[sumo] Isegahama Oyakata on Shukan Post

[Joe Kuroda <joe_kuroda@yahoo.com>]

I may have posted this one here, in that case my
apology.


?Isegahama Oyakata Speaks Out? 
Weekly Shukan Post , September 24, 2004 
============================

Isegahama Seinosuke - former Ozeki Kiyokuni
Born 1941 in Akita Prefecture.
Dohyo debut: September 1956.
Juryo debut: May 1963
Ozeki: Nagoya 1969, wins first Yusho.
Last Basho: Hatsu Basho, 1974.
Makuuchi bashos: 62
Shukun-sho: 3 Gino-sho: 4
Inherits Isegahama Beya in 1977

======================


Isegahama Seinosuke, 62 years old. 
When we mention his shikona, former Ozeki Kiyokuni,
there should be quite a few fans who remember his
elegant technique and heroic presence on the dohyo. 
He won one Yusho, three Shukun-shos, four Gino-shos. 
In 1977 he inherited the prestigious Isegahama Beya
and assumed the control of the Ichimon. He has been
elected to a Kyokai Director position and currently
holds the officer equivalent position (since relieved
of this duty after this article has been published). 
In three years he will be 65 years old, reaching the
Kyokai's mandatory retirement age. 
Isegahama oyakata explains why he decided to speak out
at this time:

"For a while now we've been noticing empty seats in
the Kokugikan and people 
have been pointing out the declining popularity of
Ozumo. I'd thought if I 
could help identify the causes of the decline based on
my long years of experience for 
the Kyokai which has taken care of me over all these
years.
In a way this is my "will" left to the Kyokai upon my
imminent retirement.

--------------------------------------------
I have been with Ozumo for quite some years now but
for the last seven or eight years, I have lost any
interest at all in the sumo bouts perpetrated by the
current crop of active rikishis 
There are simply too many non-spirited sumo too
obvious to be seen as "yaocho" (fixed) bouts. How can
they maintain their Makuuchi ranking with doing only
four or five training bouts a day? At least while I
was still active, this was unthinkable.

I am from Akita Prefecture originally. During my youth
I was more into judo than sumo. In my middile school,
there was a nephew of former Isegahama oyakata (former
Yokozuna Terukuni) and he happened to be in the same
grade as me. When the Isegahama oyakata made a visit
to Akita during their Summer Jyungyo tour, he asked
his nephew if he knew anyone physically large. He told
the oyakata about me by saying I wasn?t heavy but
tall. At the time I was in the third year and was 177
cm tall but weighed only 68 kg.

The next day they invited me over to see the Jyungyo
basho and to have a chanko dinner with them. They
asked if I'd come along for a visit so I figured I
might as well and took a 16 hour trip on steam engine
train to Tokyo. That was in the year 1956. The day I
arrived in Tokyo, I recall, they just started a river
festival in Ryogoku and my memory of the first day was
going to see the fireworks over the river.

Having had a good dinner and feeling rather well
satisfied, I was thinking perhaps it was as good as
any time to go back to Akita and told them about my
intention. Then the oyakata took me aside and said,
"Well, we already got your residence paper moved over
here and completed the school transfer request from
your old school." He added my parents agreed to my
joining the sumo beya. My parents had four kids
including me and so they now had one less mouth to
feed. I realized then that I simply had no other path
left but to continue with Sumo.

At the time It was the age of four yokozunas -
Chiyonoyama, Kagamisato, Yoshibayama and 
Tochinishiki. The first rikishi I faced in my
dohyo-debut basho was Naya who joined at the same time
as me and who went on to become the great yokozuna,
Taiho. In that first bout I did win against him but I
was never as dedicated and was not as successful so
when Taiho san attained the ultimate rank of Yokozuna,
I was still struggling in a high Makushita tier. I
weighed less than 100 kg and I was just more or less
going through the motion back then. 

In November 1962, my junior heya mate Asasegawa was
promoted to Juryo ahead of me. This event has changed
my dohyo outlook completely. "I could do it as well,"
I realized. I became far more motivated to train and
train harder. I woke up 3 AM and did shikos, teppos
and 
push-ups before anyone showed up. Then around 6 AM
when other rikishis came down to the training dohyo, I
did dozens for Sanban keiko sessions. 

Within six months, I was promoted to Juryo and then I
passed through Juryo in three bashos to be firmly
entrenched in Makuuchi. It did take me some time but
eventually I was able to be promoted to Ozeki.


As you can imagine non-sekitori life was brutal in
those days. When you put yourself on the training
dohyo, whatever your senior or superior ranked
rikishis treated you, you were at their mercy and had
to endure and submit. Countless times I wanted to quit
badly but each time I thought one day I'd get stronger
than them and get back at them. So that thought kept
me going.

Today If any rikishis gets such a hazing, he'd run
away in less than three days and never to be seen
again. This is the age when we even have a profession
called 'freelancers'. The main reason we have been
witnessing remarkable successes of foreign born
rikishis is because most Japanese rikishis are a bunch
of sops.

I first became a Kyokai director in 1978 when Kasugano
oyakata (former Yokozuna Tochinishiki) was the
chairman. I recall even in those days there was a
movement to limit the influx of foreigners to Ozumo.
We had Tonga born rikishsi in Asahiyama Beya quitting
the heya and two Brazilians escaping from Tokitsukaze
Beya to return home.

In Isegahama Beya we had two Brazillians, Kiyonomine
and Kuninosato, as well. It's true that there was some
discussion taken place in directors meetings those
days to "restrain from scouting foreigners if all
possible". 

And then in 1992 during the era of Chairman Dewanoumi
oyakata (former Yokozuna Sadanoyama) after Konishiki
and Akeobono from Hawaii winning the Yusho and 
retirements of such notable Japanese Yokozunas as
Onokuni, Asahifuju and Hokotoumi, the 
Kyokai informally conveyed an edict to each heya to
"self restrain from accepting any more foreign born
rikishis". But by then they have become such a
formidable force on the dohyo that without them, we no
longer could present highly credible competitive sumo
anymore.

As far as the Kyokai is concerned, once the door has
opened to the foreign born rikishis, there was
absolutely no discrimination against them. Even the
Konishiki's Yokozuna promotion uproar in 1992 that
turned into an international incident, it wasn't the
case of him being turned down because he was a
foreigner "lacking the grace". 

It's true in some measure that we had experienced an
aftershock of Futahaguro affairs in 1987 
(Futahaguro was kicked out of Ozumo after he allegedly
hit his heya?s okamisan) and there was more attention
being paid to "the rikishi grace". 

As well all the publicity surrounding the whole
incident made it far more notorious. There was a
foreign media report that Konishiki was accusing the
kyokai of discrimination. and a Yokozuna Deliberation
Committee member Noboru Kojima (writer, deceased)
declaring that "hinkaku" (grace) was the concept
singularly unique discernable only in the Japan's
national sport, Sumo. 

Despite all this, the Kyokai Executive Committee was
unanimous in its decision that they were ready to
promote him if Konishiki met or exceeded the Yokozuna
Deliberation Committee's bylaw of the promotion
qualification of consecutive Yushos or records
equivalent to it. Simply put Konishiki ended up
needing one more win to get promoted.

Some time later at the promotion case of Takanohana,
there was a consensus by general public and media that
he was all assured of the promotion. But this time he
was passed over. In the following basho after
accomplishing the two cosecutive "Zensho" (all
victory) Yushos, Takanohana was finally promoted to
Yokozuna. Personally I believe there is nothing wrong
by making a yokozuna promotion that stringent. After
all we only had 68 Yokozunas in sumo history up to
now.

Regarding foreign born rikishi problems, currently we
have rikishis coming from not just Mongolia but also
from Russia and Georgia, and if I may express my
personal feeling we are simply overextending
ourselves.

The first heya to admit Mongolian rikishis represented
by Yokozuna Asashoryu was 
Oshima Beya headed by former Asahikuni. He
?astonished? the Ozumo world by having 
six rikishis from Mongolia joined simultaneously. But
we were asked before them. 
Then I heard from then Chair of Kyokai Futagoyama
oyakata (former Wakanohana I), "Listen, Isegahama,
don't ever let those Mongolian rikishis join your
heya. We've already turned them down and you should do
the same ". Apparently this idea was brought about by
a Socialist Party member and the Rijicho's insistence
was that Ozumo should not get involved in politics.

According to the Rijicho, "there is a project underway
for Japan to open up the plains in Mongolia and in
exchange we take in Mongolian rikishis. But If we
permit this, Ozumo will be politically exploited". I
ended up declining them and they obviously took the
idea over to Oshima Beya and they eventually accepted.
. 
The Mongolian Yokozuna, Asashoryu, is strong, no
question about that at all. But I haven't heard one
single good thing about him. If I may describe him, he
is too "light". Taiho became Yokozuna when he was 21
years old. There was a talk initially going around
asking "could we afford to have such a youngster
assume the role of yokozuna". But he responded by
building a firm foundation of "Shin-Gi-Tai"
(heart-technique-physique) principle.

Taiho used to call up a new Makuuchi rikishi to his
heya to have extended training sessions with him. I
don't know of any recent yokozuna in my memory trying
anything similar. How can we possibly label one a
great yokozuna when all he could do is to attempt some

dangerous moves on others during his training sessions
and to show off his strength. The man is so far
removed or even equating with the great yokozunas of
the past.

In the old days you could almost feel a warm breeze
even in the middle of winter if a Yokozuna put the
mawashi on and walked next to you. There was an aura
surrounding him that made you sense the character and
dignity and a sense that here was a man you should not
carelessly approach. Perhaps I think Kitanoumi was the
last such yokozuna.

These days you hear all about college and foreign
rikishis and you get a perception that we are dealing
in human trafficking. I often hear stories of needing
a contract for tens of millions of Yen to have a
college rikishi joining your heya.

The parents are a full of greed and kids just let them
dictate their life. Oyakatas want to make their heya
bigger and develop sekitoris as quickly as possible so
they'd rather opt for college rikishis than patiently
developing kids graduating from middle school. In
essence we are dealing with merchandizing than
developing the next generations of athletes for our
national sport. Once these oyakatas get a rikishi in
Makuuchi, they set up each individual supporters club
and start depending more and more on the revenues. 

I admit that we do have some college educated rikishis
who are devoted to the Sumodou such as Miyabiyama,
Dejima and Takamisakari. But we just see too many
others who learn to smoke, drink and womanizing and
don't dedicate themselves to sumo at all. No wonder
that the dohyo gets corrupted and the fans are turning
their back on Ozumo.

When you go to the dressing room, you find no tension
among them even immediately before their turn to go up
on the dohyo. When I was still active, during the
honbashos our head was totally occupied with sumo 24
hours a day. Now you see them talking aloud and
smoking. And you know what, you undoubtedly find a
college rikishi in the center of such a group.

These guys learn that if they get a title in their
college years they get a higher contract money or if
they get into the best 16 in All Japan, they get to
tart from Makushita Tsukedashi ranking. So they start
to give and take their tournament bouts. We have a lot
of college rikishis who learned to cheat while they
were still in college.

How can you ever expect those who learned to trick the
system in their amateur days to work hard once they
turn pro? These guys have no idea how to even fold
their own clothes and cook a chanko meal. They are a
bad influence to other rikishis not only in training
sessions but also in heya?s regular daily routines as
well.. 

When I inheried the heya, I was told by my previous
oyakata never to recruit a college rikishi. They'd
value their own college ?senpai-kouhai? bond more than
the Ichimon's relationship so they have no trouble
giving and taking their bout based on that loyalty. 

For a long time, "Shukan Post" magazine has been
pursuing Ozumo's Yaocho issues. Even while I was still
active, it did exist in some circumstances. For a
rikishi, nothing is more difficult that having a 7
wins and 7 losses record on the Senshuraku. Whether
you win or lose, some will suspect of Yaocho. I always
have been told by my shisho that ?if the opponent had
a 7-7 record, then make sure to get a win to drag him
down from his current rank". So I always went all out
to get a win..

However sometimes you don't feel like you want to go
after him aggressively for one reason or another. Or
when you see the guy really dejected or sometimes you
can't maintain your motivation for the full 15 days
and you let one slip away.

There was a popular phrase, "458 Ozeki"
(Shi-Go-Hachi), while I was active. In those days you
would get demoted if you had three straight Makekoshi,
so it meant after 45 days (meaning three bashos), make
sure you get 8 wins to remain in Ozeki. There is also
a word, "96 Ozeki" (Kun-Roku), describing mediocre
Ozekis who just barely maintaining his rank. 

There is a funny story about a certain Oyakata who
said he was happy that he was called "Kan-Roku Ozeki"
("Imposing") while he was an Ozeki. But when he heard
it carefully, he was actually told a "Kun-Roku Ozeki".

I once faced Maenoyma (the current Takadayama oyakata)
on the Senshuraku when he had a 7-7 record. Because I
beat him, he got Makekoshi and eventually got demoted
from Ozeki. At the time I really didn't want anyone to
accuse me, so I did my best to beat him. Even now the
oyakata says he could not forget that bout. I believe
he could joke about it now because we both went after
each other with all we had.

But for the rikishis nowdays, it's just too apparent.
There are just too many bouts that are indefensible
even they get accused of Yaocho. I have been in this
business for fifty years so if I see moves on the
dohyo, I can pretty well tell if there is a Yaocho
going on immediately. After I find myself wondering
how a rikishi who hardly had any training could win 8
or 9 bouts in one basho, what you know, in the next
basho sure enough the guy would manage only 2 wins.
Calling such a rikishi who goes up and down the
banzuke, an "Elevator Rikishi" is disrespectful to 
the elevator. The elevator at least stays at a top
floor sometimes or is stationary other times.

You can easily tell those trying to develop muscles by
taking steroids as well. They have nothing developed
from inside, they are just like stretched potatoes.
Not only they look awful but their sumo is even worse.
As soon as they get hit, that's the end of the bout.
They get slapped down and it's over for them. You can
bet there is no suspense left at the edge of the bout
as absolutely nothing remotely resembling comeback
will happen. Feeding on foods mixed with vitamins and
others may shape your body in a perfect symmetry but
it won't work on sumo in which two men tackle brutally
against each other.

You can't do things on the basho dohyo what you cannot
do in the training dohyo. You will train hard against
each other countless times to develop sufficient
muscles to sustain such an onslaught as well as doing
shikos and teppos. By following this you will be less
likely to get injured. The problem of too many
injuries today is not a Kyokai's problem but each
individual rikishi's.

I will mention such a typical college rikishi I can
hardly bear to watch now. He is my sister's son,
Tamanoshima, currently in Makuuchi. A good example of
his bout is on the Nagoya Basho Day 11 bout against
Kotonowaka. First he lost the left uwate, got pulled
in and then at the dohyo edge he fell down, collapsing
from his left knee. He has not built up his physique
properly so his weak lower body would give him away. 

I have been taking care of this Tamanoshima and his
older brother Tamamitsukuni with their parents, my
sister and her husband, at our heya since these two
were in elementary school. By being the nephews of
Isegahama oyakata, they have been paid a special
attention to them while they participated in kids
tournaments as well. They also had free use of our
heya's dohyo for practice. 

These two boys went to the Toyo University and joined
their Sumo Club which used our heya's training dohyo.
At the time of the older boy's graduation from the
University, the manager of the sumo club even came to
see me and told me it was proper and right for him to
join our heya. But my sister and her husband had a
certain reason for not wanting their sons to join our
heya. 

I will intend to elaborate on this matter later but
suffice to say they shopped their son around to other
heyas and picked Kitaonami Beya which offered them the
highest amount of the contract money. Not only
satisfied with this money, they even got their younger
son to quit the University so they could both join the
heya as a "set" with an even higher contract sum. They
are capable to do anything for more money and the
other will go along it without any sign of commotion. 

I believe this is the real reason why Ozumo's
popularity has declined so much. But despite all this,
I am not here to accuse Kitaonami (former Sekiwake
Tamanofuji) for his conduct. Because my sister and her
husband may have deceived him by telling him they got
my permission. "Any relatives however far remote
should join the heya they have a relation with," so
stated Rijicho Kasugano once. In the current Ozumo
society, even such a time honored tradition is being
ignored and discarded..

If these two nephews of mine have joined our heya,
they would have developed significantly different. I'd
be instructed them much tougher and got them trained
harder. Because of countless attempts by my sister and
her husband to rob me of my Toshiyori share and
subsequent fallouts from them, now these two won't
even acknowledge my presence nor greet me. At that
point they have disqualified themselves from being the
rikishis. 

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

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