The ritual foot-stamping exercise performed by sumo wrestlers is called shiko. A wrestler lifts one leg high, then stamps it down while maintaining balance and posture, repeating the movement on both sides.
Shiko is practiced in training and appears in pre-bout preparations. It develops leg strength, hip flexibility, balance, and the ability to maintain a low, stable position. The exercise also has a ceremonial role in the physical vocabulary of sumo.
Spectators sometimes confuse shiko with shikiri. Shikiri is the preparation period before a bout, when wrestlers face one another, crouch, and perform ritual actions before the tachiai. Shiko specifically names the leg-lifting and stamping movement.
The action is commonly interpreted as symbolically stamping out evil spirits. Sumo combines athletic training with Shinto-influenced ceremony, so exercises and rituals often carry both practical and religious associations.