Russian Sumo Site

["Gillogly, James" <James.Gillogly@GDC4S.Com>]

Found a link to this article from the Moscow Times at
http://www.worldsumo.com .   
Direct link is: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/10/02/050.html

Jim "Takanorappa" Gillogly
Mansfield, MA USA

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	Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2002. Page 9 

	Rikishi Hit the Dohyo at Russian Sumo Site
	By Brian Arengi 
	Staff Writer 

	Sumo is coming to Moscow this weekend, and for those who don't know
much about it, there's a place on the Russian Internet to start learning.

	The site, located at www.japan-sumo.ru, gives a thorough lesson in
the ancient Japanese sport -- from its beginning thousands of years ago to
results of the latest tournaments -- as well as a guide to all the holds and
throws.

	There's also a dictionary for the uninitiated, as it is impossible
to get far in the site without knowing terms such as rikishi, or fighter,
and dohyo, or ring. 

	More than just a sport, sumo is like a mirror for Japanese society,
said Denis Isayev, the editor of the site.

	"A rikishi can never afford to express how glad he is, even after
winning the final bout of the tournament, so as not to offend his rival," he
said in an e-mail interview, describing the Japanese virtue of equanimity.

	Isayev, who also offers commentary on sumo wrestling for Eurosport
Russia, created the site in July 2000 to let Russians know more about the
exotic sport -- primarily that the wrestlers are not just "fat guys."

	"A rikishi needs not only physical power and weight, he must be
brave and smart: You may call sumo 'chess on the dohyo,'" he said.

	Furthermore, sumo is infused with the spirit of fair play, Isayev
said. "Elbowing and dirty tricks that are common in other sports are just
impossible in sumo -- the rikishi cannot hide this in front of thousands of
eyes."

	Japanese culture begins with sumo, the site says. According to
legend, the Japanese took possession of their islands when the god
Takemikazuchi defeated the god of the barbarians in a sumo match 2,500 years
ago.

	But surprisingly, sumo has a closer connection to Russia than one
might think.

	Taiho -- one of the greatest figures in sumo history, who achieved
the highest rank of yokozuno at the age of 21 and won 32 basho -- was born
on Sakhalin in 1940 and his father was either Russian or Ukrainian,
depending on the source.

	The sport is popular here, Isayev said. Russia's amateur wrestlers
are among the best in Europe, and Moscow will host the eighth European Sumo
Championship on Saturday and Sunday. 

	Four Russian sumo wrestlers are active in Japan. One of them --
Roho, whose name means Russian phoenix -- made his debut in Japan in July
and has reached the sandamme, or fourth level of sumo.

	The Eighth European Sumo Championship takes place Saturday and
Sunday at the Druzhba Sports Club at 24 Luzhnetskaya Naberezhnaya, Bldg. 5.
For more information, call 201-11-33 or see www.sumo.boom.ru/escr/main.html