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New
Years Greetings
Editorial by “Tonkatsu”
2010 marks the
twenty second year of the Heisei era (the reign of Emperor Agihito.).
We hope it is a better year than 2009, especially for amateur sumo.
Last year was
bad for amateur sumo on both the international and national levels.
On the international level, the World Championships in Egypt were canceled
because of the swine flu scare. The United States team did poorly at
the World Games, I spite of having such a well qualified coach.
On the national
level, the nationals were held in Los Angeles for the fourth consecutive
year, under the same incompetent leadership as the previous year, with the
same sorry results. The annual membership meeting was the usual
circus, because we can't seem to find anyone for president who has a clue
as to how to conduct a meeting. For the third consecutive year, the
meeting ended with someone making an appeal for peace. As usual, the
appeal fell on deaf ears. This writer particularly appreciated the
vice-president’s typical display of his lack of class by giving us the
finger. This meeting lead to the breach between “Yukikaze” and
myself, as he has chosen to align himself with the other camp.
Then there were
the spurious charges filed against Andrew Freund, that resulted in a
kangaroo court illegally removing him from the board of trustees.
This matter is now in the hands of the New Jersey Superior Court.
Personally, we have spent over twelve years
trying to get the United States Sumo Federation to function like a proper
corporation. At this point in time, it strikes us that there is more
chance of peace in the middle east than there is of that happening.
How such a small organization can have such a high percentage of obtuse
people is beyond us. We are being killed by the “Big fish in the
little pond” syndrome. And make no mistake about it, the USSF has
got to be one the smallest, if not the smallest sports pond in this
country.
Grand
Sumo Update
As the old
saying goes, “East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall
meet.” Unless of course you are talking about yokozuna East and
West, who these days meet on the last day of a hon basho in Japan.
With currently only two yokozuna, the more prestigious East slot goes to
the one who won the last basho. Coming into Kyushu basho, that was
Asashoryu. For the first eleven days it looked like the yusho would
come down to the two yokozuna on senshuraku; but on day twelve, Asashryu
suffered the first of four straight losses to Harumafuji. Leaving
Hakuho to waltz to a zensho yusho, for his twelfth
The jun-yusho
was a tie between Tochinoshin and Miyabiyama, both 12-3. Asashoryu
finished 11-4. All of the Ozeki except Chiyotaikai ended up
kachi-koshi. In Taikai’s case, fourteen times kadoban proved to be
one time too many. He withdrew on day nine with only two wins. He
will enter Hatsu basho at sekiwakie west. He'll need ten wins to get
back to ozeki. Given his recent record, that would appear to be a
long shot.
In the last
issue, we incorrectly reported that ozeki Kaio had moved into second place
on the all time top division wins list. Actually, he achieved that
during Kyushu basho. His 8-7 record left him with 806 career wins,
one short of Chiyonofuji’s 807. Assuming that he does at least as
well as he has recently, he will move into the top spot during hatsu basho.
One thing’s for certain, he will end up as the greatest ozeki who never
made yokozuna. His place in grand sumo history would seem to be
secure.
In other
divisions: Tamawashi, E-1 11-4 took juryo, Gagamaru, E-10, 7-0 (Georgia)
took makushita, Aoki, E-29, 7-0 took sandanme, Okinoshita, W-59 7-0 took
jonidan, and Aoiyama, W-30 7-0 (Bulgaria) topped jonokuchi.
In the sansho
(special prizes) department, there was once again no shukun-sho
(outstanding) award because neither yokozuna gave up any kinboshi.
The kanto-sho ( fighting spirit) award went to E-K Baruto (Estonia) his
fourth . The gino-sho (technique) prize went to W-M-3 Kakuryu
(Mongolia) his fourth.
The banzuke for
hatsu basho has Hakuho back at yokozuna east and Asashoryu in the west
slot. The ozeki line up with Kotooshu one east and Harumafuji one
west, while Kotomitsuki and Kaio are two east and west respectively.
Baruto is sekiwake east and Chiyotaikai west. Kotoshogiku is
komasubi east, giving sadogatake beya three sanyaku. Kakuryu is
komosubi west. In the upper maegashira, Toyonoshima is one east and
Tochinoshin one west. Goeido and Miyabiyama are two east and west
respectively.
The hatsu banzuke marks the first time since the
2008 Kyushu basho that there were only four ozeki, and the first decrease
in ozeki’s since the 2007 Nagoya basho.
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to Sumo Shimpo home]
7th
Annual Sumo Event, Another Success for SRSA
By Kelly Gneiting
In pristine
Jackson Hole, with the Grand Tetons looming in the background of the local
High School, and Buffalo trotting the countryside, Snake River Sumo
Association put on it's 7th Annual event. It was on a November night, and
though town population was at it's lowest of the year, 500+ curious fans
came to support the Japanese National sport on display.
Ten athletes
dawned the Dohyo, with three being active members of Snake River Sumo
Association. "Our goal was to show those athletes who came from
out-of-town a complete experience." remarked Kelly Gneiting to local
newspapers. "And you guys made it possible!" Gneiting and Trent
Sabo were found strutting around chilly Jackson the morning before the
event in only a mawashi at the request of radio DJ's in a final-ditch
effort to 'bring-'em out'.
The 10 athletes
and entorauge were treated to a spectacle of sponsors, including meals,
massages, and beer. The after-party in an upper-room of the Snow King
resort was a sight to behold and came with pies, cookies, ice-cream, ten
large Pizza Hut pizza's, Bud Light, and fully set up massage tables, with
masseuses working non-stop into the night.
SRSA's
"Heart" award of the night went to James Brewster Thompson, who
also took third in the "Open only" competition, with medals
awarded out to 6 places. This is because James had performed his
jump-roping routine 2-days straight for Idaho Falls high schools. Then he
did a third performance the night of the event, a night in which a key
SRSA athlete couldn't make the competition, and two pods would have been
left with uneven numbers of competitors. James was planning on refereeing,
but those duties were transferred to Javonn Rushing, who did a wonderful
job.
The spectators
were treated to a nice mix of seasoned competition including that from
Rene Marte and Tom Zabel, who came the furthest to compete in the event
(New Jersey and Texas respectively).
Thank you all
for wonderful memories. Sumo, Japan's and God's National Sport!!!
1st Place,
Kelly Gneiting
2nd Place, Rene Marte
3rd Place, James Brewster Thompson
4th Place, Trent Sabo
5th Place, Americus Abesamis
6th Place, Tyler Olsen
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Sumo Shimpo home]
The
Yoshida Tsukasake and “Sumo Kojitsu Densho”
By Hiroshi Matsuzaki
When Emperor
Gotoba revived a court sumo ceremony in 1186, Mr. Iyetsugu Yoshida was
appointed as head of a family for sumo ceremonial occasions and was given
the title “Oitekakazr” to become Yoshida Oitekaze the first.
He was employed
by the Nijo family in Kyoto. Later, with permission from the Nijo,
he was invited by the Kumamoto clan’s Mr. Tsumatoshi Hosokawa and
settled in Kumamoto City on Kyushu island. At the same time, he was
given full authority over sumo, using the book “Sumo Kojitsu Densho.
The “Sumo
Kojitsu Densho” was succeeded by the Yoshida Tsukasake from Mr. Seirin
Shiga. It contained rules for samurai rikishi’s manners and
etiquette, establishment of the dohyo, bout techniques ass well as
ceremonial methods.
In November of
1789, the Yoshida Tsukasake clan officially awarded the first yokozuna
designations to Tanikaze Kajimosuke and Onagawa Kisaburo. Although
historically, Tanikaze and Onagawa are considered the fourth and fifth
yokozune respectively, they were the fist under the official licensing
system.
In 1791 and
1794, the the Yoshida Tsukasake clan presided over sumo tournaments that
were held by the eleventh shogun Tokugawa Iyenari as the highest ranking
referee, called “Tate-Gyogi.” Since then, the shogunate
authorized the the Yoshida Tsukasake clan to certify and designate the
positions of yokozuna and tate-gyoji.
After the Meiji
restoration (1866-1868) Mr. Yeshikado Yoshida ( Yoshida Oitekaze the 23rd)
dedicated his life to prevent the obliteration of sumo by the majority
opinion.
Until the 40th
yokozuna Azumafuji Kinichi, the Yoshida Tsukasake continued to exercise
their authority to designate and license. After the 41st yokozuna
Chiyonoyama Masanobu, the Nihon Sumo Kyokai took over all authority from
the Yoshida Tsukasake clan. However, the Yoshida Tsukasake clan
still appeared for the special yokozuna dohyo-irie until the 59th yokozuna
Takanosato Toshihide. These yokozuna dohyo-irie were held at the
special 13 shaku (3.94 cm. Diameter) dohyo of the Yoshida Tsukasake clan.
Since the 60th
yokozuna Futahaguro Koji, the Yoshida Tsukasake clan has disappeared from
from sight completely.
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