Re: Osaka Yusho Open Rikishi Report and Ramblings

Title: Re: Osaka Yusho Open Rikishi Report and Ramblings

Hi Katrina

Just want to say that I love this kind of reports, "off-dohyo-style".

If you have the chance to post now and then, please do. I´m sure a lot of people are hungry for this type of news.

Take care

Hans Karlsson

"Hakaso"

Stefan Gelow asked:

>Who beat Musashimaru? The answer is nobody. He didn't compete, only did the dohoy-iri and his turn as model for "How to tie the yokozuna's tsuna". When I asked him which bit wasn't working, he raised his eyebrows in a quizzical manner and replied "My left foot.", but I'm not 100% sure whether it was a statement of medical fact or a joke. Those guys are always teasing me and pulling my leg. I trust Hamanishiki wasn't teasing me when he told me that his promotion had been confirmed. The Sumo Association formally announces the promotion of new Juryo guys after the banzuke committee meets in the week after the basho, because they have a lot of preparations to do like getting, kesshomawashis (decorative aprons) a silk mawashi (shimekomi), an akeni (the personalized lacquered bamboo box in which they put their shimekomi and kesshomawashi etc) and organizing a promotion party and so on, but they also unofficially inform the guys who are going up to makuuchi since their heyas may have some preparations too. Hamanishiki is the least noticed member of the group of three Nihon Daigaku rikishi who entered sumo at makushita tsukedashi at the same time, the others being Kotomitsuki and Takamisakari. I always think it's a pity the three couldn't have been rolled into one as Kotomitsuki has the skill, Takamisakari the fighting spirit and Hamanishiki the brains and personality. Hamanishiki - real name Tatsuro Takahama - competed as a lightweight in his amateur career and was World Champion in that division as well as having numerous wins in individual and team events since elementary school. His older brother, who now teaches Social Studies in Kumamoto, their home town, is like a bigger version of Hamanishiki and still competes in amateur sumo representing his prefecture. Having put on quite a bit of weight since his entry into sumo and put in a lot of hard work, Hamanishiki has a chance in the top division, but it certainly won't be easy for him. Kitazakura, as expected, missed out on promotion this time but vowed to do his best at the top of juryo and hoes that there'll be a space for him next time. The "luck of the banzuke" is always a factor, because in general, you can't move up unless someone falls down. Kushimaumi was a prime example of an unlucky rikishi. After he'd fallen to juryo he had the hardest time getting back up to makuuchi, because when he had a good score there was no opening and when there was one he hadn't done well enough to take advantage of it. Kitazakura has made an amazing leap in confidence. Is it his new salt throwing? His sumo has begun to have a little more variation, though he does still tend not to get the job done quickly enough and runs to long bouts where he gets worn out by his opponent and loses at the end, but generally he seems to have gained strength along with the weight he's put on. As some of you who listen to the English sumo broadcasts will already know - since I seem to wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to my favourite rikishis - Kitazakura has long been one of my "pets". We were reminiscing yesterday about how I first met him in 1990 at the inaugural party for the Kitanoumi Kobe Koenkai (fan club) to which the greengrocer, who supplies fruit and veg for my university's Food Technology Department, had invited me. Kitazakura, who was in sandanme at the time, impressed me with his politeness and seriousness as well as a simple friendliness. Then when we visited the heya to watch keiko I was further impressed by his diligence. Then and now, he works harder than anyone else in the heya and always tries to do his best. I couldn't help wanting him to do well. Now that he's succeeding in working his way up the banzuke and getting noticed with his post-Mitoizumi salt throwing - he uses more salt than his predecessor but hasn't quite got the same stylishness, too much bend in the body - I hope all those years of hard work will pay off and he will make it to makuuchi. I don't want to bump into him in the stadium and have him apologize like he did the last time he got a makekoshi, bowing humbly and saying, "I'm sorry I couldn't live up to your expectations, but I'll try harder in the next basho so as not to disappoint you again."

Unfortunately I'm a dead loss as an investigative reporter because I'm alway too laid back and too busy just enjoying myself hanging out at the jungyo to ask pointed questions about performance or scandals or stuff that may be directly connected to a rikishi's chances in the next basho. "How's the knee?" "Oh getting better." is more my style of conversation with the guys, so I'm sorry that I can't give you players any real inside scoop for making your descisions in the hoshitori games. Just do your best. Katrina

--
Med bästa hälsning

Hans Karlsson
intendent

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