OCEANSIDE – Trent Sabo describes himself as having been a decent wrestler in high school, but it was a cardio kickboxing class that started Sabo's journey to becoming an international sumo champion in 2004.

OCEANSIDE SUMO CLUB What: Practice session When: 3 p.m. Oct. 7 Where: Buddy Todd Park, 3000 Mesa Drive, Oceanside Information: Sumo practices are open to males and females of all skill levels. Participants learn traditional stretching exercises, holding and throwing techniques, and stance. Informal matches take place during practice sessions. Contact: Trent Sabo at trentsabo@hotmail.com

Seven years ago, Sabo went to the cardio kickboxing class with a girl he was dating but was kicked out for horsing around, he said. While he was waiting in the gym for the class to finish, Sabo picked up a newsletter about sumo wrestling and decided to enter a competition.

Although Sabo, 25, is considered a lightweight in sumo competitions, he often competes in the open weight class and has won matches against men who weigh more than 400 pounds, he said. Sabo won his first national title in 2002 and went on to win the 2004 International Sumo Cup Championship.

Sabo, an Oceanside resident, formed the Oceanside Sumo Kyokai – kyokai is Japanese for club – in August 2004 after his championship victory. He wanted to attract men and women to the sport. Sabo said sumo is on its way to being an Olympic sport.

“We're always trying to get new people out and try sumo,” Sabo said at a club practice session last Sunday at Buddy Todd Park in Oceanside. “But it's an odd sport for Americans. The sport is simple and basic, and anybody can do it. But the mind-set is on football and wrestling, and so most people don't try it until their early 30s.”

Sabo and other club members begin practices by wrapping a mawashi made of canvas between their legs and around their waist several times. The mawashi, often called a “diaper” or a “thong” by those who don't understand why it is essential to the sport, is another reason Americans are hesitant to participate in sumo, Sabo said.

“The Japanese had to make three concessions in order for sumo to be considered for an Olympic sport,” Sabo said. “There are three weight classes and an open class, women can compete, and the use of shorts under the mawashi is allowed.”

After stretching exercises and squats, Sabo instructed members to practice throws. He said the easiest way to win a sumo match is by pushing an opponent outside of the clay ring, but when the size of two competitors is equal, the key to winning is getting a hold on the mawashi and twisting or picking up the person.

Michelle Pike, a 46-year-old Oceanside resident, was at practice last Sunday preparing for the Milano Sumo Open taking place in Italy at the end of this month. Weighing in at 143 pounds, Pike said she often wrestles women who are larger than her, but she feels prepared for competition.

“I joined the club three years ago and entered the U.S. Open competition that year with only two practices under my belt,” Pike said.

Pike, who has no prior wrestling or martial arts experience, was first introduced to sumo when she watched her son and Sabo compete at a match. She said sumo helped her become physically fit.

“It's a constant battle to keep my weight down, and I condition with cardio and light weights because I don't want to bulk up,” Pike said. Ross Whittaker, 27, attended the club's practice for the first time last Sunday. After engaging in mock matches against other club members, Whittaker said sumo was more challenging than he first thought.

Whittaker found out about the Oceanside club through his friend Steve Barbosa, 28. Barbosa said he has done aikido and judo for six years, and many of the techniques he has learned in martial arts have helped him with sumo.

Barbosa, a heavyweight at 260 pounds, said he placed third at the state sumo tournament in August. He said the mental aspect of the sport is as important as its physicality.

“For me, sumo is a centering exercise,” Barbosa said. “But I do enjoy the clash, the feeling of testing yourself against another human being. I want to get better at sumo, and winning always feels good. It's a way for me to have fun.”

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