Examining the Rikishi's Bodies (March 1999)

["Joshua A. Reyer" <jreyer@grn.mmtr.or.jp>]

This article for March 1999 was emailed to me by Sabine "Zabinishiki"
Adolph.  Many thanks!  If any other Ozumo magazine readers out there have a
Nakamoto-sensei article they'd like me to translate, go ahead and send it
along as an image file, preferably big enough to read easily, but not so big
as to take too long to download.

This article kind of turns out to be a tale of two Ozeki.  Chiyotaikai had
just been promoted to Ozeki following his yusho at the Hatsu Basho, and
Nakamoto-sensei shares some observations.  Also, the Hatsu Basho saw
Miyabiyama win his fourth straight yusho since his debut (2 makushita, 2
juryo) and clinch his promotion to makuuchi for the Haru Basho.  The Haru
Basho, as we know, turned out to be a doozy, and Chiyotaikai still hasn't
quite fully recovered, while Miyabiyama, following some ups and downs, has
finally clinched his own Ozeki promotion.

----------------------------------
Rikishi no karada wo mite mireba
by Terukiyo Nakamoto
Published in Ozumo magazine, March 1999
Ozumo is a Yomiuri Shinbun-sha publication.

	About Chiyotaikai, who took the Hatsu Basho yusho: I think he has a body
perfect for tsuki-oshi sumo.  We call the mass of muscle that runs from the
shoulder blades to the arms "hit-muscle", and Chiyotaikai's is extremely
well-developed.  Such developed people are said to have strong punching
power, but in the case of Chiyotaikai, because he thrusts with his whole
body, his is extra-powerful.  To his opponents, it probably seems as if his
arm is extending forward at the hand.  Just as you think you could grab it
and pull, you're blown off the dohyo.
	Chiyotaikai's break from such a large pack of Ozeki candidates can be
attributed to both his physical gifts and hard work, but also I think his
desire to advance and improve played a large part.  He firmly believed that
he would become Ozeki from the start, and never doubted himself.
	These days it's often said that there are no rikishi who became Yokozuna
after maintaining their Ozeki rank with only tsuki-oshi sumo.  So many hold
the opinion that Chiyotaikai should learn yotsu-zumo as well.  Certainly, in
today's age where the average weight of a makuuchi rikishi is over 150 kg
(330 lb), thrusting such huge bodies back is no easy matter.  But, I think
it'd be a good idea to save the yotsu-zumo for later, and concentrate on
increasing his tsuki-oshi strength for the time being.  Also, he's been
judged as using hataki-komi too much.  But while pulling while flustered is
bad, there's no problem with using inashi while in the flow of tsuki-oshi
sumo.
	Chiyotaikai is often said to resemble Hakkaku-oyakata (former Yokozuna
Hokutoumi) in style, but I think they are different.  Hakkaku-oyakata's
hands would extend as he pushed, while Chiyotaikai pushes after his hands
are extended.  But, I'm at a loss for an answer whenever asked which past
rikishi a current rikishi resembles.
	Every rikishi is different, after all.  It's often said that today's
rikishi don't have any individuality, but I don't believe that.  I think
today's rikishi, especially in makuuchi, are all individuals, and have their
own fascinating strong points.
	Miyabiyama was also a hot topic of the Hatsu Basho.  I haven't had the
chance to directly examine his body for jungyo or anything like that, but
according to those who have met him, they all say his lower body is quite
well-built.  For example, it seems as if the common pattern is to hit him
hard and try to take away his balance, but he keeps stable and keeps coming,
and you find your own balance taken away.
	Just looking at him, I think he, like Musoyama, has the muscles necessary
for sumo already well built and developed from being familiar with sumo
since childhood.  He can wrestle with yotsu-zumo or oshi-zumo, but his body
type seems to be oshi-zumo.  However, from his stance, it looks like, rather
than yotsu-zumo, he's the type to simply take the mawashi and go with it
	With four straight yushos from the makushita tsukedashi rank, there have
been voices saying that pro sumo is not as good as it should be.  Certainly
if he rushes up to Ozeki or Yokozuna, he can't help but have this said.  But
I think there are too many unknown factors about Miyabiyama to say anything
at this point.
	I'm interested in seeing how he handles the fierce tsuki-oshi of
Chiyotaikai and Takatoriki next basho.  With things to see like that, I
think that the Haru Basho will be a fun one.
---------------------------------

Josh here again.  Well, the basho following this article certainly
was...interesting.  Two yokozuna went kyujo mid-basho, one was already
sitting it out, and an Ozeki and sekiwake also fell.  This, combined with a
strong first week, led to Miyabiyama meeting Ozeki Takanonami in his
makuuchi debut.  Takanonami simply sidestepped at tachiai and let Miyabiyama
fall on his face.  The next day, wary of too low a tachiai, Miyabiyama
hesitated and was creamed by Kaio.  This led to further losses, but
Miyabiyama nonetheless showed some respectable sumo.
And Chiyotaikai?  After the pressure led to a number of early losses, he
ended up breaking his nose on Musashimaru's arm, dropped out of the basho
and went kadoban.  He sat out the Natsu Basho as well, but came back with a
10-5 record in the Nagoya Basho to escape the kadoban.  But...he hasn't been
the same since.  Breaking his nose struck Chiyotaikai at his confidence in
pushing forward.  He began pulling his opponents too soon, before his
tsuki-oshi had properly set them up for the fall.  He never scored more than
10 wins until the 2000 Natsu Basho.  He seems better now; his pulling habit
is still there, but his pushing power seems to have come back.  Only time
will tell if he will return to his former form.

Josh