yaocho etc.

[mabe@netcom.com (Masumi Abe)]

I've read those articles by "Post", also. I enjoy reading them, and I
believe there must be at least some truth in it. I don't like yaocho
and would like to see the all-out matches. On the other hand, I don't
want to judge which was yaocho match or not. 

I don't think it is possible to tell what is yaocho and what is not. 
Since sumo is basically a single match, it is very difficult to avoid
fixed match altogether. Even if there are no yaocho matches, people
might keep insisting that there is yaocho in sumo. It is impossible.

That does not say that I am completely satisfied by the recent trend
of sumo. What I don't like is increasing of okuridashi and "henka" at
tachiai. I don't mind to see "henka" by smaller rikishi, but I totally
dissapointed by "henka" by higher ranked rikishi and larger rikishi.
You need to develop both offensive techniques and defensive techniques
equally well, but it seems to me that many of recent and current rikishi
are more interested in winning easily.

In my personal opinion, this trend is more serious problem than yaocho
issue, in a sense. I don't think easy looking match, or mukiryoku-zumo
are the yaocho matches, if we believe rikishi's intelligent level as
decent. If you do yaocho, you don't do it easily, I don't think. If 
I were involved in yaocho as rikishi, I will show how serious I am, 
and then after a while, youi became tired and could not resist too
well and eventually lose. Poeple will see it a well fought match without
question. On the other hand, if you do a mukiryoku-zumo, people start
wondering if this is yaocho sumo. Rikishi does not have any reson to 
do such yaocho.

There are many yaocho style, and most common style is said to be, in a 
way "banking system", or borrow and return system. Also, in many cases,
there is "kata-yaocho" in which only one rikishi knows what's going on.

In any sports, there are many questionable games and matches. Star 
basketball player keep missing 3-pointers, star tennis player suddenly
start unforced errors and double faults. Star baseball player could
not hit decently in a chance, start pitcher pitches an easy ball and
lose a game, etc., etc.

Some sumo fans are against the idea of adopting a kojin-betsu so-atari
because they believe it will increase yaocho. This is stupid opinion.
As long as fans keep watching closely, they have rather difficult time
at least doing it in obvious fassion. As long as they are not obvious,
no one could claim that they are truely yaocho.

For me, as long as the matches and competitions are exciting, it will
be OK. As a fan, I will keep my eyes on mukiryoku-zumo and too easy
matches.

-Masumi