[no subject]

[Basten <cbasten@statgen.ncsu.edu>]

Here are two messages form Moti (moti@ozumo.info) 
 that bounced.  Sorry if they are 
duplicates.  -Chris


Subject: Stuff from today

Kotooushu injured his right shoulder during yesterday's keiko. "As I was 
doing some butsugari, I felt a pain in my right shoulder. I can raise my 
arm, but it hurts.."
Sadogatake Oyakata who was hospitalised for quite a while returned to 
the keiko-ba today, and was heard shouting healthily at his rikishi and 
encouraging them to get serious.

Asashouryuu was sort of present for the tsunauchi ceremony held at 
Takasago today. He arrived home late last night after returning from 
Mongolia, and appeared at around 11, about an hour after the tsuna was 
ready. "It seems a bit lighter this time", he joked.
Asked about tomorrow's YDC soken, he replied "I wonder how I'll do 
tomorrow. There is no reason to overdo it, though..", he said, implying 
that he may not be going all out.

The new recruits for Hatsu-basho deadline was yesterday. The number is 
in double-digits for the first time since last May. Among the noted 
newcomers- Sawai (Sakaigawa), Kageyama (Kasugano) and the Hungarian 
Masutouou from Chiganoura. Physicals commence tomorrow morning, January 5th.

Kintamayama
http://www.dichne.com

Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2005 00:29:39 +0200
From: Moti <moti@ozumo.info>
Subject: Special-Are rikishi doing it right?(bandwidth drainer)

The Kyokai is yet again attempting to address the decline of rikishi 
manners and the way the age old rituals are being performed lately.
It all started with Asashouryuu's taking the winner's envelope with his 
left hand instead of the right. The official stand is that the taking of 
the kenshokin envelopes are much like taking offerings from the gods, 
hence they should be done with the "clean" right hand rather than the 
"tainted" left. (this has been totally dismissed as hogwash elsewhere..) 
There is also the question of the "tegatana" hand gestures and their 
correct order. Then, Kyokai authorities started noticing other slacking 
of rituals, such as the fact that the chirichouzu, (when the opponents 
squat opposite each other at the beginning of a match wioth ousteetched 
hands etc..) was being done wrong by an increasing amount of rikishi, 
led by the Mongolians. Then, some rikishi who were waiting dohyo-side 
for their bout were doing so with legs outstretched, instead of the 
mandatory cross-legged style. "Even if a rikishi has a leg unjury, he 
should bear the pain and sit the correct way!", said Shibatayama Oyakata.
There are problems of conduct inside the heyas themselves as well. 
Oshiogawa Oyakata has been quite vocal of the fact that the new deshi 
out of college don't do toilet duty, even though it is one of the tasks 
a lower ranked rikishi has to perform. Furthermore, Takadagawa Oyakata 
says the rikishi have forgotten their manners. "No 'good morning', 
'thank you', between themselves. No manners. I yell my head off at them 
when that happens. If someone keeps acting that way, I send him home!!", 
he said. There have also been cases where when a rikishi was 
disciplined, his parents would come around and shout at the Oyakata for 
doing so.
The deshi hierarchy also seems to be coming apart at the seams. What 
used to be obvious isn't so obvious anymore, say some Oyakata. The 
dwindling number of recruits seems to be one reason.
There is a famous story about Wakanohana I who went up to Takanohana I's 
room where he was asleep and late for asageiko, and hit him with a 
bamboo cane till he bled. These things were pretty common in the past, 
and served to harden the rikishi's resolve etc.
When rikishi enter Sumo, they go to "sumo school", where they learn 
penmanship and Sumo stuff, like correct keiko and the right way to do 
rituals. From there, it's up to the heyas to hone their personalities 
and teach/remind them the correct way to do things.
Times are changing, and the Kyokai is influenced by these changes as 
well. Disrespect and disobedience are emerging in Japanese society as of 
late, and it hasn't skipped the Sumo world.

The rikishi "manner book" looks something like this:

No spitting on the dohyo.
No showing of any emotions after winning.
Kensho should be taken with the right hand.
If your opponent is injured, you should help him up.
A rikishi may only wear a mawashi on the dohyo.
Whoever is ranked higher on the Banzuke gets to eat his chanko first. 
The same goes for the bath.
A sekitori gets a private room at the heya. Makushita and lower get 
shared lodgings.
A veteran rikishi, even if lower ranked, must be respected by a newer 
and higher ranked deshi and is addressed accordingly.
-- 
Kintamayama
http://www.dichne.com

[EndPost by Basten <cbasten@statgen.ncsu.edu>]