Sumo

[GeneChing]

Brodi Henderson

Victoria’s Brodi Henderson set to enter Japan’s elite sumo ranks
The 20-year-old native of Victoria, B.C., stands 6-feet 7-inches and weighs 360 pounds

By Jim Armstrong, The Associated Press Posted: Jul 10, 2015 7:28 AM PT Last Updated: Jul 10, 2015 7:28 AM PT

In this May 12, 2015 photo, Canadian sumo wrestler Brodi Henderson, whose ring name is Homarenishiki, left, fights against Kadokura during the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo arena in Tokyo. (Kyodo News/The Associated Press)

Canadian Brodi Henderson is set to make his debut as a ranked competitor at the elite levels of Japanese Sumo at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.

The 20-year-old native of Victoria, B.C., who stands six-feet seven-inches and weighs 360 pounds, is hoping his prowess in the remote world of U.S. amateur sumo wrestling will translate into a professional career in the heartland of Japan’s ancient sport.

Henderson, whose ring name is Homarenishiki, won the men’s openweight title at the U.S. Sumo Open last year. But winning in U.S. amateur sumo and succeeding in a sport steeped in ancient rituals and Japanese tradition are two completely different things.

There are no fist bumps, high-fives or body slams in Japanese sumo. Wrestlers humbly bow to their opponents and are expected to uphold the rigid customs of the ages-old sport. Life outside the ring is just as demanding.
Level-headed headstart

Earlier this year Henderson moved to Japan to begin training at the Nishikido Beya stable, and has competed in one tournament as an unranked fighter.

“Brodi is level-headed, diligent and friendly, which serves him well in Japan,” said John Gunning, a sumo analyst who has followed the sport for about 14 years.

“He has the ability to see the bigger picture, which is rare in young athletes, so I think he will be fine. He knows his own weaknesses and is working hard to overcome them.”

Henderson posted this photo on Facebook of a night out with the members of the Nishikido stable. (Brodik Henderson/Facebook)

Sumo wrestlers, known as “rikishi” live in communal training stables where all aspects of their daily lives from meals to what they wear are dictated by strict traditions.

Like all the younger wrestlers in the lower ranks, Henderson is required to perform a variety of menial tasks that include cleaning toilets and washing the clothes of senior wrestlers.

That may not be easy for someone who grew up playing American football, ice hockey and was active on social media up until now.

Because Henderson entered the sport at the lowest division of jonokuchi, the Internet is a no-no for now.

But Henderson has already earned a reputation as a self-promoter on instagram, and Facebook, raising questions in the Japanese media about how well he will fit into the sumo culture.
Unique customs

Many foreigners over the years have had trouble grappling with sumo’s unique customs.

“It’s not for everyone,” said Gunning. “The road to the top and lifestyle are much harder than people imagine. Usually, it’s the stuff outside the ring and how well foreign rikishi deal with it that determines their fate.”

Henderson smiles prior to a sumo tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo arena in Tokyo. (Kyodo News/The Associated Press)

Many sumo purists say foreign wrestlers lack the culture and manners — often described as “hinkaku”, or dignity — to reach the higher ranks.

Mongolian Asashoryu reached the highest rank of yokozuna. But his boisterous behavior outside the ring derailed his career. He was eventually forced out of sumo after being involved in several incidents, including in a late-night brawl in Tokyo’s Roppongi district.

Hawaiian Akebono also reached the highest rank of yokozuna and was able to adjust to life in Japan. Gunning says Akebono serves as a good role model for Henderson.

“If he can develop a style similar to former yokozuna Akebono I think his chances of a long and healthy career increase exponentially,” Gunning said.
North American predecessors

As the only North American in sumo, the spotlight will be on Henderson, who isn’t the first Canadian to try his hand at sumo.

In 1985, John Tenta, also a native of British Columbia, fought under the ring name Kototenzan. He got off to stellar 21-0 start but had trouble adapting to life in Japan and retired in 1986.

Brodi Henderson at practice in Japan. (Photo: John Gunning)

His abrupt departure did not go over well with sumo’s hierarchy.

Henry Armstrong Miller, the son of an African-American father and Japanese mother, fared better than Tenta. He reached the second-highest juryo division in a career that went from 1988 to 2003.

Miller, who grew up in St. Louis, fought under the ring name Sentoryu, and compiled a career record of 403 wins, 303 losses and 99 draws.

He notched some impressive wins over some of the sport’s biggest names in his long career but was forced to retire in 2003 after a series of injuries.

History has proven that brute force does not always guarantee success in sumo, a sport which has over 82 winning techniques known as “kimarite.” There have been many smaller wrestlers over the years to rise up the ranks.

Brodi Henderson practices his opening sumo move in his backyard in Victoria, B.C. (Photo: Lee Henderson)

Sumo is now dominated by Mongolians who have a much easier time adapting, having grown up with the country’s traditional form of wrestling or “bokh” which is a revered national sport.

Still, Henderson has displayed the right attitude so far, doing everything he can to learn the customs and fit in. No small task for a six-foot-seven Canadian in Japan.

Go Brodi! Hope he does well.

[GeneChing]

EZ DO DANCE Ver.

//youtu.be/aWaWZ9sjHGY

Apparently this is from a new show called Dosu Koi Musical or Sumo Road in English. I…um…well, I got nothing more. :o

[GeneChing]

U.S. Sumo Open

There are some nice photos if you follow the link.

SUMO/ U.S. Open slowly grows into event of ‘huge’ proportions
September 27, 2015
By RYUSEI TAKEDA/ Staff Writer

The U.S. Sumo Open has always been Andrew Freund’s baby, and in the 15 years since its inception, has bulked up into a major competition with thousands of spectators and wrestlers from around the world.

When Freund, 44, decided to hold the championship, he did much of the preliminary work himself, seeking out companies and individuals to serve as sponsors. He also looked for prominent locations to display posters for the event.

He poured almost all his savings into the U.S. Sumo Open and even hocked his car.

The first event was held in August 2001 at the UCLA John Wooden Center in Los Angeles. There were 25 participants and about 900 spectators.

The inaugural event had one memorable guest–Konishiki, the popular retired sumo wrestler from Hawaii, who rose to the second-highest ozeki rank among the professionals in Japan.

For a brief stretch about 15 to 20 years ago, sumo wrestlers from Hawaii were among those at the highest ranks of sumo, including yokozuna Akebono and Musashimaru. Now, sumo wrestlers from Mongolia make up the largest contingent of foreigners.

Fast forward 15 years and the U.S. Sumo Open has grown into a major event broadcast over a U.S. TV network. In 2014, 57 participants, male and female, from nine nations battled it out in four weight divisions at California State University, Long Beach. About 3,500 people turned out to watch the smacking of bodies into one another and the throwing of wrestlers out of the ring.

Freund believes sumo suits the American attraction for such contact sports as boxing and mixed martial arts. The rules of sumo are also so simple that anyone can understand who wins after only about five minutes of watching, Freund said. Wrestlers win by pushing their opponent out of the circle that makes up the dohyo or throwing them onto the dirt surface. Most matches are over within seconds.

Freund said such factors avoid boring American spectators, who tend to lose interest quickly.

Freund himself became interested in sumo about 25 years ago when he lived in Japan for a year as an English teacher. He thought watching a sumo tournament would help him better understand Japanese culture.

Not knowing when the top makuuchi division wrestlers competed in the tournament, held at Tokyo’s Kokugikan, Freund arrived early in the morning when the lowest jonokuchi and jonidan division wrestlers faced off. Looking at the young, and comparatively slender, aspirants who made up those divisions, Freund felt even he could beat some of them.

Seven years later, Freund had an opportunity to put on the sumo mawashi (belt) in the United States. At an event introducing various Japanese martial arts, Freund was called up to the dohyo and took on his friend, who weighed more than 100 kilograms. At that time, Freund weighed 63 kg. Although he lost more bouts than he won, Freund was hooked.

He said he found sumo to be an interesting challenge because it involved more than just physical strength.

The following year, Freund started a sumo club at UCLA where he taught. He learned sumo terminology and winning techniques through books and TV programs. He also practiced with a Bulgarian who at one time won the lightweight division in the world amateur sumo championship.

The club expanded to more than 20 members after a few years. That was when Freund decided to hold the U.S. Sumo Open to spread further awareness of the sport as well as to give his club members a competition to work toward.

Freund still manages a club that holds practices in the suburbs of Los Angeles. The participants wear shorts under the mawashi (sumo belt). A simple mat ring is spread out on a gym floor with the dohyo boundary pinned down with a fastener.

The practice involves ceremonial techniques used in sumo in Japan, such as raising one leg sideways high into the air before stomping it down onto the mat.

The lone female participant at a recent practice, Jenelle Hamilton, 34, said concentration and effort made it possible for her to defeat even much larger opponents. Not only did she repeat as champion in the women’s lightweight division in this year’s open held in August, but Hamilton also won the women’s openweight division.

Another individual who has helped raise the popularity of sumo in the United States is Byambajav Ulambayar, 30, who is originally from Mongolia.

He once was a member of the Shibatayama stable in Japan and rose to the third-highest maku****a division after about five years. However, after injuring his right knee, he decided he wanted to experience other worlds and quit sumo.

He did make a name for himself in amateur sumo and won the heavyweight division in 2006 and 2007 in the world amateur sumo championship.

He now fights under the name Byamba and has even appeared in TV commercials. Although he won the heavyweight division in the U.S. Sumo Open for eight consecutive years until 2014, his streak was stopped in this year’s tournament.

Byamba learned the fundamentals of sumo while occasionally training with Mongolian Harumafuji when he was just starting out. Harumafuji is now a yokozuna.

In spring 2014, Byamba joined with Freund for an intensive three-day training session in the United States. More than 20 people showed up, wanting to learn directly from one of the best.

Byamba said there are many wrestlers in the United States who are much larger than he is, but they tend to only rely on their strength and do not have the lower body strength that gives sumo wrestlers the impression of being heavier than they look.

Freund has taken his show on the road to explain sumo to beginners. With Byamba demonstrating the moves used in bouts, the American audience learns the finer details of sumo while also enjoying a Japanese meal. Participants can ask any questions about sumo, and some are even allowed to participate in a bout.

The show has been held in about 10 cities around the United States, including New York and Atlanta. Some have attracted capacity crowds.

Freund is striving to change the stereotype held by many Americans about sumo wrestlers. That comical stereotyped view of sumo wrestlers is of overweight men wearing what appear to be diapers.

Freund feels that sumo is a sport involving athletes with the grace and power of Olympic competitors.

He said he wanted to continue the U.S. Sumo Open for as long as he could as well as spread the attraction of sumo throughout the United States.

[GeneChing]

nekodamashi

deceiving cat - great move.

The deceiving cat: Sumo wrestler wins match using “cute” technique, but some are not happyVideo
Preston Phro 2 days ago

A sumo wrestler has drawn ire after using the adorably named nekodamashi, or nekodamashi technique to win a match.

Sumo has quite the history in addition to its cultural significance, so it’s hardly surprising that some people in Japan especially have strong opinions about it. Like any sport, there are written rules and then there are unwritten rules, so a wrestler can win using a totally legal move and still **** off plenty of people.

Wrestler Sho Hakuho provided an excellent example of that earlier this month when he won a bout after using the adorably named technique nekodamashi or “deceiving cat” twice in one match.

As unusual as the name may seem, it’s actually quite appropriate when you consider what’s involved. The move basically consists of raising one’s hands and clapping in the opponent’s face, usually at the very start of a match, to distract and throw them off-balance. It’s a risky move to attempt—if the opponent isn’t distracted, the nekodamashi-user will be relatively defenseless—but it’s also considered kind of a cheap trick since, as its name implies, it’s basically a way of tricking your way to victory. Hakuho, a native of Mongoloia, is a yokozuna, the highest sumo ranking, and a record-setting wrestler, so some have called his use of the technique inappropriate.

You can see the bout and slow-motion replay below. In the blink of an eye, Hakuho claps his hands in his opponent’s face and sidesteps him before he even realizes what has happened.

//youtu.be/vtD9PfQl9Mc

Hideshige Moriya, the chairperson of the Yokozuna Promotion Committee was quoted as saying, “There are some who say there’s nothing to be done if he was really just wanted to win, but for the majority of people, it’s a matter of it not being appropriate for a yokozuna.” Toshimitsu Obata, who was a yokozuna himself and chairperson of the Japan Sumo Association before passing away suddenly on November 20, concurred that nekodamashi is a technique ill-befitting a wrestler of Hakuho’s rank.

Of course, not everyone agrees with the criticism, and we at RocketNews24 thought it was actually cool to see the technique used in a tournament, since it isn’t broken out so often. Plus, considering how much of a gamble it is to use nekodamashi, and that it is a perfectly legal move, we have a hard time understanding the criticism. Of course, we can see how it wouldn’t be very fun to be on the receiving end, especially since Hakuho used it twice in the same bout, but we were still entertained nevertheless!

[GeneChing]

-seven sumo-

//youtu.be/bG7hnpAeja0

[GeneChing]

Kotoshogiku wins!

I didn’t realize that Sumo had been dominated by non-Japanese for so long. That puts it way ahead of Modern Wushu.

Japanese End Drought in Sumo Wrestling, Their National Sport
By VICTOR MATHERJAN. 26, 2016

Kotoshogiku, right, during a sumo wrestling bout against Goeido on Sunday. Kotoshogiku’s victory in the top-tier tournament was the first for a Japanese wrestler in 10 years. Credit Jiji Press/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

In Tokyo on Sunday, the sumo wrestler Kotoshogiku won the first of the year’s six top-level tournaments. The result was big news because of his nationality: Japanese.

Since the 1990s, foreigners have dominated the top level of sumo, Japan’s national sport. Although there are six two-week top-tier tournaments, or honbasho, every year, Kotoshogiku’s victory was the first for a Japanese wrestler in 10 years. Over the past decade, tournaments have been won by several Mongolians, and also by a Bulgarian and an Estonian, creating an identity crisis among fans and officials of the sport, which has roots more than a millennium old.

Sumo, which seems to embody Japanese tradition, got its first foreign-born champion in 1972 when Jesse Kuhaulua, a Hawaiian known by the sumo name Takamiyama, won a tournament in Nagoya.

The first true foreign-born superstar was Chad Rowan, a Hawaiian known as Akebono. Rowan, a 6-foot-8, 450-pounder, was the first foreigner to be named yokozuna, the sport’s highest rank. Yokozuna cannot be demoted, and only a handful of wrestlers hold the title at the same time. Being appointed one by the sport’s council of elders is considered a high honor.

Chad Rowan, right, a Hawaiian known as Akebono, fights against Konishiki, left, in 1993. Rowan was considered the first true foreign-born superstar of sumo wrestling. Credit Mike Nelson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Akebono’s rivalry with the Japanese brothers Takanohana and Wakanohana, two other yokozuna, energized the sport in the 1990s. But when a wave of stars from Mongolia — which has its own rich wrestling tradition — entered the sport around the turn of the millennium, few Japanese could challenge them.

The first great Mongolian, Asashoryu, won 25 top-level tournaments, but ruffled feathers in Japan for behavior seen as not in keeping with sumo tradition. Celebrating excessively (or, indeed, at all), as Asashoryu did, is considered a violation of the sport’s strict decorum.

Despite this code, the sport has recently had its share of scandals, including allegations of match-fixing.

The current Michael Jordan of sumo is Hakuho, a Mongolian who has won 35 tournaments over the past 10 years, breaking the record set by the great Japanese wrestler Taiho in the 1960s.

A honbasho consists of 15 matches, and both Hakuho and Kotoshogiku were 10-0 going into their 11th bouts on Jan. 20. After a ritual purification of the ring with salt, the much-anticipated match, like most sumo bouts, was over in seconds. Kotoshogiku seized the initiative, pushing Hakuho back and out of the ring.

Kotoshogiku finished the tournament 14-1 to win the title, while Hakuho wound up 12-3 and tied for second with another Mongolian star, Harumafuji.

The rising popularity of other sports with the younger generation, which sees sumo as old-fashioned, has been blamed for the dearth of Japanese sumo stars. Soccer has grown in popularity, while television ratings for baseball and sumo have slumped.

The drought is reminiscent of those at other important national events like the Tour de France (which has not had a French winner since 1985) and Wimbledon (which has not had a British women’s winner since 1977, and has had just one British men’s winner since 1936).

Did Kotoshogiku’s victory represent a passing of the torch to a new generation of Japanese stars? Perhaps not. Kotoshogiku celebrated his first top-level win Sunday at age 31, while Hakuho, with his 34 wins, is still only 30.

There are five more tournaments this year, and a nation of sumo fans will be hoping Kotoshogiku is not a one-hit wonder.

Ken Belson contributed reporting.

[GeneChing]

Sumo news can be really odd.

This 2016 election is even odder.

We Talked to the Former Sumo Wrestler Who Joined the Oregon Militia Occupation
Written by JORDAN PEARSON STAFF WRITER (CANADA)
February 1, 2016 // 01:09 PM EST

GIF: YouTube

A small group of armed ranchers—”militiamen” to some, and “terrorists” to others—have been holed up at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon for the better part of a month, turning the preserve into a destination for fellow travellers like some kind of anti-government update to the Summer of Love.

One of those freedom-minded visitors was Kelly Gneiting, a former US champion sumo wrestler and former chairman of the far-right Independent American Party who goes by “The Man of Fat Steel.” He also set the Guinness world record in 2011 for being the heaviest man to complete a marathon. Gneiting left his home in New Mexico to visit Malheur two weeks ago and created one of the strangest videos to come from an occupation that’s well on its way to counting them as its trademark.

Remember the video of occupation leader John Ritzheimer flipping out over all the *****s people have been mailing them? The Guardian called it part of a “bizarre PR tactic,” but t’s got nothing on Gneiting’s contribution to the canon.

[QUOTE]“It showed that we’re regular people and we like to have fun—we just don’t like government tyranny”

In a YouTube video that was picked up by Gawker and other sites, Gneiting pretends to be presidential hopeful Governor Chris Christie’s older brother and challenges the politician to a sumo match. He stands outside in the mud and the grass, wearing the sumo’s mawashi, and thunders, “I want to see who the real sissy is.”

Beyond the video’s novelty value, I wondered if Gneiting had some insight into what the mood at Malheur was like in the days leading up to the killing of leader Robert LaVoy Finicum by authorities, and why anyone thought this was a good idea. I also wondered what the method to the viral internet madness at Malheur was, or if there was any to begin with. Are the baffling videos coming out of Malheur occupation content, or the ill-advised postings of internet amateurs?

I called him up and asked.

//youtu.be/N8TTWujUGsU

Motherboard: How did you get to the preserve, and what was it like?

Kelly Gneiting: I took a flight from Las Vegas to Boise and hooked up with my Independent American Party friend. We went and visited the refuge, and arrived on Monday night, the 18th. We immediately went in, saw Ammon Bundy, also Shawna Cox, and all of the main leadership that are now in custody. We just said “Hi” and went over to where the bulk of the people were staying to help out and have breakfast or do whatever they wanted us to do. The next day, all day, we were there. We helped them talk to a lot of people, and we had a big sign that said “rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God.” All we did was bring the sign, we were going to paint it to preserve it, and drill it into the back of a big piece of wood.

We also saw a lecture from KrisAnne Hall—she’s on the Independent American Party website—she’s an attorney, a radio host, and really good. Coming back from Burns [a town near the preserve] to the occupation, we brought some supplies in our truck and dumped them where the supplies were going. We woke up the next day, and that’s when we did the sumo video. And then shortly after that we left.

What’s the story behind the Chris Christie call out video?

My friend, my Independent American Party friend again, he’s like, hey, we in the Independent American Party want peaceful solutions, but when you petition your representative a million times and then nothing happens… When something like this happens, you get a little bit excited, like, wow, you’re doing more than petitioning the government now.

He said, hey, you look a lot like Chris Christie. This wasn’t even my idea. It was his. He said, you look a lot like Chris Christie, you should go there and do a little skit, and kind of described it. He told me that on Saturday, a couple of days before I arrived at Boise, so I had just been pondering that the whole time, like, wow, that would be really cool. It would show that we’re just jokesters, and who wants to attack jokesters?

Basically, it worked, in my opinion. It showed that we’re regular people and we like to have fun—we just don’t like government tyranny.

And this was a media person from the Independent American Party?

This was a media person from Emmett, Idaho, who just happened to be there. He just happened to be there, and he said hey, can you come take a video? I had never met him before.

“We want to stand strong, and we want to stand with many people. And when that happens, then I believe there will be blood”

In an email you said you wanted to bring a little light-heartedness to the situation in Oregon, but many might say that the occupation is anything but a joke, especially since Robert LaVoy Finicum’s death. Did anybody say to you that this might not be a good idea? Did the occupiers sign off on it?

No, they didn’t sign off on it. This was before LaVoy’s death, and I’m going to his funeral this Friday. It’s very, very serious to me, too. There’s probably occupiers who wouldn’t like that, but I was there, and there were a few people standing there who watched the whole thing. They weren’t the leadership or anything, but they saw it, and we just closed shop and left. We went back to the occupation, did a few things, and we were just doing our own thing. Some people probably wouldn’t like it, but the people there thought it was funny.

Can you tell me how the occupiers feel about videos like yours and the infamous ***** unboxing video as being some of the most shared and arguably memorable things about the occupation?

That’s a good question. I don’t know. We did the sumo video, and the military people, the people who were there that were occupying, there were four or five people there. They thought it was funny, and then we just left. There was someone who didn’t like it that came up at the end and said, “Hey, you guys need to check with Ammon and we want the best light on us as possible.”

But when you’re opening a box of *****s, having a few cracks and telling people you’re going to sell them on eBay, I don’t think that’s appropriate. I thought what I did was really funny and appropriate, but I guess everyone has their own sense of humor.

Did you get the sense that there was any sort of viral media strategy at play among the occupiers?
No, I just got the sense that these guys were honest, and some of them wanted to be, I don’t know, in my opinion, a little bit too far. Some of them didn’t approach the situation correctly. But by and large, the people that I was there, I identified with. They were handing out free Bibles, little mini Bibles, they were having prayer, and they were the kind of people that I would identify with.

Will you go back to the preserve?

I don’t know. I don’t know what the future has. There’s still people occupying the preserve there. But I’m going to do what I know in my heart is the right thing. There’s a lesson to be learned from the Bible, where Jesus says to agree with your adversary or else you’ll be in jail. You can’t do anything for the freedom battle when you’re in jail, is basically what it’s saying. You don’t come out of jail until you pay the uttermost ****hing, and while you’re in jail you can’t pay anything.

I want to handle this in the right way: with love for my fellow man, but with a strong presence. We’re not going to take their tyranny, but we also don’t want to end up in jail. It’s like advice a dad would give his son: if something isn’t right, stand up.

Let me read a quote that you sent me in an email: "I say to you that the price of liberty is and always has been blood, human blood, and if our liberties are lost, we shall never regain them except at the price of blood. They must not be lost.” But you prefer a non-violent solution?
No, I believe that quote. We’ve seen it last week. It’s just that, there’s a way to go about doing it—there’s a petitioning, and there’s an asking, and then there’s a warning. I think it’s appropriate to warn—you’d better stop, in the name of almighty God, you’d better stop. Because God wants us to be free.

Do we want to just go in and start killing people? No, because that’s bloodshed. But we want to stand in defense of life, liberty, and property. And we want to stand strong, and we want to stand with many people. And when that happens, then I believe there will be blood.[/QUOTE]

[GeneChing]

Not greedy enough

What interests me is that Japan creates martial sports that they do not dominate - Judo/Jujistu, Karate, and Sumo - where Korea still dominates Taekwondo and China still dominates Wushu.

‘Greed’ the key to lost mojo, says Japan sumo champion
By AFP Published: February 16, 2016

Ozeki-ranked, or champion, sumo wrestler Kotoshogiku (R) is escorted to his seat – two chairs stuck together with packing tape – as he arrives to attend a press conference in Tokyo on February 16, 2016. PHOTO: AFP

TOKYO: Japan’s giant sumo wrestlers lack the mean streak needed to repel the flood of foreigners who have dominated the roly-poly sport in recent years, according to the country’s first home-grown champion in a decade.

Kotoshogiku, who last month ended an excruciating wait for a Japanese-born winner, said on Tuesday it was no accident that Mongolians had taken over Japan’s ancient sport over the past decade and a half.

“All the Japanese wrestlers want to win championships,” the 32-year-old told a news conference.

“We eat the same meat and vegetables as them,” he added. “But sumo is about winning. Maybe we Japanese are too set in our ways, maybe we lack the greed to win at all costs.”

Japan accepts 27 refugees last year, rejects 99%: govt

The foreign invasion began in earnest with Hawaiian behemoth Konishiki, who was nicknamed the ‘Dump Truck’ and tipped the scales at a whopping 285 kilogrammes, and other hulking Pacific islanders in the 1990s.

But the subsequent rise of the Mongolians, led by the brilliant but temperamental Asashoryu and latterly by Hakuho, who has racked up a record 35 Emperor’s Cup victories since 2006, has tormented sumo traditionalists in the absence of a serious Japanese challenge.

“We can learn from them,” insisted Kotoshogiku, wearing a grey kimono and perched precariously on two chairs hastily bound together with sticky tape.

“Hakuho has so many weapons, like his fleetness of foot and how he puts you off balance. For many Japanese wrestlers, sumo is a test of strength and we charge head first.

“There are things we could definitely learn from,” he added. “Like the angle of attack, coming in from lower down. You can understand why (Mongolian wrestlers) are so strong.”

Japan has been without a home-grown yokozuna, or grand champion, since Takanohana retired in 2003 while three Mongolians currently occupy sumo’s elite rank, with Harumafuji having won seven titles and Kakuryu two.

But Kotoshogiku, who stands 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 metres) and weighs a meaty 180 kilos, beat all three in January and believes his victory, though unexpected, was no flash in the pan.

“I’ve cried my eyes out in front of my mum and dad,” said the Fukuoka native, who currently holds the second-highest rank of ozeki.

“But I’ve never once thought of quitting sumo,” he added. “I’m calm about the future, I want to win more championships.”

Many inside the cloistered world of sumo, which historians agree dates back some 2,000 years, will hope Kotoshogiku’s emergence ushers in a new era after years of damaging scandals, including allegations of gambling and drug abuse, bout-fixing and underworld links.

One of the most immediate results of Kotoshogiku’s new-found fame is being constantly asked to squeeze toddlers for good luck, like a benevolent deity.

“I get a lot of mothers asking me to cuddle their children to protect them from colds or whatever,” he said, smiling.

“And pregnant woman ask me to rub their bellies for a safe child birth. Their interest in me reminds me that I have done something very special.”

[GeneChing]

×|| &#1242

//youtu.be/topVkP8WBb4

[GeneChing]

1000 wins for Hakuho?

That’s totally badass.

Sumo: Hakuho eyeing 1,000-win milestone at Nagoya basho

27 June 2016 07:31 SPORTS

Mongolian grand champion Hakuho will be looking to become only the third wrestler in sumo history to post 1,000 career wins when the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament gets under way next month.

Hakuho, who retained his east yokozuna slot as the Japan Sumo Association on Monday released the rankings for the July 10-24 meet at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, is the favorite to take the title after winning the Summer meet in May with a perfect 15-0 record.

Sumo’s most successful wrestler with 37 Emperor’s Cups, Hakuho needs 13 wins to reach the 1,000 milestone, while seven victories will see the 31-year-old from Ulan Bator become the first to post 900 in sumo’s elite makuuchi division.

Hakuho clinched his second straight championship at the Summer basho and heads into the Nagoya meet on a 29-match unbeaten streak, having not lost since the opening day of the Spring tourney in March.

Yokozuna Kakuryu is on the west side, while the other Mongolian grand champion Harumafuji is on the east.

At ozeki, Kisenosato, who has posted 13-2 records in the last two tournaments, will be gunning for promotion to yokozuna but will likely need to win an elusive first title to be considered for a move up to sumo’s top rank.

Mongolian giant Terunofuji, who has been hampered by problems in both knees, will be fighting with his rank on the line as a kadoban ozeki in Nagoya. He started with two wins at the summer meet before losing 13 straight.

Brazilian grappler Kaisei and Georgian born Tochinoshin will both be wrestling at sumo’s third-highest rank of sekiwake for the first time.

Kitaharima is the only makuuchi-division newcomer, while Chiyonokuni, Toyohibiki, Kagayaki, Sadanofuji and Arawashi all return to the top flight.

==Kyodo

[GeneChing]

| The best shot challenge | Flying SUMO Wrestler

//youtu.be/Xx17odNhDec

[GeneChing]

Sumo & Taiko game

Pro sumo wrestler walks into Japanese arcade, shows off amazing rhythm game drum skillsVideo
Casey Baseel 5 hours ago

You wont want to take this guy on in the ring or at the arcade.

In sumo wrestling, tradition and pageantry are given as much importance as the bouts themselves. After all, its a sport with a history that stretches back hundreds of years, having not only deep cultural roots, but religious ones as well.

But while sumo wrestling itself may be centuries-old, sumo wrestlers are predominantly young men. As such, theyre not immune to the appeal of modern hobbies. Take, for example, this video shared by professional sumo wrestler Masakatsu Ishiura of 18-year-old Shou Tanikawayama, a younger sumo wrestler attached to the same training stable as Ishihura and apparently a master of arcade game Taiko no Tatsujin (also known as Taiko: Drum Master).

[QUOTE] Follow
[URL=“https://twitter.com/ghetto_stone/status/753609299713138693”]
@ghetto_stone
a.k.a drum killa

RETWEETS 16,942
LIKES 13,047
AzureFenixTimEFANN.JPNtotetu
8:17 AM - 14 Jul 2016

In case youve never had the opportunity to play an installment in the long-running franchise from Bandai Namco, Taiko no Tatsujin is a musical rhythm game using a model of a taiko, or traditional Japanese drum. Giving the instrument involved, Taiko no Tatsujins gameplay is closer to the real deal than what you get with the simplified musical instrument of Guitar Hero or DJ simulator Beatmanias mockup turntable.

Nevertheless, the 135.6-kilogram (298.3-pound) Tanikawayama fearlessly choses to play the games Yawaraka Sensha on the hardest difficulty, Oni (Demon) Level. Showing off the surprising quickness and coordination that belies sumo wrestlers large bodies, he pounds and pounds at the drums, and while his performance isnt perfect, its close enough to make us think if Tanikawayamas sumo career doesnt pan out, he just might have a future as a drummer instead.

Source: IT Media
Top image: Twitter/@ghetto_stone[/QUOTE]

Taiko no Tatsujin is a cool looking game. Better than Guitar Hero. You gotta follow the twitter link above to see it.

[GeneChing]

Major bummer

This was last weekend and I totally missed it.

[URL=“http://sfjapantown.org/events/sumo-champions-exhibition/”]Sumo Champions Exhibition

The Japan Center Malls and the Japantown Merchants Association invite you to join us for the 5th Annual Sumo Champions Exhibition in the Japantown Peace Plaza. Sumo is an ancient Japanese tradition and martial art and we’re bringing it to San Francisco for FREE. Join us (and bring the family) to meet real Sumo Wrestlers, learn about life as a Sumo, and watch live matches.

The matches will feature the following wrestlers:

Byamba, 6’1”, 370 lbs, 4-time World Sumo Champion

Yama, 6’4”, 600 lbs, 2-time World Sumo Champion. Heaviest Japanese human

being in History!

Roy, 6’5”, 380 lbs, 2-time US Sumo Champion

Ramy, 6’3”, 500 lbs. African Sumo Champion

The Japan Center Malls and the adjacent blocks of Japantown are home to scores of unique shops and restaurants that provide a wonderful opportunity for visitors and locals alike to explore and experience the customs and culture of Japan right in the heart of San Francisco. This event is FREE and is made possible with support from The Japan Center Malls and the Japantown Merchants Association.

Saturday, September 10

5:00 PM: Meet and Greet (No Matches)

Sunday, September 11

12:00 PM, 2:00 PM & 4:00 PM: Live Matches

Location: Japantown Peace Plaza, Post and Buchanan Streets

Free and open to the public

[GeneChing]

Our latest sweepstakes!

Enter to win KungFuMagazine.com’s contest for Sumo for Mixed Martial Arts Autographed by author Andrew Zerling! Contest ends 5:30 p.m. PST on 1/19/2017.

[GeneChing]

Our winners are announced!

See our WINNERS: Sumo for Mixed Martial Arts Autographed by Andrew Zerling thread.

[GeneChing]

72nd Yokozuna named!

Congratulations to Kisenosato!

Sumo: Kisenosato formally promoted as sumo’s 72nd yokozuna
January 25, 2017 (Mainichi Japan)

Kisenosato, left, is seen during a ceremony crowning him the top sumo rank of yokozuna, in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on Jan. 25, 2017. (Mainichi)
TOKYO (Kyodo) – Kisenosato officially became the 72nd grand champion in sumo history on Wednesday after the Japan Sumo Association finalized his promotion at its executive committee meeting.

JSA executives rubber-stamped the promotion of the 30-year-old Kisenosato based on the recommendation unanimously made Monday by members of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, an advisory body to the association, after he won his maiden title at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

“I accept (the promotion) with great humility. I will devote myself and try not to disgrace the yokozuna name,” Kisenosato said in a formal ceremony to notify him of his promotion.

“I want to be even more focused,” he said after the ceremony. “I have grown also as a person and I want to become a yokozuna that is respected.”

“I have to be conscious (of my position) and winning the championship title at the next tournament (is my next goal),” he said.

Kisenosato becomes the first Japanese wrestler to be promoted to sumo’s top rank of grand champion since Wakanohana in 1998.

Kisenosato won his first championship title on Sunday with a 14-1 mark.

Eight of the last nine yokozuna secured promotion by winning their preceding two tournaments. Mongolian Kakuryu, the last to be promoted to yokozuna ahead of the May 2014 meet, lost in a playoff that January despite finishing 14-1, but won the title in March.

So often accused of being mentally fragile, Kisenosato has finished second-best at a meet 12 times. After Kotoshokigu and Goeido captured their first titles last year, Kisenosato had become the only Japanese ozeki not to have won a trophy.

But Kisenosato found consistency and finally came into his own in 2016, becoming the first wrestler to win the most bouts in a season without winning a single title.

“I feel grateful to all the people that have helped me,” said Kisenosato, who paid tribute to his late stablemaster Naruto.

“If I had not met my former trainer I would not have got to where I have now,” he said. “I have nothing but gratitude.”

Mongolian Kakuryu was the last wrestler promoted to yokozuna in 2014.

There will now be four wrestlers fighting as yokozuna for the first time in 17 years at the Spring meet in March.

[GeneChing]

ethno-sport?

This author makes a good point. I remember seeing similar racism in Kendo. One of my Kendo sensei was a dreadlock, and he wasn’t allowed to advance unless he cut his dreads, but that was just the excuse.

If only Sumo would go Olympic.

Newly promoted sumo grand champion Kisenosato, wearing a ceremonial belly band, performs a sacred ring-entering ritual at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 27. | KYODO VIA REUTERS

ISSUES | JUST BE CAUSE
Media outside Japan must stop normalizing sumo as an ethno-sport
BY DEBITO ARUDOU
SPECIAL TO THE JAPAN TIMES
FEB 19, 2017

I know that by now this is old news (blame press holidays and timely Trump articles), but congratulations to Kisenosato for ascending to yokozuna, sumo wrestlings highest rank, last month. After all your efforts, well done.

So what does JBC have to say about it? Nothing to diminish that achievement, of course. But lets consider how the event echoed overseas. Here are some headlines from prominent news outlets:

BBC: Japan gets first sumo champion in 19 years.

The Washington Post: After 19 long years, Japan has a grand champion of sumo once again.

The New York Times: For the first time in years, Japan boasts a sumo grand champion.

The Guardian: Kisenosato becomes Japans first homegrown sumo champion in 19 years.

Even our own Japan Times: Kisenosato becomes first Japanese-born yokozuna in almost two decades.

Hmm. At least three of those headlines make it seem like Japan hasnt had a Japanese yokozuna or any yokozuna for nearly two decades.

Thats false. Weve had five yokozuna (Musashimaru, Asashoryu, Hakuho, Harumafuji and Kakuryu) since 1998. Perhaps theyre referring to the fact that the last four champions have been Mongolian, not Japanese. But that means they dont count? And what about Musashimaru? Hes a naturalized Japanese, and was one (as The Japan Times duly noted) when he became yokozuna in 1999.

So hes not counted because hes not a real Japanese? Apparently. Thats why the JT and Guardian slipped in qualifiers like Japan-born. As if that matters. It shouldnt. Except to racists.

And it matters in Japan because of the embedded racism of the sport. Consider the fact that not so long ago, the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) overtly denied the yokozuna rank to foreigners, no matter how well they did, for expressly racist reasons. They even thwarted former American wrestler Konishiki, who said just that to The New York Times in 1992.

And what were those reasons? Officials claimed foreign wrestlers lacked the requisite aura of dignity (hinkaku) that only Japanese mystically have.

Fortunately, that mysticism was soon dispelled by talent (not to mention embarrassment caused by the NYT). By 1993, Hawaiian wrestler Akebono had made his promotion undeniable, becoming Japans first foreign-born yokozuna. He was joined by another in 1999, then two more in 2003 and 2007.

Oh, snap, said the JSA. Thats why they put a cap on things in 2010, limiting sumo training stables to one foreign wrestler each. And just to fortify the racism, they stipulated that even naturalized Japanese (in violation of the Nationality Law) were also to be deemed foreign and limited!

Yet that homegrown advantage is being overturned nonetheless. Another foreigner was yokozuna-ed in 2012, and again in 2014. And even though foreign nationals have traditionally totaled only 7 to 8 percent of sumos 600 professional wrestlers, they made up 30 percent of the top-ranked grapplers in 2013.

And having that much foreign talent overcome numerous obstacles and achieve success on an already uneven playing field is a bad thing?

Well, according to Japanese media, it is. News outlets and pundits have been hankering for a real Japanese to become a grand champion for years, wailing that somehow sumo has lost something because its been dominated by foreigners. Even though, remember, 92 percent of sumo pros are still homegrown. Maybe they should ganbaru (try harder) like only real Japanese mystically can.

Well, Kisenosato did. Good. But the problem is not that his win became big international news, its that sumos prevailing racist attitudes did not. Because foreign reporters seem to have bought into the racism.

Doubtful? Lets read beyond their aforementioned headlines:

Guardian: His addition to the yokozuna ranks is also expected to help improve sumos image, after a decade in which it has been rocked by a series of scandals, including bullying, drug taking and allegations of match fixing.

The implication is that a respected yokozuna cant improve sumos image if hes foreign. However, remember that sumos scandals are self-inflicted almost always caused by the real Japanese (despite the JSAs scapegoating of Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu until he quit; see Zeit Gist, Sept. 4, 2007).

NYT: But sumos reputation has suffered in recent years because of a series of gambling and match-fixing scandals, and foreign wrestlers, mainly from Eastern Europe and Mongolia, have increasingly dominated its top ranks.

A simple parsing suggests that sumos reputation has suffered because foreign wrestlers dominate.

Washington Post: Japans national sport has been in decline in recent years, partly the result of a generational shift towards sports like baseball, partly because of the health issues associated with the heft needed to wrestle, and partly because of the increasing dominance of foreigners.

So sumo has declined because foreigners to do well at it, despite all the hurdles put before them? How unsportsmanlike an attitude is that?

NYT: Sports fans in Japan had been living with a harsh reality for years: Sumo wrestling, a quintessential Japanese pastime that is increasingly dominated by foreign stars, lacked a native-born champion of the highest order.

BBC: Japan has formally named its first home-grown sumo grand champion in almost two decades, in a boost to the traditional wrestling sport.

Ah yes, I was looking for that the word traditional. It makes sumo seem somehow sacred: not just a sport an ethno-sport. A sport that homegrown blood-Japanese must dominate, or else the tradition of an allegedly quintessential Japanese pastime (one that few Japanese actually play, or watch beyond top-league broadcasts) has been violated?

The harsh reality is that the foreign media has internalized and legitimized the racism just because its from Japan. Imagine another country that founded a sport (or claims it as its national sport) lamenting that foreigners are winning at it. Like baseball, where other countries have beaten American teams. Or England claiming that soccer, cricket, tennis or rugby have gone to the dogs whenever it doesnt win a world championship?

Perhaps you might counter that sumo is in fact an ethno-sport, and who can blame Japan for wanting to keep it Japanese? Then why has the Sumo Association repeatedly tried to make it into a worldwide Olympic event?

Consider that judo (another international sport that originated in Japan) is also apparently dominated by foreigners, according to Olympic medal counts. Has judos reputation suffered for this?

Only in the eyes of racists, such as Shintaro Ishihara, who, in a regular news conference as Tokyo governor in 2012, called foreign judoka beasts (kemono), and said, An internationalized judo has lost its exquisite charms (daigo).

Again, where was the international reporting on that? And thats the point of this column.

One reason why Japan keeps getting a free pass on its racism is that its not talked about overtly or, for that matter, even called racism at all. In Japan, thats shameful. But overseas where exposure embarrasses Japans racists (who would rather keep things in the family) thats hypocritical. These reporters wouldnt dare make these claims if they were talking about unfair play in their countries of origin.

Thats why foreign correspondents should not pander to stereotypes, passing overt racism off as tradition practiced by those mystical, hidebound, inscrutable Japanese. Embedding these attitudes for export cloaks Japan from the regular dynamics of sportsmanlike conduct that prevail elsewhere.

So heres a suggestion: How about reporting on the widespread lack of fairness within Japanese sporting events and leagues? Many of which (such as the ekiden races or the National Sports Festival of Japan (Kokutai)) are specifically designed so that foreign athletes cannot participate. Or if they can, these events are tilted so Japanese will win.

Or how about heralding the talented foreign heroes who have overcome the unfair hurdles?

Dont get me wrong. If you want to report that Kisenosatos promotion is big news in Japan, and Japans media and public have long been rooting for a homegrown hero to finally make the grade, fine. That has happened, and that is news.

But play fair. Dont validate racists like Ishihara and the JSA. By insinuating that foreign athletes have been spoiling the sport, youve done a great disservice to all the wrestlers who have beaten the odds only for their feats to go unreported.

Debitos latest book, Embedded Racism: Japans Visible Minorities and Racial Discrimination, is out now. Twitter @arudoudebito. Your comments and story ideas: community@japantimes.co.jp

[GeneChing]

Beckham & All Stars football team VS SUMOS

//youtu.be/qvt_Ae1eRPo

This is old but new to me.

[GeneChing]

Sumo Girls Eighty-Two Techniques |82 |!? | #SUMO82

//youtu.be/M73ZchccK2A

[GeneChing]

Sumo perfume

I’ve never been close enough to a Sumoka* to smell him. But srsly?

Japanese fragrance maker now offers…the scent of a sumo wrestler!
KayKay 2 days ago

If you’ve ever wanted to smell as elegant as a sumo wrestler, this is the fragrance for you!

We’ve seen some bizarre scents turned into perfume before, and we think we’ve found another one that deserves mention. Japanese fragrance maker Luz will be adding three new scents to their line of J-Scent perfumes, and one of them promises to be particularly unique, as it’s being marketed as the scent of a sumo wrestler!

The J-Scent line of perfumes currently includes six Japanese-themed fragrances, namely roasted tea (hojicha), agarwood, wasanbon sugar, flower-viewing sake, paper soap, and hydrangea. Now, they’ll be adding three new scents: sumo wrestler, ramune soda and yuzu citrus.

The sumo wrestler fragrance is apparently based on the smell of the hair oil used to create the unique hair style of sumo wrestlers known as mage (pronounced “mah-geh”) and contains the scent of eucalyptus, anise, violet, heliotrope, musk, patchouli and sandalwood. It’s supposed to be a soothing scent somewhat like incense.

Ahhh … yes, the comforting scent of a sumo wrestler!

The other two J-Scent perfumes that are being introduced are: ramune (a traditional sweet Japanese soda), made with the scents of lemon, aldehyde, mint, rose, lily of the valley, magnolia, musk and vanilla; and yuzu citrus, a combination of bergamot, orange, yuzu and thyme scents. Both fragrances sound refreshing and ideal for the summer.

All three new J-Scent products will be available online through J-Scent’s website from July 3 at a price of 3,500 yen (US$31.50) for a 50-milliliter (1.7-ounce) bottle. If you’re in the Osaka area, the entire line-up of J-Scent fragrances, including the three new items, will also be available at the Umeda Tsutaya Shoten shop located in the Lucua 1100 shopping center from June 30 to July 14. And for the first two days of the period, between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. on June 30 and July 1, they’ll even have a special in-store campaign where you can actually smell and try on all nine scents.

So, if the scent of a sumo wrestler is what you dream about, make sure you check out the new J-Scent perfume. Of course, we’re sure that the other scents smell very nice too!

Related: Lucua 1100 website
Source: @Press
Reference: J-Scent website, Lucua 1100 website
Insert image: Wikimedia Commons/ photo by Philbert Ono

*not sure if I used the ‘ka’ suffix used properly here.