[sumo] Oguruama/Kotokaze (long)

[Joe Kuroda <joe_kuroda@yahoo.com>]

Kaikitsune started a thread on SumoForum about
Oguruma/Oshiogawa and here's my contribution all in
one post (if you want to see the pictures associated
to this, please check here:
http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=5787&hl=

-----
Known for his indomitable willpower and unyielding
spirit, Kotokaze overcame a series of serious injuries
and was loved by many sumo fans for his dynamic yotsu
style and radiating smiles. At his home, his wife
Fumie says, former Ozeki Kotokaze, now Oguruma
oyakata, 47, is "a hopelessly sweet man" .

As he got married after his retirment from active
sumo, his two kids have never seen him compete on the
dohyo. However through books, videos and listening to
many others, they've discovered how wonderful the
rikishi Kotokaze was and for that reason they can see
him far more objectively.

In that sense, unlike some others who grew up getting
spoiled as a child of such and such sekitori, they
truly understand how great their father once was and
appreciate him even more.

They can appreciate their father's kindness so much
more because they know full well how he endured harsh
training, trials and tributions of sumo life. That's
why there is no trace of rupture in this family at
all. Everyone can talk to everyone else
frankly without any hesitation.

The oyakata is a firm and active believer of positive
thinking. He tries to switch around any negativity and
push all the positives through. It shows in how he
built his family life.

"You know, ever since I joined Ozumo at 14 years old,
I was never able to spend any time together with my
own family. So when I got married, I wanted to put my
family first and foremost and build a good family
life. Unless you can't have fun with your family,
eveything else is pretty much meaningless." Oguruma
oyakata said. This was how he turned his minus into a
plus.

Another positive thinking of his is to encourage his
kids to try out sports. Not just because he has been a
rikishi but he knows fully well how sports can enhance
the quality of life as he has been a dedicated athlete
throughout his childhood.

"Because sports can teach you a senior and junior
relationship and order in a natural environment. It
also teaches you that it's you who is ultimately
responsible for your own action and you cannot put any
blame to anyone else but you. It really makes you
honest. You can learn a lot about life from it."

As well as receiving sound lessons from their father,
his daugher Aki, 17, is now playing badminton at high
school while his son Kohei, 15, is doing judo. Their
open and generous nature easily melts into the heya
atmosphere too. They are so friendly to the heya's
rikishis that they treat them more like their brothers
and extended members of the family.

[Sumo magazine - November 2004]

------------------
Ozeki Kotokaze Kouki
Sadogatake Beya
Real Name: Koichi Nakayama
Born: April 26, 1957 in Tsu, Mie Prefecture
Dohyo debut:: July 1971
Juryo debut:: November 1975
Makuuchi debut: January 1977
Last basho: November 1985
Shikona: Nakanoyama -> Kotokaze
Career: 49 Bashos 395 wins 249 losses 80 kyujo
Yusho - 2; Jyun-Yusho: 5; Shunkun 3; Kanto 2; Gino 1;
Kin 6

Born second son of a contruction worker, Kotokaze
suffered a serious jaundice at birth and his mother
was told that he had a little chance to survive so she
took him home. But soon he started to recover quickly
and by the time he was in second grade at an
elementary school, he already weighed 60 kg. As he was
overweight, his mark in physical education class was
not good but his other marks were outstanding so he
had a dream of becoming a college professor some day.

His father once participated in sumo competition while
he was in the navy and loved Ozumo. Kotokaze met
Kotozakura through Kotogahama when they came around
for a Jyungyo tournament held in a newly opened
gymnagium at his sister's high school. Since then he
asked to become a driver at Osaka Basho and Jyungyo
but was declined (I believe he was too young). When he
was 14 years old (the second grade in junior high
school), he went to their heya keiko with his father
and was asked to join immediately by Kotozakura who
was planning to open a new heya when he retired.

Kotozakura asked him to transfer to another school
near his home so he could live with him and go to
school while training with him at a nearby park.
However then Sadogatake oyakata soon learned of this
and he was quickly taken back to the heya to continue
his training.

Kotokaze was known to have a good sense of humor and
was always cheerful. He did not have flexible lower
body especially his thighs and knees but once he
grabbed his opponent's mawashi from hidari-yotsu, he
could push his opponent off with enormous power.
However once he was put on defensive, he'd lost out
easily.

Initially when he joined the heya, he was considered
as a specially chosen recruit of Kotozakura, others at
the heya treated him terribly and he was ready to quit
just prior to the July basho in 1974 but during the
basho. then Sadogatake oyakata passed away and
Kotozakura inherited the heya so he stayed.

After he was promoted to Sekiwake, he suffered a
serious injury to his left knee joint and his rank
dropped all the way down to Makushita 30 level. With
his undaunted tenacious spirit and totally
offense-only strategy, he climbed back again to
Makuuchi in only one year. In July 1980 he faced
Tochihikari, the same opponent whom he had the injury
initially and ended up suffering another injury. But
even this setback did not faze Kotokaze as he
eventually went on to become an Ozeki.

In May 1985 as he faced Kadoban, he suffered another
injury to his knee joint but this time to his right
knee and was forced to withdraw the next two bashos so
he could put all his efforts in treating the injury
but could not make a comeback and retired at the age
of 28 years old.

As a rikishi Kotokaze was always remembered for his
dedication to Keiko and Ozumo. He possessed a sincere
and straight forward personality and was well liked by
many.

--------------------

My Memorable Bout
(The 1984 September Basho Senshuraku - Kotokaze over
Konishiki by Sukuinage)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Oguruma Oyakata

I have more than a few memorable bouts of my own - the
ones I beat a yokozuna, I won the Yusho and my last
career bout - against Terao. But the most memorable
bout of them all is the one I beat Konishiki after
over a two minute of struggle in the Seshuraku at the
very last basho we had in the old Kuramae Kokugikan.

This was Konishiki's second Makuuchi basho. He was
then called the "Invasion of the Black Ship", as he
defeated one by one, both Yokozunas Chiyonofuji and
Takanosato, and then Wakashimazu-zeki by powerful
tsuppari.

Normally on the Senshuraku, we had an Ozeki facing
another Ozeki so I expected to go against Asashio-zeki
but in this rather unusual situation, I was picked to
face Konishiki. At this stage if I beat him, then we
would had the Yusho by Hiramaku Tagaryu who had one
loss but if I lost to Konishiki, with only two losses
he still had a possilbilty of getting into a Yusho
Kettei sen. In this basho I was experiencing a lot of
problems with my knee and I could not have any quality
training at all. As a matter of fact I was barely able
to continue while extractng liquid out of my injured
knee regularly.

On this day, all of Makuuchi rikishis and Kyokai
executives stayed on till the end for the special
farewell ceremony to be held at the conclusion. After
the bout when I walked back on the Hanamichi, both
former Mihogaseki oyakata (former Ozeki Masuiyama
Daishiro) and former Kataonami oyakata (former
Sekiwake Tamanoumi) were there at the back, watching
me. I still remember that they were very happy for me
as they congratulated me and said to me, "a great
work".

I end up retiring one year later but I always have a
special fondness for this bout as one of my most
memorable bouts in the twilight years of my sumo life.

------------------

The heya was founded by former Ozeki Kotokaze who
retired his active career at November 1985 and left
Sadogatake Beya to form his own Heya in Inari, Souka
City Saitama Prefecture on March 23, 1987.

In June 1993 the heya was moved to Koto-ward in Tokyo
and the heya opening ceremony was held on April 24,
1994. In July 2000 Tomikaze became the heya's first
Juryo rikishi.

Initially they had a heya policy of not admitting a
college or foreign born rikishi but when former
College Yokouzna from Chuo University, Narita (current
Takekaze) came to personally ask to join, the policy
was lifted. Since then Morishita of Takushoku
University who wanted to follow Narita and former
Amateur Yokozuna at Nihon Taiiku University Onishi
joined the heya. Onishi is now ranked at a high
Makushita rank.

They also have a Mongolian rikishi who could not
originally join Sadogatake Beya, Hoshikaze, (Tottori
Johoku High School Sumo Club - an alma mater of
Kotomitsuki), aiming for a high Makushita ranking.
-------------------

Hoshikaze Yoshihiro (from Mongolia, 20 years old)

"He has a really sincere personality. Mostly he can
quickly learn what he is told. He belonged to a high
school sumo club but he broke his collar bone three
times so he hardly had any time to train during his
high school days. We've been telling him not to pull
in training sessions but once in a real bout he tends
to go back to the bad habit. Right now that is the
biggest challenge for him.
-----------------

Reinforced concrete built 4 story occupying
approximately 396 sq meter land, with total floor
space of 920 sq meters.
1st flloor: Training dohyo, chanko room, bath, living
room.
2nd floor: Grand room for non-sekitori rikishis, 3
private rooms.
3rd floor: Oyakata family private residence.
4th floor: Training gym and rooftop deck.
Cost: 200 Million Yen (at the time of construction)

Address: 2-15-5 Kiyosumi Koto-ku Tokyo Japan?@135-0024
Train: Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line or Toei Chikatetsu
Oedo Line "Kiyosumi Shirakawa" Station 3 minute walk

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

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