[sumo] Yamatofuji

[Joe Kuroda <joe_kuroda@yahoo.com>]

* I may have posted this one here - if I did, my
apology.

A young man who quit the prestigeous Meiji University
Judo club in his second year and joined Ozumo is
stepping on the dohyo for the first time in this
Kyushu Basho. 

His name is Yamatofuji (real name: Mitsuru Yamato from
Hiroshima City), a 19
year old from Hiroshima City. Yamatofuji had a dream
to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympics but gave
up Judo due to a family reason. Now his dream is to
become the number one in Ozumo. 

He has no sumo experience at all but using his gifted
physique of 1.88 meter and 140 kg, he will be now
challenging his opponents in Mae-zumo. Yamatofuji has
been receiving more prominant national attention since
he placed Best 8 in 100 kg or over class at the
National Sports Festival High School Judo Tournament
while he attended Nobeoka Gakuen High in Miyazaki
Prefecture. He was soon spotlighted by Meiji
University Judo Club to join the school. 

Immediately after joining the club, he was selected as
a regular group team member and participated in
various college Judo competitions. "He was a large
scale athelet with his favorite Harai-Goshi
technique," said Daisuke Hideshima, Meiji Judo Club
coach, who felt he had a bright future in Judo.

But Yamatofuji's circumstance changed suddenly six
months after he entered Meiji University. His father,
Touru, 62, left his job as a manager of Pachinko
parlor and his family became more financially
strained. Yamatofuji began to feel he could no longer
take the money his parents were sending to him every
month as he was well aware that 150,000 Yen was a lot
of money for them. "I started wondering if I should
continue going to the college like this," said
Yamatofuji and decided to quit the school this summer.

While searching for a suitable work, his father asked
him if he could try Ozumo. But Yamatofuji could not
decide as he was worried if he could make it in such a
notoriously tough world. For 10 days he walked around
and thought about it staying in one friend's place to
another. All his friends encouraged him to join,
telling him to go for the top. "I felt there was no
other way. I became convinced that to make the best
out of my trained body was to pursue the Ozumo path,"
Yamatofuji explained. "If you gonna go for it, aim
higher," his senior, Meiji Judo Club captain, the
silver medal winner in Men's 90 kg Judo at Athenes
Olympics, Hiroshi Izumi told him,

Yamatofuji decided to join Ounomatsu Beya as his
father was a fan of the oyakata (former Sekiwake
Masurao). At the heya's training dohyo he appears not
being able to shake off his old Judo throws. But
Hanaregoma oyakata (former Ozeki Kaiketsu) who was
scouted and joined Ozumo while he was a first year
student at Nihon University Judo Club says, "You can
corrcet Judo habits. Sure it won't be easy quitting a
college and joining Ozumo without any sumo experience,
but to become truly successful or not is all up to
your attitude." 

"I want to start earning a living quickly so I can
help my parents out," Yamatofuji said.

=====
.....Jonosuke 
  <  Heart  Technique  Physique      &#24515;&#12288;&#25216;&#12288;&#20307;&#12288;>

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[EndPost by Joe Kuroda <joe_kuroda@yahoo.com>]