Sumo Down South
Jared Faulk ’22 introduces a sumo club to the Triangle.
Computer science major Jared Faulk ’22 found himself scrolling YouTube in boredom during spring break 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Stumbling upon a suggested video led Faulk to watch a slender professional sumo wrestler vanquish an opponent who was more than twice the wrestler’s size. The video shattered Faulk’s notions about the Japanese sport, and he found himself captivated by the athlete’s skill, technique and bravery. This awakened a desire in Faulk to pursue the ancient art. With that, the Raijin Sumo Club was born.
Just a few months later, Faulk connected with a novice amateur sumo competitor, Eric Huynh, as a training partner. Surrounded by NC State students’ soccer and ultimate frisbee games at Miller Fields, the duo constructed a makeshift dohyō, the ring of sumo wrestling, and learned how to effectively hurl their bodies at one another. The two men conducted practices for months before others joined the team, which Faulk credits as the moment the club truly started to take shape, saying that only two people may appear out of place, “but three people is a community.”
Seizing the momentum of the newfound community, the crew adopted the name Raijin after the Japanese god of thunder, debuting the Raijin Sumo Club on Instagram (@ncsumo) in 2021. The club has broadened its reach and is now a collective of men, women and children that spans the spectrum of shapes, sizes, ethnicities, races and political affiliations. There are members who are black belts from other martial arts, former high school wrestlers, football and rugby players, Japanophiles, anime fans and those who just want to be active. And it’s made Raleigh a national hotbed for amateur sumo wrestling. Raijin Sumo Club boasts numerous national champions and medalists, sending multiple wrestlers to the International Sumo Federation’s World Championship tournament over the past years.
What was born out of the depths of isolation and fear of contact during COVID has grown into a vibrant community of more than 30 wrestlers learning not only grappling techniques but also more about their humanity. “Wrestling is the passion of the soul,” says Faulk. “Wrestling is a pure human activity. We live in a cerebral world, and the Raijin Sumo Club is a reminder that we’re human.”
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