MARU TAKES KYUSHU BASHO
By Yukikaze (Jim Lowerre)

Yokozuna #1-E MUSASHIMARU put on an exhibition of power sumo at Fukuoka's Kokusai Center, pushing, forcing and crushing his way to the 1999 Kyushu Basho yusho with a 12-3 record. This marks the giant Hawaiian's fourth title this year (and seventh overall), becoming the first non-Futagoyama rikishi to win four yusho in a calendar year since AKEBONO in 1993. The win caps an exceptional year for Musashigawa Beya, with five yusho in the six 1999 tournaments.

With yokozuna #1-W WAKANOHANA and #2-E AKEBONO both sidelined by injury, it was up to MUSASHIMARU and yokozuna #2-W TAKANOHANA to stomp the evil spirits
into the clay each day. Both grand champions lost their shonichi bouts: MUSASHIMARU to komusubi #1-W AKINOSHIMA, TAKANOHANA to maegashira #1-E TAMAKASUGA. But they settled in and used their particular styles to stay in the race until they pulled even with the early front-runner, ozeki #1-W DEJIMA. They made their separate ways through one of the toughest sanyaku lineups in recent times to set up the classic championship scenario: the
final bout on senshuraku under Kimura Shonosuke's eagle eye, winner-take-all. In times past TAKANAHANA would be the heavy favorite in a situation like this. But not this time MUSASHIMARU fought an excellent belt battle, finishing with a sukuinage that left the winner of 20 previous yusho sitting on the dohyo's edge with a record of 11-4 and an undesired jun-yusho.

Nagoya titleist DEJIMA had the early lead with 10 wins in the first 11 days, but four losses in the last four days reeled him in for a 10-5 mark. Ozeki #1-E CHIYOTAIKAI was never a factor: the only non-Musashigawa sumotori to win a 1999 yusho fought an on-off tourney to finish with a 9-6 that 9 passes ordinary muster (but will probably have Kokonoe Oyakata kicking his butt between now and January). Number 3 on Musashigawa's depth chart, komusubi #1-E MUSOYAMA had early trouble but did help his stable mates by toppling CHIYOTAIKAI and sekiwake #1-W TOCHIAZUMA on his way to a 10-5 record. Hometown hero KAIO, at sekiwake #1-E, lost four of his first six before pulling up his tabi and winning nine straight for an 11-4 and the Kanto-Sho (Fighting Spirit Prize). TOCHIAZUMA likewise strengthened his credentials for future ozeki promotion with a 10-5 performance and the Gino-Sho (Technique Prize). Komusubi #2-W TOSANOUMI also went 10-5 and received the Shukun-Sho (Outstanding Performance Prize) for defeating MUSASHIMARU on the 8th day.

The once-mighty Futagoyama machine may not have collapsed completely, but some big cracks are showing. It has now been seven consecutive basho since a Futagoyama rikishi has won the Emperor's Cup: the longest dry spell for the "largest heya under Heaven" since then-maegashira #2 TAKAHANADA took the 1992 Hatsu title. Ozeki #2-E TAKANONAMI tried to fight off his fourth kadoban and failed with a 6-9: for the first time since 1994 an ozeki will be demoted to sekiwake on the banzuke. He will need 10-plus wins in his next time out to regain the rank he held for 35 consecutive basho. By besting MUSASHIMARU, AKINOSHIMA managed to gain a small measure of revenge for having to settle for jun-yusho in September. But a loss to TOCHIAZUMA on day 4 appeared to knock the stuffing out of the "Giant Killer" and sent him spiraling to a 3-12 record. Maegashira #2-E TAKATORIKI appeared ungenki and listless, and it showed: the two in his 2-13 showing were the ageless TERAO at maegashira #4-E and the unmotivated KOTONOWAKA at #5-E.


Almost as the Aki Basho's final drum faded on the wind, the Yokozuna Deliberation Council summoned WAKANOHANA to its regular post-basho meeting.  There they 'instructed' him (other sources used 'strongly suggested') to sit out the Kyushu contest, and subsequent action if necessary, until he was back in top fighting shape. (This was the first time the YDC had ever 'subpoenaed' a yokozuna to appear before it.) The elder Hanada brother has been heavily criticized for not withdrawing from the September contest after being injured in his win over TOKI. As a result he lost his remaining bouts and finished at 7-8: the first make-koshi for a yokozuna since ONOKUNI posted the same record exactly ten years earlier. One YDC member insisted that WAKANOHANA retire immediately. However, the majority rejected this after Tokitsukaze Rijicho voiced his support for the yokozuna's continuation.

The big story at last year's Kyushu action was KOTONISHIKI taking the yusho with a 14-1 record at maegashira #12 . This year the Sadogatake heya-gashira was ranked at maegashira #2-W. He started well enough with wins over TOCHIAZUMA and KAIO, but then dropped 7 of his next 8 combats to finish at 7-8. This year's story from the hiramaku ranks was #5-W TOKI, he of the Elvis sideburns and mango-colored mawashi, starting with six straight wins on his way to an 8-2 record after day 10. This got the torikumi committee's attention: they scheduled Takasago's top rikishi against both yokozuna. Last year, in an identical situation, KOTONISHIKI lost to WAKANOHANA but then took TAKANOHANA for a kinboshi and followed by besting TAKANONAMI. TOKI's fate was not as kind: MUSASHIMARU, TAKANOHANA and KAIO used him for yorikiri practice. He did defeat TAKANONAMI (the make-koshi loss, it turned out) but lost to TOCHIAZUMA to finish at 9-6. #12-W
TOCHINONADA went 10-5 for the best mark among the maegashira. In addition to TOKI, 9-6 records were posted by #6-W KOTORYU, #9-E ASANOWAKA and shin-nyumaku #14-W TAKANOWAKA. TAMAKASUGA and TERAO won kinboshi, each over a different yokozuna.

In Juryo action, top-division veteran and current #5-E OGINISHIKI won the yusho in a playoff with #2-E OIKARI after both men put up 11-4 records.  OIKARI will be returning to Makunouchi in January along with KINKAIYAMA, who went 10-5 at #1-E. It was not a good outing for KITAKACHIDOKI, AKINOSHU, TOMONOHANA and DEWAARASHI: all these former top-division veterans went make-koshi. "Mighty Mite" MAINOUMI announced his retirement after going 6-9 at #10-W. "Big Salt" MITOIZUMI slowed his slide toward a haircut with a senshuraku win for an 8-7 at #6-W. Don't cry for Argentina's HOSHITANGO: he posted a 9-6 at #8-W. And American SENTORYU, at the very edge of the precipice at #13-W, pulled out a 9-6 to remain a sekitori.

Yusho for the junior divisions, and results for non-Japanese sumotori in these divisions, are as follows: Makushita yusho: No. 39 Hokutomine, 7-0.
Gaijin results: No. 18 Wakaazuma (Brazil) 4-3; No. 21 Kuniazuma (Brazil) 6-1; No. 59 Kyokutenzan ( Mongolia) 2-5.

Sandanme yusho: No. 9 Maenowaka, 7-0.
Gaijin results: No. 28 Kasugaoh (S. Korea) 6-1; No. 81 Ryou (China) 5-2.

Jonidan yusho: No. 5 Shikinohana, 7-0.
Gaijin results: No. 131 Ryukizan (S. Korea) 4-3.

Jonokuchi yusho: No. 42 Tsuji, 6-1.
Gaijin results: No. 44 Daibanjaku (Mongolia) 4-3; No. 42 Kitakasuga (Mongolia) 4-3.

(Sumo World magazine and the Honululu Star-Bulletin provided reference material for this article.)

[back to top]    [back to Sumo Shimpo home]

"MIGHTY MITE" ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT 
By Yukikaze


After falling to a 6-9 record at Juryo #10-West, and facing possible demotion from the sekitori ranks, former komusubi MAINOUMI announced his retirement from professional sumo at the age of 31. So popular is this man that the NHK had a short retrospective of his career during the presentation of Kyushu yusho trophies.

At 170 cm (5 feet, 7 inches) and 100 kg (221 pounds) the Dewanoumi-beya stalwart showed time and again that the myth that only huge men could survive in top-division sumo was just that - a myth. His technical knowledge and fighting determination carried him to many victories over rikishi much larger than he.

Ironically, it was a match against the mammoth KONISHIKI that might have started his fall. The "Mighty Mite" succeeded in toppling the former ozeki for the win but failed to get clear: 600 pounds of Hawaiian landed on his leg and badly injured his knee. The resulting layoff pushed him down into Juryo: although he eventually fought his way back into the 'bright lights' he no longer had the speed and agility that had been his equalizers. His last appearance in the top division was at the 1998 Haru Basho at maegashira #10 West. He went 5-10 and was demoted into Juryo again, this time for good: despite repeated efforts he was never able to put together enough kachi-koshi records to return to Makunouchi.

Having held a sanyaku rank for one basho MAINOUMI is qualified to purchase a toshiyori, but he has announced that he intends to leave the sumo world once his danpatsu-shiki is performed. His future plans are not known at this time, but his wife owns a business on the island of Kyushu.

Entered sumo (makushita insertion): 5/90
Shin-nyumaku: 9/91 Last basho in Makunouchi: 3/98 (M10W) Sansho: Gino-Sho (5 times) [Ed. ? I'm sure I saw MAINOUMI beat AKEBONO on SUMO DIGEST sometime in 93 or 94. I remember them crashing out of the dohyo together and having to do it over. I'm sure MAINOUMI won the rematch, but his bio in SUMO WORLD doesn't list any kinboshi. Was that the one basho he was sanyaku? Can any one help me out on this one?]

(Ken Coller's Sumo Now! Web site provided reference material for this article.)

[back to top]    [back to Sumo Shimpo home]

TONKATSU & YUKIKAZE DO SSIREUM
By Tonkatsu

In October Yukikaze and I took a weekend off from sumo to try our hand at the form of Korean wrestling known as ssireum. The venue was the Orange County Korean Festival. This was the second time for me and the first for Yukikaze. 

Ssireum is an interesting sport with things in common with both sumo and judo, while at the same time having unique aspects of its own. Like sumo, it is contested in a circle, but larger than a dohyo. Instead of clay, the circle is filled with sand. Instead of a mawashi, the wrestlers wear a sash tied around their right leg which then wraps around the waist. They start in a kneeling position getting a grip on each others sash. The referee then brings them to their feet and starts the match by blowing a whistle. In common with sumo, the loser is the first one to touch any part of his body other than the soles of his feet to the ground. Unlike sumo, you get no credit for forcing your opponent out of the ring. All you get is to go back to the center and start over. Normally, a ssireum match is the best two out of three falls, and the average bout takes only slightly longer than a typical sumo match.

There is one interesting exception to the three fall rule. At this years festival there were several matches in which the first bout was quite protracted, with no one being able to get an advantage. I was told that there is a three minute time limit for the whole match and if no one has scored a fall by the time limit, the match goes to the lighter man. Can you picture that one in sumo?

Last year I took 4th place out of seven wrestlers in the heavyweight division. This was primarily because I drew a bye in the first round.  After losing my first match 0-2 I wrestled Sam Toko for 3rd place. I lost the first fall but was able to throw him on the second. He then threw me to win the match. I received a very nice trophy, which apparently was not for 4th place. I have never gotten an exact translation of the Korean, but it is something to the effect that "You weren't the best but you were pretty good."

This year I came with hopes of doing better but did worse. With no help from the draw, I went out 0-2 in my first match. All I can say is that the Koreans are very good at their own sport and have some very subtle moves. One of them is very much like utchari in sumo, except they may do it anywhere in the ring. I have also seen a flawless osoto gari (a judo throw).

So, what about Yukikaze? Well, he also went out 0-2 in his first match, but he did better than I did. Afterwards they gave him a trophy like the one I got last year. 

By the way, at fifty nine I was only the second oldest wrestler in the tournament. That honor went to seventy one year old Mr. Pak, who wrestled the young guys in the light weight division and won one match. Mr. Pak has been doing ssireum for fifty years!

[back to top]    [back to Sumo Shimpo home]

OUR MEXILENT ADVENTURE
By Yukikaze

October 23, 1999 dawned bright and warm with the promise of scorching Imperial Valley heat by midday. .I'd had no trouble sleeping, what with a three-hour drive to El Centro that had ended after midnight. SoCal Sumo Kyokai president Harry "Tonkatsu" Dudrow and I were here as part of the SCSK's effort to spread the sumo word. But this would be no ordinary effort: this was going to be our first international demonstration, in Mexicali, Baja California Norte, Mexico.

At 7:00AM we rolled out and readied for the day ahead. After a solid breakfast we tried to call the gentleman who had invited us: Senor Fernando Moreno, high-ranking judo sensei and prominent Mexicali abogado (attorney). We were unable to contact him, so Harry decided we'd drive to Calexico and try again. He already had a day's worth of Mexican auto insurance in the glove compartment of his Toyota pickup so we didn't have to stop for that, but he did buy a street map of Mexicali at the hotel desk. Once in Calexico we headed down the main drag leading right to the border crossing. As the border drew closer I asked, "Aren't we going to call again?" and Harry said, "We'll do it on the other side." Before I knew it we were being waved through the control station. [Ed. Note: my rash decision was based in part on the high cost of the call from El Centro.]

It had been over 25 years since I'd last been in Mexico, and that had been to Ensenada via sailboat. We bounced past whole curb areas reserved for taxis and buses as we looked for a telephone: after batting around for about twenty minutes we found one on a side street. But have you ever seen a TELNOR pay phone? It looks like something out of a bad science-fiction movie and it's just about as easy to make sense of. So we got back in the truck and resumed our search. During our first pass we'd gone past a place that had advertised JUDO along with aerobics and other stuff. We thought there might be a connection so we headed back over there and were able to park right in front of the place in perfect legality, with no time limit. Turned out the place was a gymnasium with no connection whatever to Senor Moreno, but there was an American-style pay phone nearby which took US quarters. It took several calls (and several quarters) but we were finally able to let Senor Moreno know where we were. He said he would send his son Fernando to lead us to the dojo.  For over an hour we watched Mexicali go by, fortifying ourselves with bottled water and Balance bars I'd packed in my small cooler. Old US school buses never die: they just get 'tricked out' and run on Mexican streets at perilously high speeds. One of Mexicali's numerous farmacias or drugstores was right next to the phone we were using. To get out of the heat we stepped inside and looked at stuff that was only available by prescription in the US being offered over-the-counter, but we didn't buy anything.  Finally, Fernando hijo called to us from a brand-new Mercury Sable going the other way on Calle Adolfo Lopez Mateos. Harry started the truck and pulled out of the space as I let him know how close he was to the cars front and back. I jumped in and we took off after our native guide. There were some close moments, but we managed to keep him in sight as he led us to our destination.

The dojo was a brightly-painted building in the mostly-residential Colonia Nueva district, right next to a garage that specialized in "FUEL INYECTION" (sic). We unloaded the dohyo and mawashis (good thing I brought my small hand truck to augment Harry's big one) and with the assistance of Sensei Moreno's students we had things set up quickly. There were six joven and eight adult judoka present. Harry ran the actual demonstration as "Tori": as "Uke" I received the nage and took the fouls as the rules and principles were explained. The young judoka picked it up quickly enough, clashing with enthusiasm under our watchful eyes. The adults were no less spirited when they took the dohyo: freed from the technical strictures of judo they battled each other with great relish. Soon "Tonkatsu" and I joined the fray: he and Senor Moreno fought a spirited action while I clashed with a couple of the bigger caballeros. The heat and exertion finally drained everyone's energy, so we finished with a spirited yoisho around the dohyo and a quiet sonkyo of thanks and closed with Harry leading us in a cheer of "Viva Mexico! Viva sumo de Mexico!". 

Sensei Moreno presented us with a statuette of an Aztec warrior and a banner, as tokens of appreciation for our efforts. (Harry, an experienced miniatures painter, plans to paint the statuette in realistic color before placing it on display.) After photos inside and outside the dojo (after standing on a hot sidewalk in bare feet waiting for pictures I'm more than ready to try fire walking) we broke down the dohyo and packed everything into the truck. We then followed Sensei Moreno out of Colonia Nueva to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. (Fact: there are 300 Chinese restaurants (and one Japanese) in Mexicali. Supposition: there are probably an equal number of drugstores.) After what we'd done to that point cold Dos Equis felt fantastic going down. The food was very good and there was lots of it, so we ate well.  [ Ed. Note: In fact, it was some of the best Chinese food I've ever had.]  It had taken less than five minutes to enter Mexico: it took close to 40 minutes to return to the US. The port-of-entry road, Avenida Cristobal Colon, runs right along the high brown fence of steel bars that seperates the two nations. Once we reached the actual control point the customs inspector asked what our citizenship was, and the purpose of our trip to Mexico. After getting our answers and glancing into the cargo area he waved us through.

We fueled up and replenished the cooler, then headed north through El Centro, Brawley, Calipatria and Niland to Highway 111. This road runs along the east shore of the Salton Sea with an excellent view of that natural feature. It also runs along the main line of the Union Pacific/Southern Pacific between Yuma and Indio with excellent views of American locomotives and rolling stock (which is why Harry wanted to go this route in the daylight). We ate dinner in Cabazon, and arrived back at the "Dohyo of Dreams" around 9:30PM.

Because of this little excursion Sensei Moreno and his judoka are planning to come to Claremont on January 22 to compete in our Winter Tournament. And the next North American Amateur Sumo Tournament will truly be a North American event: a team from Mexico will be there, and I believe they will acquit themselves well.

[back to top]    [back to Sumo Shimpo home]

RESULTS of the 1ST WORLD JUNIOR SUMO TOURNAMENT at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, August 1999

INDIVIDUAL CLASS WINNERS:

Lightweight: Chohei Kimura, Japan
Middleweight: Yoshiaki Sugita, Japan
Heavyweight: Nubuhiro Shiriashi, Japan
Open weight: Harrington Wa'a, USA

Harrington Wa'a is the "Little" brother of Harry Wa'a who took the Bronze medal in the Heavyweight Division at this years North American Championship. Looks like another formidable brother team shaping up on Oahu. Wayne Vierra coached the US team.

TEAM MEDALS:

Gold: Japan
Silver: Estonia
Bronze: Finland and Egypt (tie)

[back to top]    [back to Sumo Shimpo home]

FIRST SAN DIEGO PBB
By Tonkatsu

A week after the regular PBB at Bonsai, Ning and I traveled to Chula Vista for the inaugural San Diego PBB. On the way, we stopped in Balboa Park and visited the Botanical Gardens and the rose gardens. We stayed there until dusk. As we were leaving, we were treated to a very entertaining aerial circus by a bunch of humming birds.

The PBB was held at Yokozuna's Sushi Bar & Island Grill, 945-N. Otay Lakes Rd., in Chula Vista. Attending were Alan Portillo, G. Jay Walker a friend of his and Ning and myself . Some other fans who had planned on attending had to cancel at the last minute. We had the use of the TV, and I showed tapes of the dedication of "The Dohyo of Dreams" and other club activities plus Sumo Digest for senshuraku of the aki basho. Allen and Jay signed up for SUMO SHIMPO subscriptions and I handed out some club badges. 

The menu at Yokozuna's is quite interesting; in addition to the sushi bar, there is a mixture of Hawaiian and Guamanian style foods. Worth a visit if you are down that way.

Another interesting feature is the yokozuna on the menu and business card. He is the only yokozuna I have seen with a moustache and goatee! He bears a striking resemblance to the assistant manager! 

[back to top]    [back to Sumo Shimpo home]

SUMO COMES TO LONG BEACH POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE
By Tonkatsu

One our favorite ways of promoting amateur sumo is teaching it to kids. What could be more natural, for little boys in particular, than a sport in which one of the basic techniques is pushing and shoving?

Our first tournament at the Goltz Judo Club in 1998 was a kid's tournament. With 14 boys and 3 girls competing. We have also had kids at the "Dohyo of Dreams". However, it has been hard establishing an on going program because of distances and other thing that kids do. Last December we started a program at the teen center at Houghton Park in Long Beach. For awhile we had a number of football players from Jordan High School participating, but they all dropped out when spring football started. At times, Yukikaze and I had ten to twelve kids at the park watch us. They all wanted to try it, but we couldn't let them until they got a waiver signed. We would send them home with the waiver, they would come back the next week without it.

Some months ago, I heard about the Long Beach Police Athletic League. Police Athletic Leagues (called PAL's for short) are a nation wide program in which police departments sponsor sports and recreational programs for kids. These programs are staffed by police officers with help from volunteers. Many different sports are taught, two of the most prominent being boxing and karate.

I approached Sgt. Max Jones, who runs the Long Beach PAL, and after reviewing our program it was decided to set us up at their Freeman Avenue location, which has a wrestling room. Before we could start Yukikaze and I had to fill out lengthy applications, pass back ground checks and get finger printed. No ink stain here; our prints were scanned directly into a computer and zipped directly to Sacramento.

As I predicted, the kids, boys and girls alike, got right into the pushing and shoving aspect of sumo. They are also getting the hang of the pre-match rituals and several of them already do sonkyo better than I do. Being mostly 7 to 10 year olds they do suffer from short attention spans; and establishing some semblance of discipline is taking some time. However, after four weeks of practice, I felt they were ready for their first taste of competition. On Nov. 17th we had an in club competition with four girls and six boys from 7 to 11.. We started with the smallest and worked up. Winners got a white star on a "Hoshitorihyo" and stayed in until they lost. The top score of the evening went to 11 year old Aviyana Alexander who won 6 matches including beating all the boys. After wards, we had a session with teenagers. One of the top prospects there is 13 year old Sara Griffin. When we were doing pushing exercises with them pushing me, she hit me in the ribs instead of in my arm pits! Ouch!

[back to top]    [back to Sumo Shimpo home]

A PERSONAL NOTE
From Tonkatsu

As most of our readers know, we started the Southern California Sumo Kyokai in September of 1997. Our first practice was covered by "RAFU SHIMPO". Four of us, Greg Wheeler, Jim Lowerre, Ichiro "Marshal" Banno and myself, competed against each other at the 1997 Japan Expo. We aquirred 17 mawashi and built the "The Dohyo of Dreams". In January of 98 we had the first Goltz sumo tournament at the Goltz judo club in Claremont. In May I was featured in "Bridge USA" a Japanese language "Infotainment" magazine. We also had a workout with the group from Japan, and my infamous encounter with the soon to be MIYABIYAMA. In June five of us, Jim Lowerre, Joe Butler, Andrew Freund, Mike McLean and myself competed in the 2nd North American Sumo Championships. Joe Butler had a record of 3-2 for the tournament, including a very narrow loss to 680lb. Manny Yarbrough. We were off to a good start. In July, I obtained the loan of a portable dohyo from the Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco, which we used at two Japanese summer festivals, and the Nikkei Games. We also used it at Houghton Park in North Long Beach.

Then came 1999, and it has seemed to me that the sophomore jinx must have struck. At Goltz Sumo 2 in January, the bus that was supposed to bring the kids from the park never showed. Attendance at practice dropped to a trickle; with months going by with no one but me and Jim. At the North American Championships only three of us competed, myself, Jim and Robert Perez. My efforts to get a team from Mexico and a big Japanese American from Northern California both fell through. Doug Ballard, the power lifter from Bloomington Indiana who won our Goltz tournament, didn't make it because his plane broke down on the runway and he was stuck there for five hours! 

The whole year has seemed like that, and there have been times when I have felt like I should give up on sumo and play with my trains. But one thing has kept me going (other than the fact that I am stubborn): my good tomadachi and jun-oyakata Yukikaze! Whenever I have been ready to tear out what little hair I have left or throw in the towel, he always calms me down. If no one else wants to practice Jim will. If I want to drag him off to Mexico, he goes (with Lorinda's blessing of course) with me. As the year ends, things are starting to take a turn for the better. The trip to Mexico was a success, and we have some new recruits. Goltz Sumo 3 is shaping up to be the best yet, and the PAL program is going well.

So, I just wanted to say a big domo arigato to you Yukikaze-zeki. You are the best jun-oyakata one could want and a great guy to go on a road trip with.
TONKATSU

[back to top]    [back to Sumo Shimpo home]

CALENDAR

Dec. 4th & 5th, World Amatuer Championships, Riesa, Saxony, Germany.
Dec. 12th, Practice at "The Dohyo of Dreams" 1pm
Hatsu Basho, Kokugigan, Tokyo
Banzuke: December 22, 1999
Shonichi: Jan. 9,2000 (Sunday) SUMO DIGEST starts Jan. 10 (Monday) KRCA channel 62 11:30pm
Senshuraku: Jan. 23, 2000 (Sunday)
Jan. 22, (Saturday) Goltz Sumo 3, at The Goltz Judo Club, 431 W. Baseline Rd, Claremont, CA
Feb. 5th ( Saturday) PBB at Bonsai, 754 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena
Haru Basho, Osaka Municipal Gymnasium
Banzuke: February 28, 2000
Shonichi: March 12, 2000 (Sunday) SUMO DIGEST
starts Mar. 13 (Monday) KRCA channel 62 11:30pm
Senshuraku: March 26, 2000 (Sunday)
Natsu Basho, Kokugikan, Tokyo
Banzuke: April 24, 2000
Shonichi: May 7, 2000 (Sunday) SUMO DIGEST
starts May 8 (Monday) KRCA channel 62 11:30pm
Senshuraku: May 21, 2000 (Sunday)
Nagoya Basho, Aichi Prefectural Gym. Nagoya
Banzuke: June 26, 2000
Shonichi: July 9(Sunday) SUMO DIGEST
starts 7-10(Monday) KRCA channel 62 11:30pm
Senshuraku: July 23, 2000 (Sunday)
Aki Basho, Kokugikan, Tokyo
Banzuke: August 21, 2000
Shonichi: Sept. 3, 2000(Sunday) SUMO DIGEST
starts, 9-4 (Monday) KRCA channel 62 11:30pm
Senshuraku: Sept. 17, 2000 (Sunday) 
Kyushu Basho, Fukuoka Kokusai Center
Banzuke: Oct. 23, 2000
Shonichi: Nov.5, 2000(Sunday) SUMO DIGEST
starts Nov. 6 (Monday) KRCA channel 62 11:30pm
Senshuraku: Nov. 19, 2000 (Sunday)
Note: All times, dates & channels for SUMO DIGEST beyond the Hatsu Basho are assumptions, based on the present schedule.

SUMO SHIMPO is published six times a year by The Southern California Sumo Kyokai. If you think it's worth reading, we need you to join the Southern California Sumo Kyokai for $5 a year per individual, or $10 per family. Comments and contributions are not only welcome, they are encouraged.

Editor Tonkatsu A.K.A. Harry Dudrow
Associate Ed. Yukikaze A.K.A. Jim Lowerre
WEB SITE, Temporary posting at come to Kamunishiki. 

[back to top]    [back to Sumo Shimpo home]

This page last updated on 01/02/2008
Designed, hosted and promoted by:  Shirabara

ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT © 1999-2008 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUMO KYOKAI