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Not many athletic disciplines can captivate an audience through an extended period of ritual before the first point is even determined.

Yet the complex rituals unfolding in a small clay ring - largely unaltered for hundreds of years - managed to do just that.

Welcome to the Grand Sumo Tournament

This week-long competition at the Royal Albert Hall features four dozen top-tier rikishi showcasing a sport whose earliest records dates back to ancient times.

London's renowned auditorium has been completely reimagined, complete with a elaborate suspended canopy hanging above the dohyō.

Ancient Traditions Meet Contemporary Displays

It is here the competitors, known as sumo wrestlers, perform their shiko exercises to expel dark forces, and where they applaud to attract the divine beings.

Above all this ancient ceremony, a giant, revolving LED screen - that appears natural at an American basketball game - offers the audience all the data and video they could want.

Worldwide Followers Find Sumo

For Sian Spencer, it was a "unexpected footage" that first caught her attention a couple of years ago.

This was quickly followed by the discovery of dedicated YouTube channels for rikishi houses, where wrestlers live and train, rising before dawn to practice, followed by a high protein stew and then an afternoon nap - all in the effort toward increasing mass.

Traveling from the North, Different Experience

Different enthusiasts discovered sumo through a established path: a visit to the country six years ago.

"We saw it as a common sightseeing event, but we actually came to adore the sport," notes the enthusiast.

"After that, we tried to find communities, resources, just to expand our knowledge about it," the other fan explains.

Rare Opportunity

Visiting the homeland is almost the only way to see a elite competition.

This week's event marks only the second instance the tournament has appeared in the capital - the initial occasion was in 1991.

Even going to Japan doesn't ensure of securing tickets, with the past period seeing completely booked tournaments.

First-Hand Experience

For many attendees, the London tournament represents the initial opportunity they have experienced the sport directly - and it lives up to the hype.

"Observing directly, you get a sense of the speed and the strength which you won't feel on TV," says Caspar Eliot. "Their size is impressive."

The Competition

To win the match, one competitor needs to force his opponent off the clay or to the surface using brute strength.

The most use one of pair of techniques to succeed in this, often in moments - thrusting, or clenching.

Either way, the noise of the two wrestlers colliding in the initial contact of the match reverberates around the venue.

Prime Locations

The positions right next to the competition area are of course extremely sought-after - but also, a bit risky.

During one recent bout, a tall wrestler tumbled into the spectators - perhaps making those in more affordable locations experience comfort.

Organizational Issues

Of course, the stature of the wrestlers is one of the first things most people consider when they consider the sport.

The hall's organizers revealed they "needed to find and acquire reinforced furniture which can take up to 200kg in weight."

But sumo - for all its popular tournaments - is not without its difficulties behind the scenes.

Coming Obstacles

Perhaps the demanding existence of a sumo wrestler doesn't look as desirable as it once might have.

Its popularity among youth in Japan is also being threatened by alternative competitions, while Japan's declining population will create further complications.

Worldwide Following

Not that any of this has troubled spectators in London.

"Experiencing the ritual and ceremony that is part of sumo is quite special," fan Sian says. "Currently, observing it live, you sense that you are more engaged."

For other dedicated followers, the excitement "produced unforgettable moments" - as did meeting the other fans.

"Getting out of a very niche online community and being able to observe numerous sumo fans directly and being able to chat with other people who are similarly enthusiastic as we are - it was worth every penny."