Re: Musashimaru's name

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

At  3:42 PM 8/5/94 -0400, Zilgia Quafay wrote:
> >Speaking of nicknames, Musashimaru is called "Maru" in Japanese and it
> >is originally from the part of his own name. I don't know how you spell
> >it correctly in alphabet, though. Anyone?
>
>Musashimaru's given name is Fiamalu Penitani.  "Maru" corresponds to the
>"malu" portion of his first name.
>
>  -- Z.Q.

According to the interview of Okamisan (the wife of a stable master) at
Musashigawa-beya, the fact that Maru portion of Musashimaru corresponds to
the "malu" portion of his own name was  unintentional.

The first hawaiian rikishi from Musashigawa-beya was Musashibo, the name is
from the famous priest warrier Musashibo Benkei, a guardman to Minamoto-no
Kuro Yoshitsune, the youngest brother of Minamoto-no Tametomo, the founder
and the first Shogun of Kamakura Shogunate. This Hawaiian Musashibo was
strong enough to win Jonokuchi yusho as his first basho without a loss. But
when he went home to help their family's damaged house, he never came back
to sumo, again.

Based on this disappointing experience, Musashigawa Oyakata almost gave up
the idea of having a Hawaiian rikishi. But when he invited Fiamalu Penitani
to stay at heya to see what rikishi life is like for two month without any
sumo practice, Oyakata liked his attitude and his almost ideal body for
sumo. 

Oyakata and Okamisan came up with the name, Musashimaru, for him based on
the image of a ship coming from Hawaii to Japan. In Japan xx-maru is the
most ordinary name for ships and boats. Almost all Japanese ships and
boats, if not all, has maru as the last portion of her name.

Of course Fiamalu Penitani loved the name very much. Only after reporting
Musashimaru name to Sumo Kyokai, they realize the Maru portion exactly
matches his nickname back in Hawaii.

This story is almost unbelievable, but I don't see any reason why Okamisan
needs to lie about it.
I guess this name was waiting for Fiamalu Penitani to use, and Fiamalu
Penitani was meant to be a rikishi.

By the way, Musashibo was not the only gaijin rikishi quit sumo without a
loss. Actually, Canadian Kototenzan (originally Kototenta) won three
consecutive yusho, at Jonokuchi, Jonidan and Sandanme without a loss. Then
he decided to quit. He eventually could not stand the sumo tradition, at
all. Later he became Earthquake in American Professional Wrestling.

-Masumi
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Masumi Abe                               阿部　加史（あべ　ますみ）
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