

Its popularity may be dwindling in today’s world of ultra-rich football and baseball teams and their players, but there’s something wonderfully dignified, almost majestic, about sumo. And as one photograph shared last weekend by the Japan Sumo Association shows, there is perhaps even more magic to be seen if only we could all just slow down and open our eyes a little more often.

The photo, which shows 27-year-old Kisenosato Yutaka throwing a handful of salt onto the ring before a bout – a tradition harkening back hundreds of years and intended both to “purify” the ring as well as provide additional grip underfoot – catches the many grains of pure-white salt as they hurtle through the air, forming almost perfectly straight lines as if radiating from the wrestler himself.

Many netizens were impressed with the photo, remarking on how lucky the photographer was to capture the moment. We on the other hand like to think that this young wrestler here has picked up some of those Dragon Ball-esque powers that Japan’s high school girls were showing off last year, and is able to produce shockwaves from the palm of his hand. We have a feeling that would come in extremely handy during his future matches.

Source: Japan Sumo Association via Jin115