Shio-maki (Salt Throwing)

Shio-maki: Salt Throwing

Shio-maki (塩撒き) is the ritual scattering of purification salt by wrestlers before a bout. In Shinto tradition, salt is a purifying agent that drives away evil spirits and protects against injury.

Salt throwing is part of the full preparation used for bouts in Juryo and Makuuchi. Lower-division bouts move through a shorter pre-bout sequence without the same repeated salt throws.

The amount and motion vary by wrestler. Some take a small pinch while others use a broad throw, so the ritual can become a recognizable part of an individual's routine without changing the rules of the bout.

Salt throwing happens during shikiri, the repeated preparation before the tachiai. The wrestlers return to the starting lines several times until the allotted preparation time ends and they make the final approach.