In professional sumo wrestling, the Japanese term for a winning technique is kimarite.
The Japan Sumo Association uses an official list of kimarite to classify how each bout ends. Common examples include yorikiri, a force-out, and oshidashi, a push-out. The list also includes throws, leg trips, slap-downs, and rare techniques.
Kimarite are recorded after every official bout, helping results databases and tournament records describe the action precisely. A bout can also end through a wrestler’s withdrawal or disqualification, but those outcomes are not ordinary winning techniques.
A common mix-up is confusing kimarite with shikiri. Shikiri is the preparation and ritual before the bout, including the wrestlers’ crouching and psychological maneuvering. Banzuke means the ranking list, while sansho refers to special prizes awarded in the top division.