| Introduction |
| The Pit / Chapter 1： |
| "Death Valley" |
| Rhythm and Recognition |
| Big Al, Mad Dog, Tokyo Rose and the Silver Spoons / Chapter 2： |
| Nomenclature: Proper and Improper |
| The "Grouping Urge" Blubberbutts and Thoroughbreds / Chapter 3： |
| Left/Right/Up/Down and All That |
| Genus and Species |
| Backstage: Choking Up in the Church / Chapter 4： |
| Napoleon and Konishiki |
| The Locker Room |
| Aprons and Ads |
| The Meditations of the Beast |
| The Sumotori Rag: Pose-striking, Time-killing and the Eight Forms of Screwing Around / Chapter 5： |
| The Importance of the Overture |
| "Kokoro" and KITSH |
| The KITSH Pecking Order |
| Eight Ways to Screw Around |
| Tachiai: Hookers, Bulldozers, Boxers, Stranglers, Matadors and Low-down Yankee Liars / Chapter 6： |
| Jumpers and Receivers |
| Bohr's Constant vs. The Human Factor |
| "Fast Is Good, Heavy Is Better" |
| The Five Styles of Tachiai |
| To Live and Die at Tachiai |
| The Fistfight at the Malamute Saloon and Other Japanese Cultural Treasures / Chapter 7： |
| The Expert |
| Hands, Feet and Angle |
| The Guy in the Pajamas |
| The Finish |
| Extra Terms |
| The Ripsnorter in Nagoya / Chapter 8： |
| Chiyonofuji's Ghosts |
| Asahifuji's Jinx |
| The Match |
| Afterward: "Keep Up Appearances Whatever You Do" / Chapter 9： |
| The Membrane of Sportsmanship |
| The Rite of Withdrawal |
| The Interview |
| The Basho Beat:"Give That Rhythm Everything You've Got" / Chapter 10： |
| Banzuke: Confucian Confusion |
| The Real Ranks: Upper Echelon |
| The Real Ranks: Down Below |
| The Weight of Concentration |
| Good Basho, Bad Basho |
| Tank This One for the Gipper / Chapter 11： |
| Little Spoon, Tamaryu, and the Politics of Mono-ii |
| A Sense of Honor |
| "Yaocho Doesn't Exist" |
| The Last-Day Blues |
| How to Take a Dive |
| The Rite of Passage |
| The Statistical Imperative / Chapter 12： |
| The Data Deficit |
| Rating the Rikishi |
| Whither Sumo Especially With All These Gatjin / Chapter 13： |
| The Mongol Hordes |
| Cracks in the Façade |
| An American Solutio |
| Jusc a Game |
| Acknowledgments |
| Glossary |
| Index |
| Introduction |
| The Pit / Chapter 1： |
| "Death Valley" |
| Rhythm and Recognition |
| Big Al, Mad Dog, Tokyo Rose and the Silver Spoons / Chapter 2： |
| Nomenclature: Proper and Improper |
