Editing Sumo (section)

===Japanese Middle Ages (1185–1603)===
With the collapse of the Emperor's central authority, sumo lost its importance in the court; during the [[Kamakura period]], sumo was repurposed from a ceremonial struggle to a form of military combat training among ''[[samurai]]''.<ref name="USADojo"/><ref name="Kokugakuin"/> By the [[Muromachi period]], sumo had fully left the seclusion of the court and became a popular event for the masses, and among the ''[[Daimyo|daimyō]]'' it became common to sponsor wrestlers. ''Sumotori'' who successfully fought for a [[Daimyo|''daimyō'''s]] favor were given generous support and ''samurai'' status. [[Oda Nobunaga]], a particularly avid fan of the sport, held a tournament of 1,500 wrestlers in February 1578. Because several bouts were to be held simultaneously within Oda Nobunaga's castle, circular arenas were delimited to hasten the proceedings and to maintain the safety of the spectators. This event marks the invention of the ''[[dohyō]]'', which would be developed into its current form up until the 18th century.<ref name="USADojo"/> The winner of Nobunaga's tournament was given a bow for being victorious and he began dancing to show the war-lord his gratitude.<ref name="fight-library"/>