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Few sports can keep viewers enthralled through three-quarters of an hour of ceremony before the opening contest is even determined.

Yet the detailed ceremonies unfolding in a compact earthen circle - virtually unchanged for centuries - managed to do just that.

Discover the Major Sumo Competition

This multi-day tournament at the Royal Albert Hall features 40 of the very best sumo athletes showcasing a sport whose earliest records dates back to 23BC.

London's historic performance space has been completely reimagined, complete with a elaborate suspended canopy hanging above the dohyō.

Ancient Traditions Meet Modern Technology

It is here the competitors, known as rikishi, perform their leg stomps to expel evil spirits, and where they strike their hands to attract the deities.

Above all this traditional ritual, a massive rotating display - that appears natural at an American basketball game - offers the spectators all the statistics and footage they could want.

International Enthusiasts Embrace Sumo

For one dedicated fan, it was a "random video" that first caught her attention a couple of years ago.

This was quickly followed by the discovery of focused video platforms for rikishi houses, where athletes reside and practice, starting their day early to train, followed by a nutritious chankonabe and then an daytime sleep - all in the effort toward bulking up.

Hailing from Scotland, Another Perspective

Another couple discovered sumo through a conventional method: a journey to Asia six years ago.

"We considered it a common sightseeing event, but we actually came to adore the sport," notes the enthusiast.

"From there on, we tried to locate groups, resources, just to expand our knowledge about it," the other fan explains.

Special Event

Visiting the homeland is almost the only way to see a elite competition.

This current tournament marks only the second instance the tournament has appeared in the capital - the previous visit was in over three decades ago.

Even visiting the country isn't certain of getting a seat, with the past period seeing completely booked tournaments.

First-Hand Experience

For multiple fans, the UK competition represents the first time they have watched sumo in person - and it lives up to the hype.

"Observing directly, you get a understanding of quickness and the strength which you can't experience on TV," explains an attendee. "Their size is impressive."

The Bouts

To achieve victory, one rikishi needs to push another out of the ring or to the floor using physical force.

The majority use one of two styles to accomplish this, often in split seconds - shoving, or grappling.

Either way, the sound of the two athletes colliding in the initial contact of the match reverberates around the auditorium.

Premium Seating

The cushions right next to the competition area are of course highly prized - but also, potentially hazardous.

During one recent bout, a 191cm wrestler went plummeting into the crowd - perhaps making those in less expensive positions experience comfort.

Organizational Issues

Of course, the size of the rikishi is one of the initial aspects most people consider when they contemplate wrestling.

The hall's organizers revealed they "were required to locate and acquire reinforced furniture which can support 200kg in weight."

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

Future Challenges

Perhaps the strict life of a rikishi doesn't look as appealing as it once might have.

Its appeal among youth in Japan is also being competed with by alternative competitions, while Japan's declining population will not help.

Worldwide Following

Not that any of this has troubled spectators in London.

"Experiencing the tradition and practice that goes with sumo is especially significant," one enthusiast notes. "Today, watching it in person, you sense that you are more part of it."

For other dedicated followers, the excitement "created amazing experiences" - as did encountering the fellow enthusiasts.

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