UDEZUMOU UK
TAG WARZONE '25
Bartley Sailing Club
Bartley Sailing Club, 101 Genners Lane , Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Weigh in 930. Combined weight of team is recorded. Start 11ish.
Udezumou UK is an experimental fun event inspired by the All Japan Arm Sumo Association. It is here that the Warzone format was trialled & then watered down to be palatable for the lovers of peg & pad. If you have tender elbows or feelings & your style relies on the comfort of strict rules, refs grip & vague voodoo using the strap this isn't for you. Negotiate your grip before the crowd boos. It's rough & tumble tag team action with running fouls on a round table, warzone format.
Rules
To protect elbow skin, wear an arm sleeve (woollen ones supplied) or bring your own favourite - neoprene elbow knee support allowed. One layer only.
The Grip.
Elbow must be placed thick orange line on own side & must not cross the other thick middle orange line.
Straight wrists to start unless both agree on hook.
Thumbs can be covered if neither appeal to ref.
There is no refs grip, but a foul may be awarded to puller delaying deliberately.
When ready to start hold table edge. Do not grasp edge until ready.
Spectators are encouraged to boo if pullers take too long to grip up. Ref can award a foul to someone obviously delaying after booing of crowd.
Ref says "GO" when both competitors have grasped table edge.
Pin opponents knuckles (not wrist) to table/hold off edge for refs 3 count to win.
If pin hand is off edge of table or if defender is close to being pinned but not moving, ref will count "1,2,3" & award the pin. There has to be upward movement of defending hand/wrist to break count.
FOULS
Deliberately not taking grip.
Elbow off table edge or above it.
Contact other than arm/hand/wrist
Letting go of table edge after "GO"
Pulling Shoulder below table.
Both feet off floor.
False start = warning. 2 warnings = foul. 2 fouls = loss.
Running fouls - foul doesn't automatically stop match unless the opponent says restart. Otherwise person who fouled has to pin to get restart. Fouls cancel each other out.
Ref will stop match & award foul if elbow is so far off so as to be not to be able to continue.
No straps. Slip = non foul restart.
Running order: LEFT ARM TEAMS, RIGHT ARM TEAMS, Exhibition match(es), LEFT ARM FINALS, RIGHT ARM FINALS, ALL IN individual Left, ALL IN individual Right. Presentation.
Tag team Warzone format.
Find a friend to tag with. If you have no friends, turn up anyway - we will put you in a team with another social misfit. If there is an odd number, those present will vote for who the misfit can join as a team of three under Freebird rules. Or if you are Bobby Big Bollox, you can take on everyone as an individual in the team entry.
How the tag works. Defending team decides at end of each match which of them will continue. Challenging team decides who takes them on. 4 wins in a row means a mandatory rest until the next round. No one is out until the finals are populated. How many in the final? Decided by vote at the start.
First round:
Heaviest two teams pull first.
Winners stay on - can tag or continue. Next heaviest challenges.
Opposing team chooses who pulls defender.
At end of list it is scrambled randomly. Wins are recorded by tally on whiteboard next to team name.
First two teams to get 20 pins are into final. Third team decided by count up or playoff for last final place. There is no ladies event - but ladies can enter in mixed or ladies team.
Finals: Random draw. First team to 10 wins, 2nd & third places decided by count up or play off.
Individual:
Only open to those who took part in Tag Team event.
Heaviest two go first & next heaviest challenges etc, random draw after that. Winner first to get 10 pins gets name engraved on Yamamoto Cup & free entry to following year's event. Count up for second & third.
As always, Ref's decision is final.
Last years individual winners Dean Bolt & Stuart Acton get free entry for 2025.