Kimaritestats in Natsu basho [Spoiler]

[Mikko T Mattila <mm56085@uta.fi>]

Hello

296 bouts were fought in Makuuchi-division.Here are the stats. Less of the
most common techniques were used this time. Yorikiri, oshidashi,
hatakikomi, hikiotoshi and okuridashi for example were more scarce than
usual. On the other hand shitatenage, uwatenage, uwatedashinage and
kimedashi were used much more. Also quite many techniques that were absent
in Haru were seen in Natsu basho.

Here are the stats In parenthesis are the differences compared to Haru
2001. I have to do this in a hurry so I hope there won`t be mistakes due
to that.


Yorikiri       62 (-11)

Takanohana won 10 bouts with yorikiri.

Oshidashi      61 (-5)

Wakatsutomu finished Natsu basho with 7 wins and 6  wins by oshidashi.
Seems to belong in Makuuchi. He didn`t lose badly at all and some really
strong looking wins. Musoyama won 4 times by oshidashi.

hikiotoshi     22 (-10)

No supressed feelings in Kitazakura-Takatoriki bout when Kitazakura lost
by hikiotoshi. Kitazakura, who had a great basho and so fulfilled his
dream to rise to Makuuchi, did a very frustrated gesture after his loss on
day 3. Rarely seen that strong reaction to a loss by rikishi. Wakanoyama
is another one who often shows his disgust after a loss but not this
strongly.

hatakikomi     18 (-5)

Both hatakikomia and hikiotoshi were clearly less used in Natsu basho.
Perhaps one indication of a basho with good sumo.

uwatenage      17 (+7)

I have to wonder about the determination of some kimarite. Asanowaka has
never even dreamed of a nage-technique and still his win over Aminishiki
was counted as one. As far as I know even the definition of hikiotoshi
includes a possibility of pulling aite down by holding with mawashi and
this looked like such to me. I am a bit of a kimarite freak so I actually
wonder about these things :-) But after all I am sure Kyokai knows better
anyway.

oshitaoshi     15 (+2)

Kaiho is ever so often on his back after a hard fall off the dohyo. Four
times he lost by oshitaoshi.

tsukiotoshi    13 (-4)
shitatenage    13 (+8)

Revival of shitatenage.

yoritaoshi      9 (+1)

Many crushing yoritaoshi this time. Asashoryu was the most suffered victim
of yoritaoshi first by Tochiazuma and then by Miyabiyama. Also Musoyama`s
victory over Nami was a real flattening. Yoritaoshi is often a technique
which gives a feeling that the bout was good one and hard fought right to
the end. I am still waiting for seeing Musashimaru flattened by yoritaoshi
:-)

okuridashi     8 (-4)

Kotomitsuki has a great dashinage-move he often uses to turn his aite to
face the audience. Speaking of Mickey, he reminds me of Dejima at his best
when it comes to footwork. Asashoryu and Takanowaka witnessed that in
Natsu. He almost prevailed Chiyotaikai`s quite perfect henka too.

tsukidashi     7 (+1)

Toki and Chiyotaikai are still the main tsuki-rikishi. Surprising is that
Asashoryu hasn`t had a single win by tsukidashi or even oshidashi. As
lower-ranked he vanquished fellow rikishi with strong tsuki-attacks and
only if that didn`t work he changed tactics and tried sotogake and leg
graps. Now he faces beefy monsters who he can`t win with straight forward
tsuki. Asashoryu is strong but he can`t put higher ranked opponents away
like Chiyotaikai can. So he adapts his style! He is in trouble against
skillful yotsu-rikishi when the bout settles down a bit. Chiyotaikai`s
tsuki is the strongest of all.

uwatedashinage    7 (+5)

tsukitaoshi       5 (+2)

Chiyotaikai was part of two grear tsukitaoshi-bouts: lost against Maru and
won against his long time nemesis Musoyama.

sukuinage         4 (-7)
kotenage          4 (-1)
kimedashi         3 (+3)

Takanonami`s kimedashi is still very efficient. Both Kotomitsuki and
Tochinohana couldn`t do much when Nami got his very predictable position.
Kotomitsuki`s style is very vulnerable to kimedashi.

shitatedashinage  3 (-1)
makiotoshi        2 (+1)

For the second time in a row Musoyama won Takanohana with exceptionally
strong makiotoshi.

kirikaeshi        2 (+1)
kubinage          2 (+2)
utchari           2 (+1)

Lower backs would prefer if utchari wasn`t tried at all. The strain is
quite substantial. However utchari has revived a bit. In addition to these
two Makuuchi-utchari also in Juryo there has been at least 3 utchari this
basho. In Makuuchi Kaiho`s and Aminishiki`s utchari were skillfully done.
Aminishiki`s in particular against Tochinohana. Aminishiki is the
technician of Makuuchi-division. Hopefully he gains a bit more mass and
strength so he can show more of his kind of sumo also when ranked higher.

okuritaoshi       2 (-1)
komatasukui       2 (+2)

Aminishiki masters komatasukui.

watashikomi       2 (+2)
fusensho          2 (-1)

Actually in my Haru basho kimaritestats fusenho is obviously missing but
there were three wins by default in Haru and two wins now. Kaio and
Wakanoyama withdrew from basho.

Special bout the one between Kaiho and Aminishiki on day 14. It was very
loooong watashikomi. For Dale that could be a good bout to put on some
"highlights and interesting techniques"-complilation sometimes..

sotogake         1 (+1)

Lack of sotogake this time. Aminishiki and Asashoryu are the freshest
sotogake-users in Makuuchi. Asa goes for that very often indeed. Both
Tochiazuma and Kotomitsuki ignored his attempt easily though.

amiuchi          1 (same)
tsuridashi       1 (+1)   Takanonami of course..
sabaori          1 (+1)
susotori         1 (+1)

Chiyotenzan vs Dejima. First susotori in 4.5 years. Lazy looking too.

uchisumo         1 (+1)
uwatehineri      1 (+1)
hikkake          1 (+1)
katasukashi      1 (same)

Kozumatori, isamiashi, tsuriotoshi, tottari and ashitori were seen in Haru
but not in Natsu.

Mikko


P.S When I started writing this I had in mind to add  >:-)
as my comment to Doitsuyama, Chiyozakura and other German possible at
least partly football(soccer)-oriented list members but
now it is 2-2 in World Cup qualifying match between Finland and Germany.
Finland was 2-0 already...