[sumo] Takanohana Oyakata and Ozumo

[Joe Kuroda <joe_kuroda@yahoo.com>]

Just apologies to the list as I am getting behind on
my Rikishi Talk as I am currently on another sumo
related "assignment" that needs to be completed but
once I finish it I try to quickly catch up.

My name was mentioned along with Moti but I haven't
been able to read torrential amount of mail I just
picked up but I'd like to let you know there is
something very serious and almost subversive going on
in the Kyokai and Ozumo that was alluded by one of
Moti's reports yesterday.

Takanohana oyakata is gradually attempting to alter
the fundamental structures of how Ozumo has been
operating for decades. His reforms are based on his
fervent beliefs in Sumodoh - one Japanese sports
commentator calls him a Sumodoh Fundamentalist.
Takanohana feels the current heya structures and
recruiting methods will eventually kill off Ozumo and
dilute the purity and essence of Sumodoh. 

As we have observed from his continuing battles with
his own brother, former Yokozuna Wakanohana III (and
to a lesser degree his uncle former Wakanohana I), he
will never rest until he gets a satisfactory response
from them (he has just toned down his rhetoric to
appease the Kyokai executives and other oyakatas).
Takanohana will take no prisoner in his efforts to
clean up the Kyokai and the current status quo but he
knows he is still young so he believes his time will
come eventually.

So what does Takanohana want?

1. He wants to abolish the current supporters club
system where a few influential and rich supporters can
control the heya operations and management.  He has
already disbanded the old Futagoyama Beya Supporters
Club to much chagrin of his father's cronies and
friends. Instead he instituted a heya supporter
network similar to other sports organizations where
they collect a membership fee but Takanohana and his
wife completely control the operations.

2. He is trying to change the current operating hours
of basho so that the main bouts will be shown on TV
during prime time and more people can attend a basho
after work and school like night baseball games.

3. He wiill be trying to fundamentally shift the
current recruiting system by setting up an elite sumo
school for students - there the kids will not only
learn academic subjects but also learn the principles
of Japanese Budo and Sumodoh as well as participating
in sumo training.

4. He will also work towards gradual abolition of heya
 based system. All rikishis will belong to and work
under the Kyokai umbrella.  There will be no heya
owning oyakata nor even a Toshiyori system as there
are only rikishis and coach/oyakatas.  Takanohana has
already decided to change a little bit of how a heya
operates. He and his wife are the only oyakata and
okamisan combo who do not live at their heya. They
maintain their own separate residence and they both
commute to the heya building. This has already created
a great deal of frictions between him and other heya
owning oyakatas.

What I pointed out are only "known" ideas of
Takanohana as he has a comprehensive set of agendas on
how Ozumo should operate but he is already casting
quite a bit of fears within the Kyokai directors and
executives. So far many oyakatas are quietly
tolerating Takanohana's radical ideas but Takanohana
is setting a motion of the future changes already but
at the moment it's unlikely that he can transform his
concept to reality anytime soon.  

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

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