Re: [sumo] Ex-Yamato

[David Meisenzahl <kawika@gol.com>]

Yamato/George Kalima is running a production company with his wife, who is 
a hula instructor here in Japan.  Supposedly she has approximately 300 
students throughout Japan, which a studio in Tokyo plus making regular 
trips to Osaka and other cities to teach.  She is very good and place 1st 
in Merry Monarch tourney in the Big Island of Hawaii several years ago.  In 
additional to helping out with the running of a hula studio, Yamato/George 
Kalima also arranged for Hawaiian entertainers to come to Japan to 
perform.  I think have a semi-annual show, which has done quite well, 
filling 5,000 seat auditoriums.

Yamato/George Kalima did the restaurant thing for a year, great place, 
Kama'ainas, located in Roppongi.  He was trained a Dutch, a gentlemen based 
in Maui, who came to Tokyo to open the Sam Choy's here.  Dutch was the cook 
at Akebono's failed restaurant, Zunas.  But unlike Akebono, after working 
side-by-side with Dutch, Yamato/George Kalima did all the cooking 
himself!  I think that is part of the reason why he closed, he never had a 
back-up, he is quite stubborn and did it all himself.  He told me that he 
didn't lose any money in that one year, but he didn't much either I 
gather.  One point of interest, my wife was a waitress there, the best 
waitress actually, though David Shapiro did make her cry, being the NY arse 
that he is, though Yamato/George Kalima found out, came to the table and 
just about made Shapiro cry.  That is the kind of guy Yamato/George Kalima 
is, he takes no BS from anyone and doesn't appreciate bullies.

Yamato/George Kalima has a 4-year-old, I think he is 4 by now, son named 
Kealii'o'kalani.  Nice kid.  Yamato is busy trying to figure out a good 
international son for him to attend, just like I am doing for my 3-year-old 
son Frankie.

What is so special about Yamato/George Kalima?  He grew up with Akebono in 
Waimanalo.  They went to school together, all the way to high 
school.  Yamato/George Kalima was a sekitori at Migaki-beya.  One of his 
brother, "Banbo" joined him, but he blew out both his knees and had to 
retire.  I got to attended his farewell party, where by the end of the 
evening I was 0-2 VS Akebono, but that is another stories...  Anyway, his 
other brother Kalani was about to enter Migaki-beya before "Banbo" retired, 
which would have been the first time ever 3 brothers were in the same 
stable together, but the curtain came down on Hawaiian recruiting, and 
Kalani didn't get in before the unwritten ban on all Hawaiians, a ban that 
stands today..

By the way, not only I am 0-2 versus Akebono, but I am 0-1 versus Yamato, 
but again, that is yet another story...

Read more about him here ---> http://home.att.ne.jp/red/sumo/homed.html#george


Kawika
http://home.att.ne.jp/red/sumo/dakine.html
http://www.musashimaru.info 

[EndPost by David Meisenzahl <kawika@gol.com>]