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Few sports can captivate an audience through three-quarters of an hour of tradition before the initial score is even contested.

Yet the intricate traditions unfolding in a compact earthen circle - virtually unchanged for hundreds of years - succeeded in doing so.

Experience the Major Sumo Competition

This week-long competition at the iconic London venue features 40 of the very best sumo wrestlers showcasing a sport whose earliest records dates back to ancient times.

London's historic performance space has been totally redesigned, complete with a massive traditional roof structure hanging above the competition area.

Ancient Traditions Meet Current Innovations

It is here the athletes, known as sumo wrestlers, perform their foot stomping to banish dark forces, and where they strike their hands to attract the deities.

Above all this ancient ceremony, a giant, revolving LED screen - that would fit perfectly at an professional sports event - offers the crowd all the stats and replays they could want.

Global Fans Discover Sumo

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

This was soon supplemented with the discovery of specialized online content for sumo stables, where athletes reside and practice, rising before dawn to work out, followed by a protein-rich meal and then an midday rest - all in the effort toward bulking up.

From Edinburgh, Different Experience

Different enthusiasts discovered sumo through a established path: a journey to Asia six years ago.

"We approached it as a typical visitor experience, but we actually came to adore the sport," notes the enthusiast.

"From there on, we tried to discover networks, information, just to expand our knowledge about it," adds Cezar.

Unique Chance

Going to Japan is almost the only way to see a major championship.

This London competition marks only the second instance the tournament has come to London - the previous visit was in over three decades ago.

Even visiting the country isn't a guarantee of obtaining admission, with current times seeing completely booked tournaments.

Live Observation

For many attendees, the London tournament represents the premier chance they have watched sumo in person - and it lives up to the hype.

"Watching nearby, you get a sense of the speed and the force which you can't experience on TV," says Caspar Eliot. "Their size is impressive."

The Competition

To succeed, one competitor needs to push another from the dohyō or to the ground using raw power.

The most use one of pair of techniques to achieve this, often in instantaneous actions - shoving, or wrestling.

Either way, the impact of the two wrestlers meeting in the first moment of the match echoes around the venue.

Front Row Positions

The cushions right next to the competition area are of course highly prized - but also, a bit risky.

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

Behind the Scenes

Of course, the stature of the athletes is one of the initial aspects most people think of when they think of sumo.

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

But sumo - for all its sell-out events - is not without its difficulties behind the scenes.

Coming Obstacles

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

Its popularity among youth in Japan is also being competed with by different athletic pursuits, while Japan's decreasing numbers will not help.

Worldwide Following

Not that any of this has worried fans in London.

"Seeing all this tradition and practice that is part of sumo is particularly meaningful," an attendee explains. "Today, watching it in person, you feel like you are more part of it."

For other committed supporters, the intensity "produced unforgettable moments" - as did encountering the other fans.

"Leaving a particularly focused online community and being able to observe numerous sumo fans in person and being able to speak to other people who are equally passionate as we are - it was absolutely worthwhile."