Florida Sumo, Club of the Month

Florida Sumo Association is home to some of the fastest-rising stars in American sumo. Since its inception in 2015, club president and coach, Cornelius Booker, has been dedicated to developing the sport’s presence in his hometown of Panama City and across the state of Florida.

Florida Sumo may have the luxury of sometimes training on sandy Florida beaches, but their training sessions are anything but relaxing. They frequently test themselves against other clubs, especially nearby Georgia Sumo, and they recently brought in four-time U.S. National Champion Robert Fuimaono for an intense weekend of training.

Sumo journalist Matt Howard describes Booker as “the most dangerous man in sumo,” a statement backed up by Booker’s numerous upsets against some of sumo’s largest giants—maybe we should stop calling them upsets!—and Booker instills that same never-say-die attitude in each of the athletes he coaches. This year, he coached 15-year-old prospect Jordan Sikes to a breakout performance at nationals, in which Sikes took some of American sumo’s well-established heavyweights by surprise. 

Florida Sumo is currently seeking new members in the Panama City area. For anyone interested in starting their own sumo club elsewhere in the country, Booker’s best advice is “be persistent” and check out the USSF’s Starting Sumo page for more info.