Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Jim.
Hi Matt, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We (Matt Jim and Sabrina Pacella) started watching clips of pro sumo tournaments on YouTube back in 2018. We had always had an interest in martial arts and Japanese culture, and the lack of English language content on sumo wrestling back in those days made it all the more interesting. Learning about the history and culture of sumo was like unraveling an exciting mystery. Eventually, we took all the knowledge we had scraped together from different corners of the internet and started a podcast/YouTube channel/general internet presence – Sumo Punx!
We started making a lot of friends in the U.S. sumo community. Since it’s still a pretty niche sport here, everyone pretty much knows everyone else. We eventually started interviewing revered U.S. sumo coaches, international sumo personalities, and even ex-pro sumo wrestlers. Our podcast started gaining more listeners over the pandemic. Unfortunately, Sabrina started having some health issues, so the podcast has been on hiatus for the past several months. We do plan on starting it back up soon though!
While all this was going on, Matt had found a place to actually train sumo out in Carrollton. We made even more friends in the U.S, sumo community, including members of other sumo cubs here in Texas. We traveled to tournaments in Austin, San Antonio and Houston to compete and help run their livestreams. We started traveling outside of Texas as well, all the while gaining more and more sumo knowledge and skill. Sabrina started writing articles for the American Sumo Newsletter covering the tournaments.
Then we moved up to Denton, Tx in mid-2023. The sumo club Matt had been practicing with had moved to Arlington by that point, so it became much more difficult to get to practice. We eventually resorted to practicing on the volleyball court at North Lakes Park with a couple friends once a week. After a while, more and more people started showing up. We realized we would need an indoor training space, so we contacted the folks who run The Dojo near the Denton Square. The Dojo is dedicated to Japanese martial arts, so they were enthusiastic to have us join them. So, on March 13, 2024, we officially started the Kurowashi Sumo Collective.
It didn’t take long for us to attract attention from the local community. Our membership grew fast, and at the end of 2024 a handful of our members competed in their first sumo tournament. One even ended up winning the silver medal! Since then, our members have gone on to win various medals, trophies, and awards. We are currently getting ready to compete at the Consulate’s Cup in Austin, Tx on November 8th. Wish us luck!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We’ve certainly had some bumps along the way! When we started to get recognition from the Sumo Punx podcast and people started inviting us to stream live events, we definitely ran into a few technical difficulties. We learn quick, though. Through trial and error, we’ve been able to overcome most hurdles and now have a much easier time than we did when we first started.
As for Kurowashi, things have gone so much more smoothly than we ever could have imagined! However, I think the one hurdle that’s universal for all sumo clubs is that there are a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions about what sumo is and what it takes to get started. Most people in the U.S. have very limited knowledge of sumo from either short clips of the very traditional sumo that is forbidden outside of Japan or from comedic Western stereotypes in media based on that traditional style.
We wanted to dispel the misconceptions and create a welcoming and educational environment for everyone who comes through our door, to pique people’s curiosity and educate them while also putting them at ease, and I think we’ve achieved that. We ended up creating our own educational material to answer some common questions and concerns, like whether you have to gain weight to do sumo, or wear nothing but a loin cloth (the answer to both of those is No, by the way). However, we do also emphasize the history and culture of sumo. This approach has really helped our members and the community fall in love with this ancient martial art.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The Sumo Punx podcast is known for being educational and passionate about sumo from a decidedly counter-cultural standpoint. We don’t shy away from adult humor or strong opinions, and we love to examine the more niche aspects of our subject matter. I think the episode I’m most proud of is the one where we interviewed LGBTQ sumo wrestlers and discussed the obstacles they face. We have episodes planned on women in sumo and various other topics as well.
As for the Kurowashi Sumo Collective, we knew we had one goal in mind when we started: make sumo accessible for everyone. We had noticed that some martial arts spaces had a tendency to take a one-size-fits-all approach, trying to force everyone to conform to the same learning style, assuming everyone who practices has the same goals. We knew that we wanted to be the opposite of that. We encourage our members to go at their own pace, ask questions, and openly share knowledge. We bring in former pros and highly skilled sumotori from around the U.S. to conduct periodic seminars.
With Kurowashi, we’ve cultivated a space where people can come together to share their love of this widely misunderstood sport while also being their true, authentic selves. We honor and respect diversity in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile to it. I also like to think we give people an environment where they can love themselves and be proud of their achievements without having to worry about living up to someone else’s standards.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
We’ve had tons of luck with Kurowashi considering that we literally started with nothing but our mawashi belts and fighting spirit. We were training at the park and then at the volleyball court for about 10 months, gaining approximately one new member a month, before we realized we needed a good indoor training spot for everyone. It just so happened that the first place we spoke to was the best possible option we could have gotten, and that was The Dojo (yes, it’s really just called The Dojo) here in Denton. They offered us a very generous deal, without us even having to ask, I think because they were as excited as we were to bring sumo to the Denton community. The Dojo has huge picture windows at the front, and it’s only about a block away from The Square, so there’s always a lot of people walking by who like to stop and watch us train. It’s definitely raised our profile in the community faster than we ever could have imagined.
Pricing:
- First two classes – Free
- Monthly Membership – $40
- Non-member Drop-In Fee: $15
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kurowashisumo/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KurowashiSumo
Image Credits
Sabrina Pacella
