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Views #467 | Low Intermediate 4

Sumo

Simon shares his thoughts about sports and sumo.

Script
Vocab
Quiz

Simon

Yeah, hi, I wanna talk about, yeah, watching sports, like live or on TV. I mean I like to play sports more than I like to watch sports but sometimes a good game on TV or watching it live can be really good, um, you know, everybody, or many people like to watch the olympics or the world cup of soccer, I mean those kinds of sports are really, really exciting. I like to watch them too. I like to watch a good game on TV, you know, it there's lots of buildup and tension for the match, it's even better.

One sport that I've been really getting into recently is Japanese Sumo wrestling, yeah, it's, you know, it's quite a spectacle. Many westerners think that it's kind of a joke, you know, a bunch of fat guys in tiny underwear, you know bashing their bodies against each other, but there's really a lot more to it than that, I mean, these guys are incredibly athletic. They also are quite strong and they have a repertoire of martial arts and wrestling ability. It's pretty amazing to watch. I mean the matches are really really short so sometimes the uninitiated don't know what going on but basically the rules are stay on your feet and stay in the small circle and, you know, try to get your opponent to fall down or to go out of the circle. That's why they only take about 10 or 20 seconds to finish a match because they do everything they can, but finally, before you know it, the match is over, you know, they do wrestling throws, they do martial arts, they do all kinds of things. It's really fun, and there's the whole ritual with it as well, I mean it's pretty amazing.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

buildup and tension

I like to watch a good game on TV, and it's even better if there's lots of buildup and tension for the match.

A 'buildup' is an increase in intensity, in this case, and increase in suspense. There is 'tension' between two people when their relationship is strained. Notice the following:

Can you just tell me what is wrong? I feel a lot of buildup and tension.
They didn't directly fight, but there was a lot of buildup and tension.

getting into

One sport that I've been really getting into recently is Japanese Sumo wrestling.

When used like this, 'getting into' means something that you are just starting to enjoy doing. Notice the following:

I would like him to get into exercise, but he is kind of lazy.
I am really getting into cooking right now.

spectacle

Japanese Sumo wrestling is quite a spectacle.

A 'spectacle' is a public display or show that attracts the attention of people. Notice the following:

Their house is always a spectacle around Christmas when it is full of lights.
She made quite a spectacle when she feel down the stairs.

repertoire

These wrestlers have a repertoire of martial arts and wrestling ability.

A wrestler's 'repertoire' is the skills or moves that he uses when fighting. Notice the following:

You need to add a new move to your repertoire.
All of the jokes he is doing right now are part of his repertoire.

uninitiated

The matches are really short, so sometimes, the uninitiated don't know what's going on.

Something that is 'uninitiated' hasn't been started yet. Notice the following:

He is an uninitiated member right now.
That discounted offer is uninitiated right now.

stay on your feet

Basically, the rules are stay on your feet and stay in the small circle.

When you 'stay on your feet,' you stay standing. It means that you don't fall over. Notice the following:

My legs get really tired if I stay on my feet for a long time.
If this is your first time ice skating, it will probably be hard for you to stay on your feet.

before you know it

They do everything they can, and finally, before you know it, the match is over.

You can use the phrase 'before you know it' to show that something happens more quickly than you would expect. Notice the following: