Current Issue -- October 2001

Kotomitsuki Stomps Sanyaku to Take Cup

Corrections

Kotomitsuki Stomps Sanyaku to Take Cup
First “High Maegashira” Yusho Since 1992
by “Yukikaze” for SUMO SHIMPO  

Traditionally, the ‘high’ maegashira ranks (#1 to #5) have been the great ‘ordeal by fire’ that Makunouchi rikishi have to pass through to earn their sanyaku spurs.  Many a promising talent has found their career blocked at this point, unable to move into the highest level of the sumo pyramid, forced to move up and down the hiramaku ranks until their skills deteriorate and they fall back into Juryo.  A yusho has not been won by any man ranked in this ‘combat zone’ since the 1992 Nagoya contest, when the now-retired Mitoizumi took his first and only Emperor’s Cup while ranked at maegashira #1.

TRIBUTE TO THE U.S. VICTIMS – The elders of the Nihon Sumo Kyokai and the entire sekitori contingent are joined by the Kokugikan’s senshuraku audience in a moment of silence, in remembrance of the horrifying terrorist actions in the United States on September 11.   (Photo:  Ken Coller – SUMO NOW!)

But if KOTOMITSUKI was intimidated by what he faced at the maegashira #2-East slot, he certainly had a funny way of showing it!  He ripped into the sanyaku veterans he was pitted against from the very outset, chewed them up thoroughly and swallowed them like so many gyoza.  He followed his only setback - a day 3 loss to ozeki #2-East MUSOYAMA - with a kinboshi win over yokozuna-East MUSASHIMARU, and helped bring on the “Fall of the House of the Musashigawa Ozeki”.  He never looked back, clinching a tie on day 13 and winning outright the next day.  His strong 13-2 took the Shukun-Sho (Outstanding Performance Prize) and a share of the Gino-Sho (Technique Prize).  The win is the first championship for Sadogatake’s powerful collegian (who was marked as ‘a face to watch’ in last October’s SUMO SHIMPO), and the first for the heya since the now-retired Kotonishiki’s second maegashira yusho at the 1998 Kyushu contest.  It also marks the first yusho from the hiramaku ranks since TAKATORIKI won the 2000 Haru Basho.

The words flat and uninspired best sum up the quality of most of the performances in the upper sanyaku ranks.  An overweight MUSASHIMARU started off in form by winning his first three bouts.  And then he did the previously unthinkable by surrendering FIVE kinboshi in the next eight days of action.  Those gold stars went to KOTOMITSUKI, #1-West ASASHORYU (his first), #4-East KAIHO (only 266 lbs!), #3-West TAMAKASUGA and #5-West TOCHINONADA.  He finished by winning 3 of his 4 remaining bouts to end up with a poor (for a yokozuna) 9-6 outing.  The only reason we may hear no call for his retirement may be:  with AKEBONO getting used to his September 29 haircut, yokozuna-West TAKANOHANA rehabilitating his surgically-repaired knee, and ozeki #1-East KAIO’s promotion chances now ‘dead in the water’ there would be no active yokozuna if he were to quit now!

TAKANOHANA had reconstructive surgery on his damaged right knee on July 26 at a hospital in Paris.  The hospital was chosen on the recommendation of Philippe Troussier, who coaches soccer in Japan.  The current projection is that the Futagoyama heyagashira will return to action no earlier than the 2002 Hatsu contest, and may wait until Osaka to come back to the wars.  While his technical knowledge will not be impaired, only time will tell whether he will return with all of his strength and power intact.

This author cannot remember the last time the ozeki have looked so bad as a unit.  Check that:  pitiful would be a more fitting adjective.  KAIO could have clinched a promotion to yokozuna with a 12-3 performance or better this time out.  But he’d been having trouble with his lower back during the jungyo period; this was the reason he’d withdrawn in May.  He bravely answered the yobidashi’s call - and the Kokugikan’s massive roof caved in (figuratively) on the Tomozuna strongman, with three consecutive losses to open matters and forcing him to pull out on day 4.  Now not only are his yokozuna dreams in pieces, but he has a kadoban tag against him.  #1-West CHIYOTAIKAI’s effort was a crippled one:  after eight days his books were balanced at 4-4.  His day 8 bout with maegashira #3-East TOSANOUMI sent him to the sidelines with a broken toe, so he will also have a demotion threat over his head in Fukuoka.  #2-West MIYABIYAMA was roughly handled by the upper hiramaku, even losing to soft maegashira #1-East KOTONOWAKA.  The much-smaller KAIHO not only rang him up on day 9, but twisted him awkwardly onto his left knee and ankle:  he had to be rolled out of the Kokugikan in the specially-made 4XL wheelchair.  With an active kadoban already on his record he will follow stablemate sekiwake-West DEJIMA’s drop on the banzuke.  MUSOYAMA, however, managed to make headway against the tide that swamped his fellow ozeki.  He won 5 of his first six torikumi before losing to TOSANOUMI and KAIHO on consecutive days.  He stood kachi-koshi after day 11 and finished with a 10-5 outing – the only bright spot in the otherwise bleak ozeki picture.

The lower sanyaku performances were uninspiring save for that of sekiwake-East TOCHIAZUMA.  With so many ozeki making figurative bogey and worse, the son of Tamanoi Oyakata put out a supreme effort to stake his future claim to a parking slot under the Kokugikan.  He lost on shonichi to maegashira #2-West TAKANOWAKA, but then took all but two of his remaining bouts (including a senshuraku win over MUSASHIMARU) to post a 12-3 that definitely stands him in good stead for the future.  DEJIMA could have regained his ozeki status with ten or more wins this basho.  But when he lost his first two torikumi and stood 4-5 after day 9 it didn’t look as if that would be in the cards.  It became official on day 10 as he was left on his hands and knees by #2-West TAKANOWAKA - his days of being driven into the Kokugikan’s basement garage were over and done.  And that wasn’t the worst of it:  four more losses over the next 5 days resulted in a 5-10 mark which will send him skidding all the way out of the sanyaku.  Komusubi-East WAKANOSATO started strong enough with wins over KAIO and TOSANOUMI.  But he then went on a 5-8 slide that left him with a 7-8 posting.  On the other side, komusubi-West TAMANOSHIMA had a rough sanyaku debut.  The Kataonami heyagashira lost his first 3 torikumi as a joi-jin before winning five of his next 8 for a 5-6; but he then batted .500 to leave himself at 7-8.

KOTOMITSUKI’s stellar effort was not the only one in the upper hiramaku.  After a shonichi defeat Mongolian sensation ASASHORYU made a charge worthy of Genghis Khan’s hordes with six consecutive wins; but KOTOMITSUKI, TOSANOUMI and TAMANOSHIMA together helped ensure that the Tenno-Hai would remain in Japanese hands (at least this time, anyway).  His 10-5 effort was rewarded with the Kanto-Sho (Fighting Spirit Prize).  Outside of his kinboshi win KAIHO’s performance was well over the expected form:  his 10-5 record included wins over every one of the Musashigawa top-rankers, and earned him a share of the Gino-Sho.  Further down the list another Mongolian, #8-East KYOKUTENHO, had his kachikoshi by the 11th day and finished with a 9-6.  Other 9-6 outings were scored by #4-West TOKITSUUMI, #7-West KOTORYU and #11-West AKINOSHIMA.

#14-East TAKATORIKI has now fought 975 top-division contests without a Public Injury withdrawal.  A 5-10 record means he will not be adding to this mark until next January, if then.

At the end of the Juryo action on senshuraku, #5-West AOGIYAMA’s 12-3 mark left him tied with #9-East TAMARIKIDO.  The ensuing playoff (and second-division yusho) went to the former maegashira #1 from Tokitsukaze Beya.  #8-East BUYUZAN, who won the second division title two months ago in an eight-way playoff, was close behind with an 11-4 as was #11-West SHIMOTORI.  #12-East TAKANOTSURU posted a solid 10-5 while #6-West OIKARI and #13-West KASUGANISHIKI each went 9-6.

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CORRECTIONS
by "Tonkatsu"

1)  In our last issue, LAPD officer Mark Mireles, North American middleweight silver medalist, was incorrectly identified as "Mark Morales".

The way this came about is a small comedy of errors.  “Yukikaze” wrote the article on the LAPD team after we had submitted the results of the NASC, with Mark's name spelled correctly.  Based on the fact that we had mis-spelled someone else's name, he assumed that we had also mis-spelled Mark's and changed it to the more familiar “Morales”.  Since this was the last article, and we were late, I didn't proofread it.  My mistake!

“Yukikaze” also made a small factual error.  Mark doesn't help with a “PAL”-like program at CSULA:  he helps with the wrestling team at East LA College.  Once again, our fault for not proofreading.

While we are apologizing to Mark, we also congratulate him.  In September, Mark was one of two LAPD officers to receive the Department’s highest honor, the Medal of Valor.  In Mark's case, he saved a woman from a car fire.  (See related article.)

Mark, please accept our apologies and congratulations.  To put it another way, gomen nasai and omedeto.  (I concur in full, regret my errors and offer my congratulations as well.  You make all of us in the sumo community proud – “Y”.)

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SCSK Gold Medalist Awarded LAPD Medal of Valor
From Los Angeles Times news services

Mark Mireles, Los Angeles police officer and SCSK sumo champion, was awarded the LAPD Medal of Valor in a recent LA Chamber of Commerce ceremony at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel.

Mireles, 34, earned the department’s highest accolade for bravery beyond the call of duty for his actions upon coming across a car accident on his way home from work Feb. 16, 2000.  It was raining, and Mireles saw a blue electrical arc lighting up the sky near Riverside Drive and Glendale Avenue, he said.  His headlights then shone on a Jeep Cherokee on its side, surrounded by downed wires whipping around, sending out blue arcs.  The driver of the jeep, Ignacio Miramontes, climbed out.  Mireles prevented him from rescuing his wife, saying firefighters would soon arrive.  But shortly afterwards the downed transformer set leaking gasoline aflame, and fire erupted all around.  Mireles stepped carefully over the downed wires to rescue Carmen Miramontes, "kind of like that game when you're a kid and you don't step on the cracks in the sidewalk."  He pulled her out of the Jeep and carried her on his shoulders back through the obstacle course of live wires.

Together with fellow LAPD officers Fernando Mora and Troy Collins, Officer Mireles won the gold medal in team competition at the recently-completed North American Sumo Championships in Long Beach, CA.  He also took the silver medal in the middleweight division competition.

“Yukikaze” reformatted this report and added sumo-related information for SUMO SHIMPO.

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John Jacques Update
by "Tonkatsu" for SUMO SHIMPO

Recap:  on June 14th, United States Sumo Federation vice president and longtime Oahu Sumo Kyokai leader John Jacques was badly injured in a car accident on a Hawaii road.

We spoke to John on Sunday, September 23rd.  He had just recently come home after another thirty-eight days in the hospital.  He had numerous surgeries on his left leg, and now has a rod set in the tibia from knee to ankle.  The infection is slowly healing and he is going to therapy several times a week.  He is no longer in danger of losing his foot, but it will take a lot of work before he can do much with it.

John and his wife celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary recently.  His major goal is to resume one of their favorite pastimes, hiking.

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New Dean of Mean
by "Tonkatsu" for SUMO SHIMPO

As we have mentioned before, our friend Mr. Matsuzaki tapes the bashos for us.  Normally, we get the Japanese language version, but on day four of the Aki Basho the tape was in English.  Just before the match in which Asashoryu demolished Miyabiyama, one of the commentators referred to him as the "New Dean of mean."  A title which formally belonged to Takatoriki.

Having watched Asashoryu's shikiri and his aggressive style of sumo, we would agree.  We would also agree that Takatoriki used to be the "Dean of Mean."  He was the Futogayama gangster we loved to hate the most.  We think that his hit man/enforcer image started to unwind when we saw his emotional reaction to winning his yusho.  We actually liked him and haven't been able to get back to the way we used to feel.  It’s a different story with Asashoryu:  we really like him!

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California, SCSK Top USSF Rolls
by "Tonkatsu" for SUMO SHIMPO

Bolstered by an influx of new members who signed up for the NASC, membership in the United States Sumo Federation reached its highest level to date.  As of August fifth, the federation had 38 current members, up from 35 after last year’s NASC.  To date, 57 people have become members, but not all have renewed.  The honor of being member number 50 went to Troy Collins of the LAPD, who placed third in the open division and teamed with two other LAPD officers to take first place in the team event.

Since membership became a requirement to paricipate in the NASC, membership has tended to rise in the locality of the tournament.  Last year that was New Jersey, this year it’s Southern California.  The breakdown of current members by states is as follows:

California, 21 seniors and three juniors.
New Jersey, 11 seniors and two juniors.
Idaho two seniors.
Illinois, New York and North Carolina, one senior each.

The breakdown of current members by clubs is as follows:

Southern California Sumo Kyokai, 14 seniors and three juniors.
Judo and Karate Center (NJ), 11 seniors and two juniors.
California Sumo Association, six seniors.
Northern California Sumo Kyokai, one senior.
Unattached, five seniors.

We think it's important that those people who want the sport to grow in this country join and support the USSF.  Those who only join when they have to and then let their memberships expire aren't helping the growth of the sport.

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Official Match-by-Match Results
Fifth North American Sumo Championships held on August 5, 2001 in Long Beach, CA

Women's Lightweight:  best 2 of 3.
Sharlene Serbin d. Hasana Benjemina by watashikomi
Sharlene Serbin d. Hasana Benjemina by oshitaoshi

Women’s Heavyweight:
Mashid Tarazizadeh by fusensho (only competitor)

Women's Open: round robin
Mashid Tarazizadeh (Hvy) d. Sharlene Serbin (Lt) by oshidashi
Jaclyn Feuerschwenger (Mid) d. Hasana Benjemina (Lt) by oshitaoshi
Sharlene Serbin (Lt) d. Hasana Benjemina (Lt) by watashikomi (note: same as match 1 in women’s lightweights)
Jaclyn Feuerschwenger (Mid) d. Mashid Tarazizadeh (Hvy) by yorikiri
Mashid Tarazizadeh (Hvy) d. Hasana Benjamina (Lt) by oshidashi
Jaclyn Feuerschwenger (Mid) d. Sharlene Serbin (Lt) by yorikiri

Gold:  Jaclyn Feuerschwenger (Mid)
Silver:  Mashid Tarazizadeh (Hvy)
Bronze:  Sharlene Serbin (Lt)

Men’s Masters:  best 2 of 3 (unofficial)
Jim Lowerre d.  Harry Dudrow by yorikiri
Harry Dudrow d. Jim Lowerre by yorikiri
Harry Dudrow d. Jim Lowerre by sotogake

Men's Lightweight:  single elim. w/repechage
Gregory Donofrio, bye
Fernando Mora d. Cris Crite by oshidashi
Raul Ramirez, bye
Trent Sabo d. Jason Maron by utchari
Gregory Donofrio d. Fernando Mora by oshidashi
Trent Sabo d. Raul Ramirez by oshidashi
Gregory Donofrio d. Trent Sabo by yoritaoshi for gold medal

Lightweight repechage:
Cris Crite bye
Raul Ramirez bye
Fernando Mora d. Cris Crite by uwatenage
Jason Maron d. Raul Ramirez by hatakikomi
Jason Maron d. Fernando Mora by kotenage for bronze medal 

Men's Middleweight: single elim. w/repechage
Nicholas Rodriguez d. Troy Collins by hatakikomi
Mark Mireles d. Leonard Thomas by sukuinage
Rene Marti d. Jon Crite* by yoritaoshi
Mark Mireles d. Nick Rodriguez by hatakikomi
Rene Marti d. Andrew Isaacson by yoritaoshi
Troy Collins d. Leonard Thomas by utchari
Justin Crite d. Jon Crite* by okuridashi
Nick Rodriguez d. Troy Collins by utchari
Andrew Isaacson d. Justin Crite by isamiashi
Andrew Isaacson d. Nick Rodriguez by hatakikomi for bronze medal
Rene Marti d. Mark Mireles by uwatenage for gold medal

(* Jon Crite in this division by oversight:  he was a heavyweight.)

Men's Heavyweight: single elim. w/repechage
James Perry bye
Marcus Barber d. Jim Lowerre by oshidashi
Jon Crite bye
Kelly Gneiting d. David Knight by utchari
James Perry d. Marcus Barber by yoritaoshi
Jon Crite d. Kelly Gneiting by hatakikomi
James Perry d. Jon Crite by oshitaoshi for gold medal 

Heavyweight Repechage:
Jim Lowerre bye
David Knight bye
Marcus Barber d. Jim Lowerre by oshidashi
David Knight d. Kelly Gneiting by yoritaoshi
Marcus Barber d. David Knight by oshitaoshi for bronze medal 

Men's Openweight:  single elim. w/repechage
Kelly Gneiting (Hvy) d. Marcus Barber (Hvy) by sukuinage
David Knight (Hvy) d. Jim Lowerre (Hvy) by oshidashi
Jason Maron (Lt) d. Harry Dudrow (Hvy) by ashitori
Mark Mireles (Mid) d. Andrew Isaacson (Mid) by shitatenage
Nick Rodriguez (Mid) d. Leonard Thomas (Mid) by sukuinage
Troy Collins (Mid) d. Justin Crite (Mid) by shitatenage
Manny Yarbrough (Hvy) d. Jon Crite (Hvy) by oshidashi
David Knight (Hvy) d. Kelly Gneiting (Hvy) by isamiashi
Trent Sabo (Lt) d. Jason Maron (Lt) by oshidashi
Mark Mireles (Mid) d. Nick Rodriguez (Mid) by oshidashi
Manny Yarbrough (Hvy) d. Troy Collins (Mid) by oshidashi
David Knight (Hvy) d. Trent Sabo (Lt) by yoritaoshi
Manny Yarbrough (Hvy) d. Mark Mireles (Mid) by oshidashi
Manny Yarbrough (Hvy) d. David Knight (Hvy) by uwatenage for gold medal

Openweight repechage:
Leonard Thomas (Mid) d. Andrew Isaacson (Mid) by shitatenage
Jon Crite (Hvy) d. Justin Crite (Mid) by hatakikomi
Marcus Barber (Hvy) d. Jim Lowerre (Hvy) by oshidashi
Jason Maron (Lt) d. Harry Dudrow (Hvy) by yorikiri
Leonard Thomas (Mid) d. Nick Rodriguez (Lt) by yoritaoshi
Troy Collins (Mid) d. Jon Crite (Hvy) by oshitaoshi
Kelly Gneiting (Hvy) d. Marcus Barber (Hvy) by sukuinage
Leonard Thomas (Mid) d. Trent Sabo (Lt) by tsuridashi
Troy Collins (Mid) d. Mark Mireles (Mid) by okuridashi
Kelly Gneiting (Hvy) d. Jason Maron (Lt) by hatakikomi
Troy Collins (Mid) d. Leonard Thomas (Mid) by utchari
Troy Collins (Mid) d. Kelly Gneiting (Hvy) by oshidashi for bronze medal 

Men's Teams:  single elim. w/repechage (unofficial)
LAPD (T. Collins, M. Mireles, F. Mora) d. USA East (G. Donofrio, R. Marti, J. Perry)
USA West (K. Gneiting, M. Barber, D. Knight) d. Oceanside (T. Sabo, Jon Crite and Justin
Crite)
USA East d. Oceanside for bronze medal
LAPD d. USA West for gold medal

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JUNIOR DIVISION YUSHO WINNERS

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JAL Flies USA Teams to Worlds
by "Tonkatsu" for SUMO SHIMPO

Last year the US team to the World Championships in Brazil had to pay their own way.  This year they are going to Japan courtesy of Japan Air Lines.  They took the junior team to Osaka in August, and will be taking the senior men and women to Tokyo in October.

The junior team consisted of Gregory Donofrio, middleweight; Sean Faust, heavyweight; and Onipa'a Aina Pa'a for open.  Readers may recall that Gregory Donofrio won the men's lightweight at the NASC.  He wrestled middleweight in the junior worlds because of different weight limits.

The complete results are not on the ISF web site yet.  At present, we have only the following from Mr. Yonezuka.  Gregory Donofrio placed third in the middleweight division.  The USA team beat the Czech Republic and Uzbekistan before losing to Brazil 2-1.

The USA men's team will be:
Rene Marti, middleweight
James Perry, heavyweight
Emanuel Yarbrough, openweight

Our first ever women's team will be:
Sharlene Serbin, lightweight
Jaclyn Feuerschwenger, middleweight
Mashid Tarazizadeh, heavyweight

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James Perry Defeats Two-Time World Champion
by "Tonkatsu" for SUMO SHIMPO

In August, James Perry, Leonard Thomas and Kena Heffernan went to an event in Japan called "The World Games"

James Perry reports that he beat two-time World heavyweight champion Takahisa Osanai in the third round.  He then lost to his nemesis Jorg Brummer of Germany in the semifinals, and then lost a rematch with Osanai for third place.  James, who has a tachi-ai like a runaway train, says that Osanai didn't try to take him on in the second match.  Instead, he pulled him forward.

James has made tremendous progress since he came into the second NASC in 1998 without ever so much as having donned a mawashi, and took third in the heavyweights.  In this writer’s opinion, his biggest handicap is that he has no one to practice with in Durham, North Carolina.  His win was Osanai's first loss in three years.

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“Dohyo of Dreams” Finally Gets Permanent Tawara
by "Tonkatsu" for SUMO SHIMPO

Almost four years after its original construction, permanent tawara have been installed into the Southern California Sumo Kyokai’s famous "Dohyo of Dreams".

Using money made from the recently-completed North American Sumo Championships, the SCSK had canvas bags made to hold sand.  Then, armed with a Nihon Sumo Renmei pamphlet on sumo and a Nihon University video, “Yukikaze” and “Tonkatsu” laid out the ring, dug the trench, filled and stitched the bags to make tawara, placed the tawara and reassembled the dohyo.  It will be ready for the 2001 California Open Sumo Championship on October 14th.

To the best of our knowledge, the “Dohyo of Dreams” remains the only permanent outdoor sumo training facility in the continental United States.

Commercial keshomawashi:  TAKANOWAKA has been seen wearing a black keshomawashi with the word PUMA and the Puma logo in gold.

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SEKITORI BIRTHDAYS for October and November

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