This book is Tomasz Gudzowaty's exploration of the compelling sport of sumo. Here Gudzowaty documents not only the wrestlers in the throes of combat, but also earnest life within the training stables where these young men live, eat and sleep together. Framing the photos is the story of Kirinowaka Taro (born in 1983), a sumo wrestler who was discovered as a boy at his parents' yakiniku restaurant and trained at Tokyo's renowned Michinoku stable, from which he was ultimately expelled for his involvement in fixing fights. SUMO is a portrait of the sport within a society strongly shaped by both tradition and modernity, and a continuation of Gudzowaty's wider sport photography including his images of gymnasts, boxers, freerunners and synchronized swimmers, presented in past Steidl books such as Beyond the Body (2016).

Born in Warsaw in 1971, Tomasz Gudzowaty is a documentary and portrait photographer focusing mainly on wildlife, sport and social issues. His work has been published in magazines and newspapers such as the Guardian, National Geographic, the British Journal of Photography, L'Equipe and Vogue Italia. Gudzowaty is the recipient of numerous awards including the World Press Photo Contest, Pictures of the Year International and the Best of Photojournalism from the National Press Photographers' Association. His books with Steidl include Beyond the Body (2016), Closer (2016) and PROOF (2016).