Re: Kirishima

[Martin J Duerst <mduerst@ifi.unizh.ch>]

Blaine Erickson <erickson@hawaii.edu> wrote:

>The thing that struck me about this match was Kirishima's pitiful
>excuse for trying to get a left-hand uwate.  He had his hand on
>Kotobeppu's mawashi *several* times, each time in position to get a
>grip, but his hand just slipped off every time.  Although I can't say
>for certain that this was yaochoo/chuusha/whatever you want to call it
>(Kirishima's getting old, and he doesn't have the technique he used
>to), it seems to me that anyone who can't get a grip with his hand in
>the position Kirishima's was in is someone who could never become a
>rikishi in the first place, much less an Ozeki.
>
>Then again, maybe it was just a bad day for the old man...
>
>Any other comments on the Kyushu home-town boy who lost every match
>after his kachikoshi?

I have not had a chance to see any sumo matches this basho, but I
just wanted to say that if anybody would need to be involved in such
give-and-take activities, it would probably be Kirishima. Every bout
he can give away will make somebody indepted to him, and will give
him a chance to get something back when he desperately needs it,
and so will help him stay in Makuuchi longer and increase his chance
of finally getting a toshiyori kabu. On the other hand, winning 9-6
or 10-5 will just put him higher in the banzuke next time, and bring
him a lot of losses next time.

Regards,	Martin.