Re: Re: Disturbing question..

["Josh Reyer" <Reyer@benchsumo.zzn.com>]

---- Begin Original Message ----

From: "J.C. Kelly" <jckelly@jaktranslate.com>
Sent: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 07:36:57 -0500
To: sumo@sun01pt2-1523.statgen.ncsu.edu
Subject: Re: Disturbing question..

>Hi!
>So this is true regardless of how high he is relatively to the 
dohyo's
>height? I mean, someone mentioned that if he falls lower than the 
dohyo
>height, he loses. So can this be understood as "no matter how high 
OR low"?
>A question of language...

Actually the language is very straightforward. "High" 
says "no matter how high", and uses the key word "suspended" 
or "dangled" or "hoisted". In other words there is no difference 
if a wrestler is dangled is 1cm off the ground or 3 meters off 
the ground - the height is not an issue. As long 
as he is off the ground it is not a win for his opponent. Of 
course all of this assumes that there is no "shitai" ruling.

-- 
J.C. Kelly
jckelly@jaktranslate.com

---- End Original Message ----

Exactly right.  As I understand it, the "falling lower than the 
dohyo" applies only to mid-air, non-grappling rikishi, and I'm not 
certain its an official rule or just a gyoji rule of thumb.  I've 
never heard of it before, actually.  But this rule that Takayama-san 
provided applies only to two rikishi grappling together, with one 
being held over the outside part of the ring but without touching 
down.

Of course, there's such a thing as "okuri-ashi", meaning that as a 
rikishi moves to defeat his opponent with tsuri-dashi, he steps out 
of the ring before his opponent touches the ground, but is still 
awarded the win because his opponent was helpless.  The key here is 
that the losing rikishi ultimately touches the ground, and the winner 
is not decided until that occurs.  If a rikishi steps out in the 
midst of doing tsuri-dashi and his opponent is able to fight back 
into the ring, then it would not be "okuri-ashi", and the rikishi 
that stepped out would be judged to have lost.

Josh Reyer

If a first you don't know what to do... henka
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