For those that follow our upcoming events page, you know that Welcome Mat Sumo NOLA Edition is hosing a USSF Sumo Ref Clinic on March 15th and 16th, which will feature instruction by long-time sumo referee, Matt Davis. Matt is certified by the International Sumo Federation (the first American, in fact), and he as refereed at multiple World Sumo Championships and US Sumo Nationals.

During the event, Welcome Mat Sumo will host an open mat forum, which will include typical sumo practice drills and activities. This will also include matches, where people can practice both their sumo and refereeing skills. Opportunities like this don’t come by often!

The clinic will run from 7:00 to 9:00 PM on Friday, and it will run 10:00 AM to noon on Saturday. The gym’s address is 212 Woodland Drive, STE G, LaPlace, Louisiana, 70068 – aka, the outskirts of New Orleans. More information can be found on their Facebook page. If you plan on coming, I am sure that they would appreciate if you RSVPed.

Welcome Mat Sumo is asking for donations to offset Matt’s travel costs, but they are not charging a fee. The donations are completely voluntary but very appreciated!