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Not many athletic disciplines can keep viewers enthralled through an extended period of ceremony before the first point is even determined.

Yet the detailed ceremonies unfolding in a traditional dohyō - virtually unchanged for centuries - managed to do just that.

Welcome to the Major Sumo Competition

This week-long competition at the iconic London venue features 40 of the very best sumo athletes showcasing a sport whose initial documentation dates back to the first century BC.

London's Victorian concert venue has been totally redesigned, complete with a six-tonne Japanese temple roof hanging above the dohyō.

Historical Ceremonies Meet Current Innovations

It is here the wrestlers, known as rikishi, perform their foot stomping to drive away evil spirits, and where they strike their hands to summon the deities.

Above all this historical practice, a massive rotating display - that would fit perfectly at an professional sports event - offers the audience all the statistics and footage they could want.

Worldwide Followers Find Sumo

For an enthusiastic follower, it was a "chance online clip" that first drew her interest a couple of years ago.

This was rapidly enhanced by the discovery of specialized online content for training facilities, where wrestlers live and train, starting their day early to work out, followed by a nutritious chankonabe and then an daytime sleep - all in the service of bulking up.

Traveling from the North, Another Perspective

Julia and her partner Cezar discovered sumo through a established path: a trip to Japan six years ago.

"We considered it a very touristy activity, but we actually ended up loving the sport," says Julia.

"From there on, we tried to discover networks, resources, just to learn more about it," the other fan explains.

Unique Chance

Traveling to Asia is generally the primary approach to see a top-flight sumo tournament.

This London competition marks only the second occasion the tournament has come to London - the previous visit was in the early nineties.

Even traveling to Asia doesn't ensure of getting a seat, with current times seeing sold-out events.

First-Hand Experience

For numerous spectators, the UK competition represents the first time they have seen live sumo - and it exceeds expectations.

"Observing directly, you get a feeling of velocity and the power which you can't experience on TV," notes one fan. "They are so big."

The Matches

To succeed, one wrestler needs to push another out of the ring or to the ground using physical force.

The primary group use one of pair of techniques to achieve this, often in moments - shoving, or wrestling.

Either way, the noise of the two athletes crashing together in the opening second of the match echoes around the auditorium.

Prime Locations

The positions right next to the dohyō are of course greatly valued - but also, a bit risky.

During one recent bout, a 191cm wrestler went plummeting into the spectators - perhaps making those in slightly cheaper seats feel relieved.

Behind the Scenes

Of course, the size of the wrestlers is one of the first things most people think of when they contemplate wrestling.

The hall's organizers revealed they "needed to find and buy new chairs which can withstand 200kg in weight."

But sumo - for all its successful competitions - is not without its difficulties behind the scenes.

Future Challenges

Perhaps the demanding existence of a rikishi doesn't look as attractive as it once might have.

Its following among youth in Japan is also being threatened by alternative competitions, while Japan's falling birthrate will not help.

International Network

Not that any of this has troubled spectators in London.

"Seeing all this ritual and ceremony that goes with sumo is particularly meaningful," one enthusiast notes. "Today, watching it directly, you sense that you are more part of it."

For other enthusiastic fans, the drama "made it so incredible" - as did meeting the other fans.

"Getting out of a particularly focused online community and being able to see all these sumo fans directly and being able to chat with other people who are just as into this as we are - it was worth every penny."