The Japan Sumo Association on Monday announced 15 new winning techniques for use in professional sumo tournaments, boosting the number of official techniques to 87.
Sumo elders performed the new techniques, effective at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in January, in front of reporters at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan after the JSA approved the first revision of its techniques list since 1960.
The move was to cope with the emergence of new techniques used by Mongolian wrestlers and tricky moves by some diminutive grapplers.
"I believe the new list will reflect how bouts are decided more accurately. Sometimes, we may be confused in announcing a deciding technique, but we don't have to feel ashamed when we need a correction," JSA Chairman Tokitsukaze said.