Re: Akebono vs. other Konishiki + Musashimaru

[Koichi Wago <wago@loki.stanford.edu>]

  > I respect this explanation very much.   In practicing Kendo I have 
  > experienced exactly that kind of wall with the people who originally 
  > taught me.   I try to win of course, but it's very, very hard to get them.
  > 
  > It makes sense, doesn't it?   They taught me all the basics, watched 
  > every step of my development, and psychologically seem forever far above 
  > me in my Kendo career....    

It makes sense. Having had some experience of Kendo myself, I understand 
that, in such sports as Kendo and sumo where a suttle timing makes a big
effect, psychology plays a big role. It explains "ani-deshi make" and
why 7-7 rikishis almost always win, to some extent. However, to me, the
early bouts between Hawaiian rikishis looked too obvious. Maybe that's
because I had too much prejudice after following Shukan Post's campaign
so long. 

According to their report, Musashimaru is basically a 'gachinko' rikishi.
He only used to accept 'chusha' (injection), which  is another word for
'yaocho', from Konishiki and Akebono. But he changed that policy in 
January, 1993, when Konishiki was kadoban. It was too difficult to lose
intentionally given his power and Konishiki's condition, and he did it
'gachinko' and won. In the same basho, he beat Akebono, too. Ever since,
he had been a real 'gachinko' rikishi, until another rumor came out 
about the recent bouts between Akebono and Musashimaru. The rumor says
that Akebono 'sold' the bout in this Hatsu-basho to Musashimaru. 
The price was originally 500M yen, half the yusho prize. Akebono thought 
either he or Musashimaru would win the yusho and he wasn't in a perfect 
shape so he would rather give away that basho to Musashimaru in exchange for
the return in the near future. 

These rumors were reported as a form of testimony of an anonymous active
rikishi 'X', so I don't trust it as much as the testimony of Tamanoumi
Umekichi. Also, unlike the early bouts between them, their bouts in these
two bashos didn't look set up obviously even after I heard the rumor. 

Koichi Wago

p.s. It's been quite a while since I last grabbed a shinai...