2nd Annual EMPIRE CUP Open Sumo Tournament

The New York Sumo Club is excited to announce the return of The Empire Cup! After a hugely successful debut in 2025, we are looking forward to an even bigger and better event this year. The competition will be a standard double elimination tournament, with every fighter guaranteed at least two bouts per division, and at least two divisions per person (weight class and OPEN). All competitors will fight until they receive 2 losses, being moved to a repechage bracket after their first loss. The winner of each division will be the last fighter remaining with fewer than 2 losses. The grand champion (winner of the OPEN category) will receive a real custom forged katana and raise the coveted Empire Cup trophy!

Attire

MAWASHI WILL BE AVAILABLE TO BORROW IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR OWN

Men and male juniors have 2 options ONLY for acceptable attire:

Option A: Mawashi only. This is the preferred option, the essence of sumo.  

Option B: Mawashi with compression shorts underneath.

Women and female juniors also have 2 options for acceptable attire

Option A: Mawashi with unitard underneath. Preferred option

Option B: Mawashi with compression shorts and compression shirt underneath. 

ONLY mid-thigh length or above-the-knee compression shorts will be allowed to wear underneath mawashi. Compression shorts MUST be a contrasting color to fighter's mawashi. If you are wearing a black or very dark blue mawashi your compression shorts MUST be light colored. 

NO other articles may be worn outside of options A and B. No underwear, thongs, leggings, athletic shorts, boxer shorts, etc. For men, No shirts/tops of any kind. Knee/elbow braces/wraps and athletic tape allowed.

ACT NOW - LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE

Due to high demand, we are tentatively placing a limit of 16 competitors per weight class and 64 in the OPEN division. Register now to secure your spot(s)!

Weight Classes

Men may register for 2 divisions: their weight class and OPEN.

Women under 65kg may register up to 3 divisions: Women's Lightweight, Women's Openweight, and OPEN. Please note, the 2 women's divisions may be combined depending on the number of fighters registered for each. If this happens, a partial refund shall be issued to all women's lightweight competitors.

Women over 65kg may register for 2 divisions: Women's Openweight and OPEN

Juniors under 18 years old may register for 2 divisions: Junior Openweight and OPEN

Men's Divisions

Featherweight - Under 170 lbs (<77kg)
Lightweight - 170 lb and over and under 187 lb (77kg to 85kg)
Middleweight - 187 lb and over and under 220 lb (85kg to 100kg)
Light-Heavyweight - 220 lb and over and under 254 lb (100kg to 115kg)
Heavyweight - Above 254 lb (>115kg)

Women's Divisions

Lightweight - Under 143 lb (<65kg) 

Openweight - All Weights

Junior Division (<18 Years Old)

Openweight - All weights

Weigh-ins

Starting May 12, until the evening of May 15, please send a single, uncut video of yourself stepping onto a scale, starting with the reading clearly visible at 0, and then showing the weight reading. End with a clear, recognizable shot of your face.

Our Guarantee - No Missed Calls 

Tate-gyōji no Tantō - The Head Referee's Dagger

The Rule:

We GUARANTEE 100% correct rulings, or your money back. If any video footage is found at any point after a match has been irreversibly decided, and that footage shows an angle that proves the ruling incorrect, the wrongly declared loser will be issued a full refund of their entry fee in that division, and an official apology. We will be running both a live-stream of the event and at least two feeds of instant replay. Instant replay footage will be consulted during mono-ii to ensure the most accurate call possible.
Last year, in an effort to promote a culture of integrity in American Sumo, we instituted a controversial policy: 100% correct judging decisions or your money back. In hindsight, we can say that decision was a resounding success. Overall, we made only 1 incorrect call that led to a wrongful elimination. After the tournament was over, that competitor approached us with audience footage clearly showing, from a new angle that was completely missed by our video review system, evidence that their loss was incorrectly called. After reviewing and confirming the validity of the footage, we immediately issued that competitor a full refund and an official apology. We here at the New York Sumo Club believe our referees and judges are some of the best at what they do, and we believe that starts with acknowledging our mistakes and taking full accountability for our missed calls.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To compete, participants must be an active member of the USSF [USSF Membership can be found HERE]. Registering as a member of USSF ensures will be covered under supplemental liability insurance during competition. If you choose not to register you will be asked to pay $25 in addition to your registration fee as NYSC will be held responsible for your membership dues following the tournament.

Tournament Location: Japan Village Courtyard Stage 934 3rd Ave Brooklyn, NY 11231

Japan Village is inside Industry City, Building 3 & 4 (between 35th and 36th Street)
By Subway: D, N, or R train to 36th Street Station
By Car: Paid parking garages and limited street parking are available throughout Industry City. Industry City has parking options on 2nd Avenue and nearby side streets.

In the event of Rain, the tournament will be held in the 2nd Floor Loft at Japan Village.

Hosted by: New York Sumo Club (@nysumoclub)
Under the oversight of: United States Sumo Federation
USSF Sanction #11948

Limited free lodging with NYSC members available.
DM @nysumoclub on instagram or New York Sumo Club on facebook with any questions.

VENUE: Japan Village Brooklyn

Discover Japanese cuisine and stores at a cultural oasis nestled in the heart of Brooklyn. Japan Village offers 10 food stalls, 3 restaurants, and Sunrise Mart, a Japanese supermarket offering authentic ingredients, fresh produce, sushi-grade fish, snacks, ready-made meals, condiments, and cosmetics.