JJ Jones never made it to the sumo wrestling tournament in 2007, but the flyer for the tournament stayed on his wall and served as inspiration for him to pursue sumo wrestling a few years later. Already a practitioner of judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, sumo was an opportunity to challenge himself and try something new, and to share the historic Japanese sport with others.
“I wanted to create a sumo club because I wanted to show practitioners of other grappling arts that our skills are transferable to the world of amateur sumo, to fight off the stigma of sumo to the masses, and to show that sumo is for everybody in every body,” he says of his Honu Sumo club, an organization he started in 2021 with his wife, Christina Griffin-Jones (who also competes in sumo and won a women’s team bronze medal in 2023), and Mengkin Ragan, offering workshops, training, and community. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, they’re hosting “Solidarity Fight!” their second annual SoCal Sumo Open at the Black Box Theatre at the City Heights/Weingart Library.
Jones, 37, has black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo, has participated in and won sumo competitions, and runs Honu Sumo and their Maximum Effort Foundation, an organization they started in 2023 to help marginalized kids and adults gain access to martial arts through advocacy, support, and mutual aid. He lives in City Heights with his wife, Griffin-Jones, and took some time to talk about using other martial arts practices to further enhance a sumo practice, building a supportive community, and his goal for the SoCal Sumo Open.
Q: Tell us about Honu Sumo.
A: Honu Sumo is the name of our sumo club and our club is for anyone who wants to practice sumo. We are not the first club or presence of sumo in San Diego. Before increasingly racist and anti-Japanese laws escalated into the incarceration of the Japanese community in internment camps (during World War II), the Japanese community in San Diego held festivals that celebrated sumo and, even while incarcerated in the internment camps, members of the Japanese community practiced sumo. Once released from the internment camps, the violence from White supremacists and law enforcement that supported their incarceration waited for them when they returned home to San Diego and made practicing sumo, and any practice from Japan, unsafe for members of the Japanese community to participate in or to teach. In 2005, Trent Sabo added to San Diego’s sumo legacy by starting a sumo club in Oceanside to honor the practice of sumo. Our Honu Sumo club seeks to continue to honor the Japanese community, practice of sumo, and all sumo practitioners in San Diego who have come before us.
Q: What were some of the foundational and traditional elements of sumo that you learned early on?
A: Because I had amazing coaches, I learned many foundational and traditional elements of sumo. My favorites are chiri-chozu and shiko. Chiri-chozu is a foundational element to sumo. It’s done before matches as a pre-bout ceremony [involving a series of movements that show that the wrestlers do not have any weapons, according to The Japan Times]. My favorite part is the invitation to be in balance, both in your body and spirit before you begin a match. Shiko is another foundational element to sumo [slow leg lifts, done one leg at a time with a bent knee, before slowly lowering the leg down and moving into a squat, according to USA Sumo]. Being strong in this movement is so important to your success in matches. Every stomp is meant to be so strong and confident.
What I love about City Heights…
What can I say about the world-famous City Heights? I love how diverse the neighborhood I live in is. These relationships with people from everywhere around the world, country, and city enrich my life. At any given moment, you will hear and see folks communicating in a plethora of beautiful languages. City Heights is an amazing place to live and the people of City Heights, our backgrounds and experiences, make this community what it is.
Q: Can you describe some of the traditional sumo elements that you do practice and teach? And why were these drills important to include? What are some of the ways that they contribute to a stronger sumo wrestler?
A: I like to practice and teach the following traditional sumo elements: chiri-chozu, mata-wari, ichioshi, butsukari, and suri-ashi. Chiri-chozu is a pre-match ritual in which both competitors bless the dohyō (sumo ring) with movement done in the sankyo position [the starting position]. This element is important to include because it honors sumo’s Shinto religion roots. One of my first teachers of sumo, professional sumo wrestler Yamamotoyama Ryūta, stressed the importance of doing the chiri-chozu correctly. It is a practice that connects pro and amateur sumo and is done to honor the practice of sumo before every match, worldwide.
Mata-wari is a stretch where your legs are in split position and you are using your flexibility to get your upper body on the ground in front of you. This element is important to include because, as a sumo wrestler, you should try to perfect your body, flexibility, and strength. Mata-wari is an important part of that. In this element, you are facing adversity from within and working to push through.
Ichioshi is a pushing drill that we do at the beginning of practice. We adopted this practice after participating in a practice at Takasago Beya in Japan. This starts off your sumo practice with pushing, which is usually neglected in sumo practice in the United States.
Suri-ashi is a sliding foot element that is crucial if you plan to win as a sumo wrestler. This element helps you walk like a sumo wrestler and prevents you from stepping out of the dohyō.
Q: You and your wife both compete in sumo? How did you meet, and what have you learned from each other about training and competing?
A: I feel like our love story is like some sort of anime and we were always meant to be, kept almost meeting each other, and then we finally met at the right time. We met in our 20s, on Tinder, and found out that we went to the same junior high (Roosevelt Junior High) and church, as teens, and never met. Our first date was at the Chicano Park Day Festival. We enjoyed agua frescas while she was on break from working at a table for the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties. Before our date, I walked up to her while she was at the table and she looked so beautiful, informing members of our community about their rights when being stopped by police. Her work inspired me because I am a survivor of police harassment.
This year, we celebrate 10 years as a couple and eight years practicing sumo together. She is my favorite sumo wrestler, and she is such a warrior, inside and outside of the sumo ring. Together, Christina and I have counted on each other to get better at this practice. I have been able to support her, and I am really fortunate and value that I can always count on her support for my dreams, inside and outside of sumo. We have learned that we can do anything and to believe in ourselves, always.
Q: This is your second SoCal Sumo Open. How did the first one come about last year? What can people expect to experience this year, if they attend?
A: One of the most successful ways to get people into sumo is by holding a tournament. People who are interested in sumo will either participate as a spectator or competitor. After that, folks increase their participation and never forget. I am all about growing the sport of sumo and tournaments help grow interest and competitors in this sport, so I am here for that. We had an amazing response last year, with over 60 competitors and over 200 spectators. This year, there will be more than 70 sumo wrestlers from around the country, and a day of sumo, music, and meeting neighbors and making new friends.
Q: What do you hope both participants and spectators get from the open this year?
A: I hope that spectators get educated about sumo, Japanese culture, Black people’s participation and presence in sumo, and intersections of Black history and Asian American history.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: Calloused hands are connected to a humble heart.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: I practiced Japanese for almost four years in high school.
Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.
A: I would start my day early and stop at Gem Coffee on Euclid Avenue for an Americano. Then, I would head to my gym, Honu Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on Orange Avenue to teach classes at 8, 9:30, and 11 a.m. with Christina and our teammates. Christina and I would go for birria tacos at Negro Durazo in National City, and wrap up the day at Stella Jeans on Adams.