In the late 1980s, five-year-old Chris Gould became hooked on the ancient Japanese sport of sumo via Channel Four television in the UK. In 2006, made his first trip to Los Angeles in April 2006 to take in the US Sumo Open.
What he saw took him aback! Far from witnessing mere overweight darts players, he was confronted with an array of German judo champions, Norwegian soccer players, Los Angeles policemen, Hollywood scriptwriters and university lecturers - all vying with a Bulgarian wrestling champion, an ex-professional sumo wrestler from Hawaii and the Japanese 1996 World Amateur champion for gold medals.
The second half of the book sees Chris travel to Japan, ready to compare amateur sumo with the professional version, Japan's national sport. The mystery, the ceremony, the grace, the elegance, and the sheer strength of the top professional sumo wrestlers is laid bare for all to see, from the closest possible quarters - with photos to prove it.