Sumo program on National Geographic Explorer

[gaijin@connectnet.com (Alan E. Portillo)]

In the "On Television" section of the September 1996 issue of National
Geographic magazine, it states that a segment of "National Geographic
Explorer" will be devoted to Sumo and will be broadcast in the U.S. on
Sunday, September 15, at 7:00 PM Eastern time, on cable channel TBS.  The
accompanying article is as follows:

"Sumo Cum Laude:  The Biggest Champions"

"Elephantine dance precedes a day's bouts as sumo wrestlers perform the
ritual shiko exercise, first raising one foot, then stomping it down hard.
Sumo, Japan's national sport, is rooted in religious traditions going back
some 1,300 years.  In "Sumo:  Dance of the Gargantuans," T.R. Reid, former
Washington Post bureau chief in Tokyo, examines the nuances of the martial
art.  He introduces stars such as U.S.-born Akebono, weighing in at 472
pounds.  Viewers also meet Mainoumi, "dancing sea," who at 220 pounds
relies on speed and surprise to tip the scales in his favor."

Alan Portillo
San Diego, CA