Lord of the Ring

CHAMPION SUMO WRESTLER DAN KALBFLEISCH IS TRYING TO CHANGE THE WAY THE US VIEWS THE SPORT, STARTING IN LOS ANGELES.

With an anything-goes attitude and an affinity for sunshine, Dan Kalbfleisch fits right in among beach-loving Los Angeles locals—nevermind that he’s 6 feet tall and 340 pounds. A native of Gurnee, IL, he traded cold winters for year-round warmth in 2002 and decided to try sumo wrestling aft er seeing that Americans were doing it in the documentary Sumo East and West. Since then, Sumo Dan (as he’s known) has become a top athlete with five US titles under his belt. Here, he talks about the image of sumo, his favorite LA sights and why he eats chicken before a match.

How do you hope to change the perception of sumo wrestling in the US? “As the president of the US Sumo Federation, one of my goals is to get the sport more exposure—and proper exposure—as opposed to what’s shown in the movies. There are always out-of-shape actors with big bellies portraying sumo wrestlers. We’re definitely in shape. I want to show the world that we are athletic.”

LA is known for being the city of the skinny. Is there an area where you feel like you really fit in? “A lot of people in Little Tokyo understand and appreciate sumo. I go out there to check out the little shops that sell Japanese-themed trinkets and eat at Sushi Gen. It’s one of the best Japanese restaurants I’ve been to outside of Japan.”

What do you order? “Half the menu [laughs]. I’ll definitely have the chicken teriyaki and a plate of sushi and sashimi. Th e sashimi melts in your mouth. And I always get a side order of unagi [eel].”

What do you eat before a big competition? “The day before or the day of, pro sumo wrestlers only eat chicken, instead of beef. This is because cows stand on four legs, whereas chickens stand on two legs, and in sumo, if you’re touching the ground on all fours, you lose. I’ll get chicken teriyaki from Sushi Gen or a small place in Burbank called Tokyo Yakitori.”

Where do you take out-of-town visitors? “Most of my friends are athletes, and I’ll take them to Muscle Beach in Venice. Seeing palm trees and people working out on the beach—it screams LA. Every Memorial Day, Muscle Beach hosts an amateur bodybuilding competition.”

You’ve been in LA for eight years now. Have you caught the acting bug? “I obviously don’t fit the stereotype of a leading man [laughs], but if someone wants me, I’m definitely interested. I was in Ocean’s Th irteen as a sumo wrestler and starred in a short film called Sumo Joe.”

Have other studios have come calling? “Yeah. I’ve refused a lot of shows. I’m trying to do it right without ‘going Hollywood.’ But since I live in LA, I might as well take advantage of it. I’ve been taking meetings to try and get some reality TV shows about American sumo wrestlers going.”

Do you get star-struck? “I don’t get star-struck because I’m bigger than everybody! Here I am, 6 feet, 340 pounds—when I meet stars in real life, I outmass them.”

LITTLE TOKYO
213-620-0570; www.visitlittletokyo.com

SUSHI GEN
422 E Second St; 213-617-0552; www.sushigenla.com

TOKYO YAKITORI
200 S Glenoaks Blvd; 818-843-0821

MUSCLE BEACH
1800 Ocean Front Walk; www.musclebeach.net