Harding Rumor, foreign rikishi

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

From: Riley@hachi.hi-tech.ac.jp
>Subject: Haru Basho: Day 10
>Cc: Soc.culture.japan@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
>Sender: sumo-owner@essspg.stat.ncsu.edu

>Let's start a rumor:  Tonya Harding is to enter sumo at the
>Makushita level.  Says the Kyokai member (wishing anonymity):
>Normally she would start lower due to lack of sumo training,
>but seeing as how Ms. Harding's ferocity is well-known, we
>will try her out at a higher ranking.
>
>Mata nee....
>
>David
>riley@hachi.hi-tech.ac.jp
>
After Sumo Kyokai rejected Ms. Harding's application to be a sumo rikishi,
Ms. Harding and her lawyer sued Sumo Kyokai for physical and sexual
discrimination.  Traditionally, certain physical and sexual conditions are
required to enter the sumo community as a rikishi.  

Comment: With hearing a news of a female picher's success story in US
college baseball, Sumo Kyokai should open their doors to any applicants who
wants to be a sumo rikishi regardless of their physical or sexual
apperances.  This will attract many more people to sumo :-).

There are many foreign born rikishi are in sumo society from countries such
as US, Argentin, Brazil, Mongoria, China and Korea.  They need to be with
"very dark" hair.  There is a physical check before entering the
"mae-zumou" which are test matches before being ranked in Jonokuchi, the
lowest official rank in sumo society.

To become a rikishi, there are several requirments to pass through.
1. male (This is the most important criteria, but I don't think it is
actually written in any official document of Sumo Kyokai.  Does anyone
know?)
2. being scouted by a sumo scout who belongs to a certain stable
or apply to a certain stable
3. taller than 170 cm
4. heavier than 75 kg
5. having black or very dark hair
6. don't mind with being practically naked all the time with only a mawashi
7. doing chores for stable and rikishi with more experience
8. winning two consecutive matches twice in "mae-zumou" at a basho
9. introduced as Ichiban-shusse rikishi, or Niban-shusse rikishi using a
sekitori's "keshou-mawashi", mawashi with decorated apron in front.
("Sekitori includes all rikishi in Juryou and above.)
10. finally at the next basho, becomes a jonokuchi rikishi and being on the
printed rank the first time


BTW, how are Hoshi-Andesu and Hoshi-Tango doing this basho in Juryo?  In
case you don't know them, they are both Corcasians with black hair from
Argentin.  The first ever Corcasian sumo rikishi was Koto-Tenta from
Canada, current Earthquake in professional wrestling.  He quit while he was
in Makushita rank.

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Masumi Abe
Director, Japan Market Development              Tel: (415) 966-0824
Kaleida Labs, Inc.                              Fax: (415) 966-0496
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