December 2002

Asashoryu Takes Huge Step, Wins First Cup

Korean Wins Juryo Yusho

  
Asashoryu Takes Huge Step, Wins First Cup
Taka, Maru Both Out of Picture
by “Yukikaze” for SUMO SHIMPO

One thing this writer has learned while following sumo for the past eight years, is that strange things happen under the roof of the Fukuoka Kokusai Centre when the Nihon Sumo Kyokai comes to visit each November.  Ordinarily-steady performers suddenly go south without logical explanation, and handicapping the yusho race becomes a very dicey proposition. Events rendered the field wide open for a ‘wild card’ to step up.  And ozeki #2-East ASASHORYU answered the challenge with relish, drawing everyone’s attention with ten consecutive wins to open the festivities.  Maegashira #6-East TOCHINONADA broke the rensho on day 11, but by that time the Mongolian’s closest pursuers were 2 losses back.

WHAT GENGHIS KHAN COULDN’T DO –  Ozeki ASASHORYU holds the Emperor’s Cup with the (symbolic) aid of his parents.  The first rikishi from Mongolia to win the top prize in professional sumo is now the automatic favorite to win the Hatsu Basho and possible yokozuna promotion.  (Photo:  Kyodo News Service)

It turned into one of the earliest yusho clinchings in recent memory, as SHORYU won his 12th torikumi on day 13 to mathematically eliminate the five men who were in a pack at 9-4.  He finished with a huge 14-1 record to become the first Mongolian rikishi to hold the Emperor’s Cup.  All eyes will be on him in January in Tokyo where, if he wins, he will have a chance to become the first Mongolian grand champion.

Both current yokozuna were hard hit by bad Kyushu karma.  Before the basho even started, yokozuna-West TAKANOHANA announced that he would not even mount the dohyo owing to continued soreness in his surgically-repaired knee (see related Kyodo news item).  At the very top of the rankings, yokozuna-East MUSASHIMARU started in his usual strong manner despite a wrist that had been giving him problems.  He reached a huge milestone with his day 4 win over maegashira #2-West HOKUTORIKI, becoming only the fourth rikishi to win 700 Makunouchi torikumi (see related article and accompanying table).  But he not only surrendered a kinboshi the very next day to maegashira #1-East TAKANONAMI, but was hurt badly enough to be forced to pull out of the basho.  The latest word is that he will have surgery to fix his wrist, and will likely miss the 2003 Hatsu Basho).

As at Tokyo two months earlier, the efforts of the other four ozeki varied in quality.  By scraping out kachi-koshi at the Kokugikan in September, #2-West MUSOYAMA could have taken this tournament off without being demoted.  But a funny thing happened between then and now:  his injuries healed, he regained the ability to perform ozeki-level sumo again - and demonstrated it by winning six of his first seven.  Reality caught up and sent MUSO down to defeat in three of his next four, but he pulled out three more wins before his senshuraku matchup with SHORYU.  His loss to the Mongolian left him with a still-positive 10-5.  Spending the Aki Basho on the shelf did little to help #3-East TOCHIAZUMA:  he was 2-4 after day 6 with two of those losses to hiramaku.  He got a grip on himself and won his next seven to assure himself a winning record, but then lost his last three to finish with a disappointing 8-7.  #1-West CHIYOTAIKAI had let a golden opportunity get past him by not following his yusho at Nagoya with another.  He opened the contest as if he still had that opportunity, taking six of his first eight – but after defeating maegashira #1-West TOSANOUMI, he pulled out.  Fukuoka is #1-East KAIO’s hometown, but there was no ‘home cooking’ for the local-boy-made-good.  He won his first two before being forced out by TOSANOUMI, went fusen the next day, and disappeared from the action.

The lower sanyaku posted mixed results.  The best performance was put up by komusubi-West TAKANOWAKA:  he won six of his first eight, then took four of his next six on his way to a strong 11-4 outing, the jun-yusho, and a share of the Kanto-Sho (Fighting Spirit Prize).  Sekiwake-East WAKANOSATO started out by losing five of his first six, then won five of the next six to stand 6-6 after day 12.  Unfortunately, he then ran headlong into both ASASHORYU and MUSOYAMA, who tripped and pushed him into make-koshi:  he finished at 7-8.  Sekiwake-West KOTOMITSUKI’s performance was consistent in its inconsistency.  He stood 7-7 going into the final day, but forced out a win over TOCHIAZUMA to go kachi-koshi.  KYOKUTENHO occupied the komusubi-East slot on the strength of an 8-7 record (and a kinboshi win over TAKANOHANA) at maegashira #3-East at the Aki Basho. He was 3-2 after five days, but then lost six of his next seven matches to stand make-koshi after day 12. His final mark was 7-8.

No one man dominated the maegashira standings.  The following hiramaku posted 10-5 marks:  TAKANONAMI, #9-East KOTONOWAKA, #10-East DEJIMA and #11-West IWAKIYAMA.  #7-East TOKI, #8-West AMINISHIKI and #14-East AKINOSHIMA all went 9-6.  The “Giant Killer” and current kinboshi leader (16) is now an official member of the “600-Win Club” with 629 top-division victories.  TAKANONAMI and IWAKIYAMA were also awarded the Kanto-Sho.  TAKANONAMI (now with 595 Makunouchi wins) captured the only kinboshi.  The Shukun-Sho (Outstanding Performance Prize) and Gino-Sho (Technique Prize) were not awarded this time out.

A Note of Interest
ASASHORYU is a member of Takasago Beya as a result of a merger with Wakamatsu Beya.

Takasago Beya was home to Takamiyama when he became the first sumotori born outside of Japan to win a Makunouchi yusho.  It was also home to Konishiki when he became the first gaijin to attain ozeki status.  And when Takamiyama retired to become Azumazeki Oyakata he trained Akebono – the first non-Japanese to be anointed as a yokozuna.

Will ASASHORYU become the first Mongolian to attain sumo’s ultimate rank?  Given Takasago Beya’s past track record with non-Japanese rikishi – and the current weakness at the top of the banzuke – this correspondent wouldn’t bet against it.

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Korean Wins Juryo Yusho

In the Juryo Division, #6-East KASUGAO started poorly by losing his first three matches, but then won ten in a row to stand 10-4 going into the last day.  Right alongside the South Korean was #8-East ASASEKIRYU, with a 10-4 of his own.  Since they had not yet fought each other, it was a perfect matchup for senshuraku.  KASUGAO, a member of Kasugayama Beya, prevailed by yoritaoshi to take the second division championship with an 11-4 effort, and move closer to the ‘bright lights’ of the Makunouchi.

In addition to ASASEKIRYU, the following rikishi finished 10-5:  #1-West KASUGANISHIKI, #2-East TAKANOTSURU, #3-West OTSUKASA, #9-East OIKARI and #10-East TAKEKAZE.  9-6 postings came from #3-East KOBO, #7-East HAMANISHIKI, #10-West YOTSUKASA and #13-West HARUNOYAMA.

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Maru Reaches Another Milestone
by “Yukikaze” for SUMO SHIMPO

Prior to this point in the modern history of sumo, only three men had ever been strong enough – and durable enough – to amass 700 wins in sumo’s top division.

In the last ten years, the ‘smart money’ had been on TAKANOHANA becoming the next member of that very exclusive club.  But then came Natsu 2001:  MUSOYAMA’s ill-placed foot, coupled with a hard makiotoshi, practically destroyed TAKA’s right knee.  Although TAKA won the yusho in a sensational senshuraku playoff with MUSASHIMARU, his win total would be frozen at 685 for seven basho while the knee was repaired and the rehabilitation process begun.  During that time MARU continued to compete:  from Nagoya 2001 through Nagoya 2002 he won the Tenno-Hai four times and racked up 71 victories to tie Takamiyama’s mark of 683.  (Refer to the Aki 2002 issue for details.)

At the 2002 Aki Basho TAKA finally came down from the shelf (partially due to a not-so-veiled threat from the Yokozuna Deliberation Council).  A tight race between himself and the huge Hawaiian led up to a showdown on senshuraku.  When the smoke cleared, TAKA was the one who had been forced to vacate the dohyo.  The win totals stood as follows:  TAKA 697; MARU 696.

Going into the Kyushu Basho, the odds still favored TAKA to be the first to cross the historic barrier.  But then came the announcement that Futagoyama’s top rikishi would not be competing because his knee was still weak and sore.  MARU was having ongoing problems with one of his wrists, but he answered the bell.  On day 4 he defeated maegashira #2-West HOKUTORIKI to become the fourth rikishi with 700 Makunouchi victories.  After losing to TAKANONAMI the next day, he withdrew from the tournament to have surgery on his injured wrist:  he is already listed as a no-show for January.

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The 600-Win Club (updated after Kyushu 2002)

(Info from the Nihon Sumo Kyokai web site)

* Non-Japanese

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Junior Division Yusho Winners

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Takanohana out again because of knee injury

Kyodo News Service/Nov. 9, 2002 Japan Times

FUKUOKA - Yokozuna TAKANOHANA has decided to sit out of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament starting Sunday in Fukuoka, as his knee injury has deteriorated, his stable master Futagoyama said Friday.

"I heard directly from TAKANOHANA this morning that he will be sitting out of the tournament. I even thought that it would be difficult for him to take part in this meet. We haven't talked about his immediate plans," Futagoyama said.

The grand champion returned to the ring in September after missing the last seven tournaments because of the knee injury, and marked an impressive 12 wins behind yokozuna MUSASHIMARU, who claimed his 12th Emperor's Cup with a 13-2 record.

"I haven't been able to sustain a good condition with my knee and I've decided on my own to sit out the tournament. I really want to apologize to everyone who has waited for me to make a comeback," TAKANOHANA said.

"The pain in the knee is not so severe but the knee is in no condition for me to wrestle. I'll have it examined and try my best to get back in the ring as soon as possible," he added.

TAKANOHANA tore the ligaments in his right knee when he won his 22nd Emperor's Cup in the May 2001 basho.  The rehabilitation process has taken longer than expected:  he was absent from competition for seven consecutive tournaments.  His September appearance was under the compulsion of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, who hinted at forcing his retirement if he did not compete at that time.  At this writing, there has been no comment from the YDC about this latest absence.

“Yukikaze” edited the previous news items.

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New Sumo Organization Forms, Announces New Competition


by “Tonkatsu” for SUMO SHIMPO





When we began the process of starting the Southern California Sumo Kyokai in 1997 one of the first questions we asked
ourselves was what to call the new organization.  We considered calling it the "California Sumo Kyokai (Association)."  
We rejected that idea because we thought it would be presumptuous to claim to represent the entire state when all of our 
initial members lived in two counties.

Since we were going to be an unincorporated association, we registered the name "Southern California Sumo Kyokai 
(Association)" with the California Secretary of State as an unincorporated nonprofit association.  Note: in American legal 
terminology, the word "association" normally refers to an unincorporated organization.  Under California law, "Association 
includes any lodge, order, beneficial association, fraternal or beneficial society, historical, military, or veterans organization, 
labor union, foundation, or federation, or any other society, organization, or association, or degree, branch, subordinate 
lodge, or auxiliary thereof."

What it clearly does not include is any private for-profit business, especially one owned by a single individual.  To call 
such a business an "Association" (especially a state-wide association) would be, in our view, misleading.

Since 9:21 AM on July 14, 2000, a Nevada for-profit corporation known as the "Superama Corporation" has been 
doing business in Los Angeles County, California under the fictitious business name of "California Sumo Association."  
The person who signed the statement is the sole director and owner of the "Superama Corporation."

Since this so-called "California Sumo Association" is in fact not an association, and the name was clear in the Secretary 
of State's records, after consultations among the leaders of the SCSK, Sensei Gary Goltz of the Goltz Judo Club and 
Mr. Ernie Hunt, it was decided to form a real association bearing the name "California Sumo Association."  Since 
Mr. Hunt is the most senior individual involved in sumo not only in this State, but in the United States, he was selected 
President.  Mr. Hunt filed the necessary papers to secure the name with the Secretary of State on August 26, 2002, 
and it was officially registered on August 28.  If the "Superama Corporation" wishes to continue doing business in Los 
Angeles County under the misleading name "California Sumo Association", it is free to do so for the time being.

The Articles of Association of the new CSA state that it is organized for the following purposes:

1.  To associate together under the corporate umbrella of the United States Sumo Federation (USSF) a New Jersey 
non-profit corporation, all individual members of the USSF residing in the state of California and all sumo clubs in the 
state of California.


2.  To support both the growth of amateur sumo in the State of California and the purposes of the United States Sumo 
Federation.


3.  To assist the Trustee of USSF Area Two in coordinating events and resolving disputes, so as to minimize appeals 
to the USSF Board of Trustees.

The Articles of Association were signed by Ernie Hunt, Gary Goltz, Jim Lowerre, Hiroshi Matsuzaki and Harry Dudrow.

Details of New Competition

 

The California Sumo Association will sponsor a new competition for 2003 called the California Sumo Series.  Starting 
with Goltz Sumo Six on January 18th.  Every USSF-sanctioned tournament held in the State of California will count 
points towards a year-end title.  Points will be awarded in all senior and junior men's and women's weight divisions.  
Points will be awarded for the first five places in each event on a 7-5-3-2-1 basis.  In the event of a mixed weight 
division, contestants will earn points for their weight division.  

All current individual members of the USSF who are residents of the state of California, and all California sumo clubs that register with the USSF, will automatically be members.

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More on Olympic Changes




by “Tonkatsu” for SUMO SHIMPO

In the last issue we reported on proposed Olympic changes, including the possible elimination of Greco-Roman wrestling.  
We have since learned that the report of the program commission recommends elimination of one of the current wrestling 
disciplines, but doesn't say which one.

The exact text of the commission report follows:  "The low public and media comprehension of the difference between 
the two wrestling disciplines currently in the Olympic Programme were noted by the Commission, which has resulted in 
relatively-low broadcast and press coverage.  In comparison to this lack of global popularity, the commission noted the 
high athlete quota and the number of events in the sport of wrestling.  The Commission therefore recommends the 
exclusion of one of the wrestling disciplines from the Programme of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad."

What immediately struck this writer was the phrase, "Which has resulted in relatively-low broadcast and press coverage."  
In other words, the modern Olympics aren't about the athletes:  they are about media coverage and paying spectators!

The fact is, the world’s sports can be divided into two broad categories:  spectator sports and participant sports.  
Spectator sports are mostly professional team sports and (in this country) the college programs that feed athletes into 
them.  A participant sport, by contrast, may have hundreds of thousands of participants; but the majority of spectators 
will be limited to the friends and relatives of the participants.  Rugby, for instance, may draw big crowds in England and 
New Zealand but only a handful of friends and relatives in this country.

Another question that might be asked is "broadcast and press coverage in what country?"  If we are talking about NBC's 
miserable coverage of the Games we would agree.  This writer has been watching the Games on TV since 1968 and I 
can't remember seeing Greco-Roman wrestling more than a handful of times, and usually only when an American is in the 
finals.  I dare say that TV viewers in Bulgaria, Russia and other Eastern European countries don't suffer from any lack of 
comprehension of the differences in the two style of wrestling.

If "broadcast and press coverage" is going to be the key to what sports stay in the Olympic Programme we can think of 
a few better candidates for elimination that one of the wrestling disciplines.  Who, for instance, ever heard of team handball 
before it became an Olympic sport?  And who, outside of India and Pakistan, cares about field hockey? 

Back in the bad old days of the cold war and Avery Brundage, we all loved to complain about the professional amateurs 
of the Soviet block.  Now we have real professionals throughout the Games.  This writer is nostalgic for those days.  We 
take no satisfaction at seeing the "Dream Team" take the gold in basketball.  Indeed, we hope to live to see some other 
country beat them.

If the Modern Olympic Games continue in the current vein, we predict they will go the way of the ancient ones.

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The SCSK's Keshomawashi Project
by “Tonkatsu” for SUMO SHIMPO

We assume most of our readers know what keshomawashi are:  the elaborately-embroidered aprons worn by sekitori 
for their ring-entering ceremonies. 

While keshomawashi are normally not worn in amateur sumo, there are exceptions.  For instance:  at the All-Japan 
elementary school championships every year, the junior yokozuna and their attendants wear the full regalia for the 
yokozuna ring entering ceremony.  We also know that, in the first half of the 20th century, keshomawashi were worn by 
Issei and Nisei amateurs here in California (the first SCSK T-shirt showed the men of the Terminal Island Sumo Club 
thus rigged out) and also in Hawaii.  Some of these were constructed in the same elaborate style as those worn in Japan.  
However, it is another style that is our current subject.

During World War II, Japanese-Americans interned at Manzanar, Tule Lake, Heart Mountain, Poston and other 
relocation camps throughout the USA continued to do sumo as well as other sports.  We have seen photos of young 
sumotori wearing keshomawashi consisting of a canvas panel with the artwork painted on, which in turn was sewn to a 
backing of contrasting fabric.  The Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo has one of this type of 
keshomawashi in its collection.  “Yukikaze” has been to the JANM to see it:  he was not allowed to photograph it, 
but was allowed to take measurements and note the construction.

Our current plan is to make these camp-style keshomawashi out of canvas for our members who are interested.  
Part of our object in doing so is to honor the Issei and Nisei sumotori - some of whom we have met - from whom we 
draw our spiritual heritage as California sumotori.

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"Grand Sumo:  The Living Sport and Tradition"


By Lora Sharnoff:  published by  Weatherhill




Book Review by "Tonkatsu" for SUMO SHIMPO

Long-time readers of "Sumo World"will recognize Lora Sharnoff as a regular contributor to that publication.  Lora, 
who grew up in Los Angeles, has lived in Japan since 1973.  A student of Japanese literature, she only really discovered 
sumo while there as a Fulbright scholar.  How she got involved in sumo and became an expert on the subject, is just one 
of the many interesting parts of this book.

As the title indicates, this book is about "Grand Sumo," AKA "Ozumo" or professional sumo, and it covers the subject 
better than any other book this writer has read to date.

As the author says in her chapter on Present Sumotori, "One of the perils of writing a book on sumo is that some of the 
information will be outdated at the time of publication."  That is certainly the case here.  Originally published in 1989, 
the most recent edition is dated 1993.  All of the information on current sumotori at the time of publication is as of July 
1992.  Rather than being a turn-off, that made it more interesting to this writer because, that is the time period just before 
we started watching sumo.  Besides, as we like to say, a book is new until you've read it.

Like most books on sumo, this one covers the history of sumo, the stable system and all the supporting characters.  It 
just covers every subject in more detail.  Definitely an inside view.  Of particular interest are Chapter One, “Sumotori: 
Born or Bred” and Chapter Fourteen, “Organization of the Sumo Association and Heya”.  In the former, we get a look 
at how people got started in sumo, in some cases by pure chance, and what sports they came from.  Judo is no surprise, 
but would you believe swimmers?  In the case of the judoka, guess what argument persuaded some of them to try sumo?  
Guess who was a shot putter?  Also, in spite of the usual disclaimer about sumo not being related to Greco-Roman 
wrestling, several prominent sumotori of recent years came from that discipline.

As many readers may know, several current or recently retired sumotori are married to the daughters of prominent 
oyakata.  In Chapter Fourteen we learn that the daughters don't always go along with this.  Also, there can be more to 
taking over a heya than just having the elder stock.  The stock may get you the name but it doesn't necessarily get you 
the property if an oyakata's widow doesn't want to sell.  In reading this chapter, we got the feeling that there was pretty 
good material for a soap opera in some of the stories.  (Plenty of that inside Futagoyama Beya alone – “Y”)

This book simply has all kinds of small details you won't find anywhere else.  A must read for any serious sumo fan.

 



"Grand Sumo" is available in book stores, from the publisher and from Amazon.com, which is where we got ours.

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Photo Archives

	<<Anyone who has watched or participated in most Southern California Sumo Kyokai tournaments has seen referee Ernie Hunt in action.  Looking at him now, you would probably find it hard to believe he was both a rough, tough Navy chief and a rough, tough amateur sumotori.  But Mr. Hunt has generously provided photographs from his personal archives, which we are now privileged to present to you - the readers of SUMO SHIMPO.
>>Takasago Beya, date unknown.  Mr. Hunt locks up with one of the junior sumotori during morning keiko as Takamiyama-zeki (aka Jesse, now Azumazeki Oyakata) watches.  Mr. Hunt’s lifetime record against Takamiyama:  0 wins, 14 losses.
	<<The SSK Shipbuilding Company (Sasebo) sumo team, autumn 1966.  Mr. Hunt is (as if you couldn’t tell) the rikishi on the right end of the back row.
>>Hawaii Sumo exhibition, date unknown.  Mr. Hunt (in white mawashi) is head-to-head with John Jacques, then-president of the Oahu Sumo Kyokai and current Area 3 trustee for the United States Sumo Federation.
	<<Sumo competition, date unknown.  Mr. Hunt appears to be in deep trouble here!

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CALENDAR OF SUMO EVENTS (compiled by the SUMO SHIMPO staff)

December 14; Holiday Open Martial Arts and Sumo Tournament; Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, Lancaster

January 18, 2003; Goltz Sumo VI; Hughes Recreation Center, Claremont

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