Professional sumo wrestling officially recognizes 82 winning techniques, known in Japanese as kimarite.
Kimarite classify how a wrestler defeats an opponent, including throws, force-outs, trips, leg techniques, and techniques involving a belt grip. The Japan Sumo Association expanded the official list over time as uncommon winning methods were formally identified and recorded.
The total is often confused with the number of techniques commonly seen in top-division bouts. Many of the 82 kimarite are rare, while a small group—such as yorikiri (force out), oshidashi (push out), and hatakikomi (slap down)—accounts for a large share of victories.
Sumo also recognizes five hiwaza, or non-winning techniques. These describe unusual outcomes such as an accidental loss of balance, but they are not counted among the 82 kimarite. The Japan Sumo Association publishes the technique classification used for official bout records.