Sekitori and Makushita

A sekitori (関取) is a sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo.
Currently there are 70 rikishi in these divisions. The benefits of being a sekitori compared to lower ranked wrestlers include:

• to receive a salary and bonus (others merely receive an allowance)
• to have one's own supporters' club
• to wear high quality men's kimono and other items of attire
• to have a private room in the training stable
• to be able to get married and live away from the training stable
• to have junior rikishi to effectively act as their personal servants
• to wear a silk mawashi with stiffened cords (called sagari) in tournament bouts
• to participate in the ring entrance ceremony and wear keshō-mawashi
• to wear the more elaborate oicho chonmage hairstyle on formal occasions
• to become an elder in the Sumo Association if one is sekitori for long enough

The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fraction of those who enter professional sumo achieve sekitori status.
  
rikishi (力士)  Literally, Strong man. The most common term for a professional sumo wrestler, although sumōtori is sometimes used instead.  

Makushita (幕下) is the third highest division. Prior to the creation of the jūryō division, this division was only one below the topmost makuuchi division (meaning inside the curtain). Hence makushita, literally meaning "below (shita) the curtain (maku)".

Unlike the sekitori ranks above them, wrestlers compete only seven times during a tournament.

It is often considered that holding the rank of makushita is the first step toward becoming a professional (sekitori ranked) sumo wrestler. Furthermore it can be regarded as the most heavily contested division, with younger sumo wrestlers on their way up competing with those older sumo wrestlers who have dropped from jūryō and are determined to regain the higher rank. A key incentive is the difference between being ranked in the topmost makushita slot versus the lowest jūryō rank, which has been likened to being that between heaven and hell: A makushita wrestler is expected to carry out chores for the stable and any sekitori within it, whereas the jūryō wrestler will be served upon. Similarly the jūryō wrestler receives a comfortable monthly salary, whereas the makushita wrestler still only receives a small living allowance.

The term makushita, can also be used to refer to all four divisions below jūryō as a whole, as these four division are considered wrestlers that are still in training.