Make-koshi specialists

[Magnus Berg <magnus.rie@swipnet.se>]

Hi list!
As I like to point out the small aspects of the big sumo world, here is
something that I think is notable among current rikishi. On the Nagoya
banzuke, we had three rikishi in the bottom of makunouchi who once again
failed to get kachi-koshi in the top division:
* Jumonji, 5-10 at maegashira 12. In his 8 basho in makunouchi, he has
only one kachi-koshi. By contrast, in juryo, he has 8 kachi-koshi in as
many basho (plus one kyujo).
* Hamanishiki, 4-11 at maegashira 14. A little better but still not good
at 5 make-koshi in 7 basho, including three straight. Has three straight
kachi-koshi in juryo.
* Oikari, 7-8 at maegashira 15. 6 make-koshi in 7 basho, including the
last four in a row. Kachi-koshi in his last 4 basho in juryo.

Tamanoshima is also a candidate for this club. He got his 3rd
kachi-koshi in 10 basho in Nagoya. Of course, the grandmaster in this
non-enviable category is Kinkaiyama, who is finally returning to juryo
in September. He only has 1 kachi-koshi in 9 basho, although the last
one was spoiled by injury. In juryo, his ratio prior to the injury in
May 2001 was 10 KK/1 MK. 

So the "Bad KK-ratio table" looks like this:
1. Kinkaiyama - KK/MK-ratio: 1/8: 11,1% KK (12,5% deducting kyujo basho)
2. Jumonji - 1/7: 12,5% KK
3. Oikari - 1/6: 14,2% KK
4. Hamanishiki - 2/5: 28,5% KK
5. Tamanoshima - 3/10: 30% KK

I could contrast this with the "hapless yokozuna", Musashimaru, who has
62 KK in 62 completed basho, but that wouldn't be really fair, would it?
Maru is one of the greatest rikishi in the last century (and yes, a very
worthy yokozuna if you ask me. I think he showed guts staying in the
basho with an injured neck.) But still, it would be nice to see these
guys getting their act together and start moving up in makunouchi. Well,
another chance to excel in juryo first.

Sorry, this turned out longer than I had planned. Apologies if you read
this far hoping for some deep insights...

Good night from Sweden,
Maguroyama