Public Liability Insurance to the
tune of £1,000,000.
Q. If you work with children,
have you been police checked?
A. Yes, see About
Us for details.
Q. How much space do you need
for a Sumo Experience event?
A. The crash mat is 12 feet by 12 feet and an
additional boarder is required for spills, spectators and waiting contestants.
This means that a clear flat area of at least 22 feet by 22 feet (6.7 meters by 6.7 meters) is
required. This is an important safety requirement as despite the thick padding of the suits a fall against a wall or pillar would be dangerous. So unfortunately, unless you live in a mansion or have your own ballroom you probably won't have a room big enough for sumo inside your house!
 Q. How many people can a Sumo
Experience event cater for?
A. This will depend on the people involved. Sumo
Experience runs a single "dohyo" (Sumo arena) so only two
people can wrestle at any given time. For adults especially, watching
can be as entertaining as joining in. There is no particular limit to
the number of reserved onlookers, and the headcount of "I'll-just-give-it-one-go"
people can also be quite high. For children's parties and for adult
parties where full participation is the aim, the ideal target number is 12.
Younger children tend to find the spectating/supporting part less enjoyable.
Also, evenly matched combatants make for the most fun, This is especially a
consideration for children's parties if there is a significant range of ages.
Q. How early should I book?
A. We could say 'as early as possible' but that's not the answer you're looking for. Two months ahead would be a good policy. But never assume that you've left it too late. We have taken a booking at 20 hours notice before now and are looking to better that.
Q. How long does it take to get the suits on?
A. Putting on a sumo fat-suit is just like pulling in a big heavy vest, then all that is needed is the neck brace and helmit (both velco fastened) Take a look at this movie clip and you'll see that it takes as little as 15 seconds to get a suit off one combatant and another 15 to get it onto the next. So to swap out one pair for the next is about a minute; leaving more time for posing and fighting!
Q. Did I hear right? You do fire-breathing too!
A. That's right, for an additional charge your Gyoji (referee) will perform a brief fire-breathing display at the end of your event. But let's be clear about this; its fire-breathing, not fire-eating (that would be dangerous). OK, its not really Japanese but its a trick that Martin picked up during his days as a rock singer (at open-air concerts you need to be seen from the back!) Unfortunately due to the sensitivity of modern fire-detection equipment this can only be arranged it the venue allows or at out-door events (weather permitting).
Q. Can you help me with invitations?
A. Funny you should ask. We have designed a image that you can use as a template to add your own invitation details to. How easy is that? All the details are on the invitations page.
Q. Can I drink and Sumo?
A. No. Or at least not at the same time. The
Sumo must come first as there are safety and public liability issues.
Please read the safety page carefully
for further details.
Q. Which suits are right for me?
A. We have both adult and junior suits that cover
all ages from approximately 7 upwards, but dependant primarily on the
height of the combatants. See 'the
suits' page for further details. We have observed that (...how should
we say this...) those who have started to develop the attributes of
real Rikishi (Sumo wrestlers) may find the suits too tight a fit.
Q. I could hire the suits myself, so what are the extras you offer?
A. Good question. You can hire similar equipment from other companies who will drop it on your lawn like they would a bouncy castle. Sumo Experience is so much more than a hire company. With us you get:
- the `Gyoji' - the host and master of ceremonies, referee and purveyor of fun
- the ceremony - the `gyoji` comes in full regalia, kimono and hat.
- participation - with the traditions of salt throwing, parading and stomping as well as wearing your souvenir team bandana
- keeping the score - on a large whiteboard
- sound effects - from a gong, japanese mood music and a megaphone (if needed!)
- mood - with a few blasts from the smoke machine (venue permitting) and (optional) fire breathing display
- safety - the supervision for safe fun and self-service first aid if by chance you do get battle scared!
Q. What is not covered in a Sumo Experience event?
A. This clearly can't be an exhaustive list,
but the obvious ones to state are:
- the venue (that is over to you to book or host)
- food and drink
- rain cover (parties run under the sky are subject to whatever falls
out of the sky)
- prizes (currently the only prizes are a sense of triumph and possible
smugness depending on your nature!)
- transport of guests to or from the event
 Q. What are the future plans for Sumo Experience?
A. There are constant improvements and lots of plans. We have just introduced a
Japanese-style bandana for every guest to wear and take away as a Sumo Experience memento, a large gong to accent the ceremonials and a smoke machine for where the venue allows. There are also now new reviews and
feedback page where hosts of recent events can let
us know how we scored against their expectations. Also a safety assessment document has been compiled and will be
reviewed at least quarterly (copies available on request). We next plan to produce a fun DVD that can be used
as introduction to a Sumo Experience event but will also instruct on safety issues. We plan to use the same
footage for streaming on the web site and for promotion. Beyond that we have plans to add original music,
lights and dry ice as the scale of our operations enable. Watch this space!
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