Re: RE:Rankings - and a Question

[steveb@telco.com (Stephen Baker)]

Jack Gartin writes:

>>Question:  Abe-san, or anyone else who remembers, there was an Ozeki, Kirinji
>>during the Haku-Ho jidai (Taiho/Kashiwado), he had a nickname, maybe
>>the giraff?  He had no neck and was an excellent sekitori but never made
>>it beyond Ozeki.  What *was* his nickname?

Masumi Abe writes:

>Ozeki Kirinji I was a unique rikishi. His joints were very flexible, or
>looked that way. He keep moving his body all the time during shikiri-naoshi
>before the actual match..(stuff deleted).. I thought he was active later than
>Haku-Ho jidai, maybe the latter half of just Taiho jidai, and Kita-Tama
>(Kitanofuji-Tamanoumi) jidai.

(stuff deleted)

>If my memory is correct, he changed his name (shikona) from Kirinji to
>Dai-Kirin, a big grown-up Kirin, when he became an ozeki. If this was the
>case, there were no "Ozeki Kirinji" but only "Ozeki Dai-Kirin".

I didn't recognize the name Kirinji, but I definitely remember Dai-Kirin. He 
was indeed an Ozeki during the end of the Taiho jidai and during the Kita-Tama 
jidai. I also remember him for his unusual flexibility, especially his hips and
knees. I always found his bouts fascinating, although he was constantly 
loosening up prior to his match, he always did it in such a way that he looked 
rather slow and casual, almost disinterested. But once the bout commenced, he 
suddenly would erupt and attack his opponent in a wild and frenzied manner. I 
seem to recall his matches were generally very short and decisive, with his 
hair in total disarray (his top knot almost completely undone) after each bout.

As far as a nickname, sorry I can't recall any. Although the "giraffe"
nickname may have been a logical choice due to the Japanese meanings 
surrounding his name, it certainly didn't fit him from any physical standpoint. 
As Jack wrote earlier, he had no neck, and in fact he always struck me has 
having a classic sumo physique in that he was somewhat short with a great round 
belly, strong flexible hips, and a very low center of gravity.

BTY, Kirin beer is also one of my favorites along with Asahi. (:-d

-Steve