Introduction to SUMO

[Fork]

bumping this thread back up for the heck of it.

the rankings for the next tournament will be released at the end of the month, and the next tournament will start november 13th.

new ozeki kotoshogiku in a boat parade in his hometown following his promotion:

 

[ChainFlow]

He got ozeki? Definitely deserved it after his performances recently. War Kotoshogiku!

I'll be visiting Japan in a couple years, and I'm looking forward to seeing a sumo basho even more than training shooto and at the Kodokan.

 

[joker26]

Thanks for this thread, it's full of informations.

Could you tell me if it's true that the word sumo come from the word salmon ?

 

[Fork]

He got ozeki? Definitely deserved it after his performances recently. War Kotoshogiku!

I'll be visiting Japan in a couple years, and I'm looking forward to seeing a sumo basho even more than training shooto and at the Kodokan.

yeah, two tournaments ago he almost had the required number of wins, but fell apart at the end of the tournament. but luckily last time he got it done.

and that's awesome man, i hope i'll be able to see sumo live sometime.

 

[Fork]

Thanks for this thread, it's full of informations.

Could you tell me if it's true that the word sumo come from the word salmon ?

lawlz, i doubt it, but i really don't know where the word "sumo" comes from. i've seen places say that it comes from the word sumai which seems to refer to some kind of wrestling form of combat, but if they're closely related i'm not sure which word comes from which.

 

[Aussido]

Thanks so much for your sumo contributions in this forum. I feel so cultured watching it. Seeing your tournament videos I have become fans of Hakuho (love his composure and form) and Kotoshogiku (this guy generates ABSURD pushing power). Look forward to what sumo brings

 

[Lasse]

Great thread, really great. You should keep it updated if you have the time. Awesome read.

 

[Fork]

Thanks so much for your sumo contributions in this forum. I feel so cultured watching it. Seeing your tournament videos I have become fans of Hakuho (love his composure and form) and Kotoshogiku (this guy generates ABSURD pushing power). Look forward to what sumo brings

always great to hear, and thanks for participating in the sumo threads.

and yeah, hakuho is a great model for what a yokozuna should be, with his poise and technique. as i said in one of the sumo threads, i absolutely preferred asashoryu over hakuho, but there's no question who the better yokozuna was.

and kotoshogiku's gabburi-yori is a great example of how much power and explosiveness he has. i really hope he doesn't have a disappointing first tournament as ozeki (like harumafuji), and even if he does i hope it doesn't become a trend.

 

[Fork]

Great thread, really great. You should keep it updated if you have the time. Awesome read.

thanks, glad you enjoyed it. i'll try to keep it updated, and maybe this thread could be used to talk about sumo news and other stuff between tournaments.

 

[joker26]

lawlz, i doubt it, but i really don't know where the word "sumo" comes from. i've seen places say that it comes from the word sumai which seems to refer to some kind of wrestling form of combat, but if they're closely related i'm not sure which word comes from which.

I trust you, you're the expert

 

[DonkeyKong]

Great thread! Watching the videos now.

kotoshoogiku making ozeki is not only fair but also a good thing for the japanese people: to see a japanese at ozeki. the guy has so much power he pretty much bullies others, it`s great to see

 

[Fork]

I trust you, you're the expert

hahaha thanks, i still have a lot to learn though.

Great thread! Watching the videos now.

yeah, i'm always on the lookout for new sumo documentaries/videos/etc.... it looks like the sumo episode of "samurai spirit" hosted by nicholas pettas isn't online anymore, but luckily i downloaded it a while ago. i wish i had done the same with the documentary on kyokushuzan called "mongolian eagle" though.

i just found a video on kotoshogiku's last tournament that follows him around that i'll try to put on youtube.

kotoshoogiku making ozeki is not only fair but also a good thing for the japanese people: to see a japanese at ozeki. the guy has so much power he pretty much bullies others, it`s great to see

yeah, it's great to see him being able to use that power against the top guys. and it seems like kisenosato is also knocking at the ozeki door.

 

[Fork]

bumping this thread back up with sumo's most recent scandal:

Sumo stablemaster Kasugano reprimanded for beating wrestlers - The Mainichi Daily News

http://www.:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:nsports.com/sports/sumo/news/img/f-sp111019kaugano-ns-big.jpg​

kasugano oyakata (stablemaster) beat three of his students with a golf club. most sumo wrestlers are expected to live in their stable, but can live in their own home outside the stable when they get married, and apparently three of the wrestlers who train and live at the kasugano stable stayed out late past their curfew. additionally, while in public the wrestlers were wearing western clothes instead of the required kimono.

presumably the three wrestlers were out celebrating top-division wrestler, georgian Tochinoshin'shttp://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi...1&b=-1&high=-1&hd=-1&entry=-1&intai=-1&sort=1 birthday, who is the stable's highest ranked wrestler, and hasn't been allowed to train after his transgression.

of course, kasugano oyakata apologized for going too far in disciplining his deshi, who have also apologized for breaking the rules.

 

[Drew Foster]

Crazy. I just watched Freakonomics last night and they had a big section on corruption is Sumo.

For example, there are these 15 day tournaments where the Rikishi wrestle once a day. I guess they said once you get to 8 wins you move up half a rank no matter if you lose your next match or not. They said a 8:6 wrestler will lose to a 7:7 wrestler 75% of the time instead of 50%, which is big statistically. Then whenever those 2 Rikishi wrestle the next time, the one that lost will win 75-90% of the time on the next go around.

2 whistleblowers died weeks before an inquiry in the same hospital, on the same day, of the same illness, and their deaths weren't investigated.

Crazy stuff.

 

[Fork]

Crazy. I just watched Freakonomics last night and they had a big section on corruption is Sumo.

For example, there are these 15 day tournaments where the Rikishi wrestle once a day. I guess they said once you get to 8 wins you move up half a rank no matter if you lose your next match or not. They said a 8:6 wrestler will lose to a 7:7 wrestler 75% of the time instead of 50%, which is big statistically. Then whenever those 2 Rikishi wrestle the next time, the one that lost will win 75-90% of the time on the next go around.

yeah, the importance of promotion in sumo being based on performance in the tournaments, combined with kind of particularly japanese ideas of social duty, deference, and obligation i think does a lot to create an environment where match-fixing takes place. of course there's also money on the line, with promotions bringing higher pay, which i think is why a lot of people were more angry about the recent match-fixing scandal than they would have been otherwise. if the wrestlers are dropping a match to a senior, or as a favor that's one thing, but if they're being paid to do so it's something else.

however, i don't think it's very widespread, and there are a lot of factors that can lead to those kinds of statistics. i think many times you will see a wrestler, after getting his 8th win guaranteeing him a winning tournament, start to take it easy in his next matches while the guys who still have their promotion on the line are fighting their hearts out.

2 whistleblowers died weeks before an inquiry in the same hospital, on the same day, of the same illness, and their deaths weren't investigated.

it is suspicious, without question, but at the same time the doctor who was treating them both said that it was a coincidence and an autopsy was performed on one of the men.

 

[Fork]

makuuchi rankings for the november tournament:

guys making their top division in this tournament are (click their name for their record and info):

Tsurugidake


Aoiyama


Sadanofuji


Shohozan (formerly Matsutani)


Myogiryu

 

[joker26]

In one of the vids I think that one of the fighter is not japanese, is he the only "Gaijin" ?

 

[Fork]

In one of the vids I think that one of the fighter is not japanese, is he the only "Gaijin" ?

yeah, aoiyama is bulgarian.

and yeah i believe all the other guys making their debuts in the top division are japanese. plenty of other foreigners already in the top division though.

 

[Fork]

bumping back up.

the next tournament will be starting in a little over a week, so if anyone wants to try following sumo (full tv broadcasts, and individual match videos will be posted) now's a good time to start.

 

[Fork]

Latest news in the sumo world: Naruto Oyakata (stablemaster for the Naruto stable) died early this morning.

Competed as Takanosato, and became the 59th Yokozuna before retiring and founding the Naruto Stable in 1989. Unfortunately the timing of his death seems suspicious as Naruto Oyakata was involved in another scandal which surfaced only about a week or so ago regarding physical abuse at the stable. He reportedly beat one of his pupils with a wooden plank, another with a ladle or something like that, and injected one wrestler with insulin in order to make him gain weight.

Apparently Naruto Oyakata was feeling ill over the weekend and checked into a hospital on Sunday where he was treated for symptoms of asthma, but would eventually pass away of respiratory failure earlier today.







The three Naruto-Beya rikishi in the top division right now are Wakanosato (who may take over leadership of the stable), promising young wrestler Takayasu, and Kisenosato who will be making a run at a big promotion in the next tournament which starts in a week. The rikishi that was injected with insulin was fan favorite Takanoyama, the first Czech sumo wrestler, who has always had trouble putting on weight.