Re: Ranking Movement Tracking

[Masumi Abe <abe@sentius.com>]

Peter:

As I wrote, my comment was about the promotion and demotion "among
Maegashira rikishi".

As the case of between komusubi/sekiwake and maegashira, 
it tends to have more promotion than demotion, and end up with
more rikishi in higher rank than the guideline. 

For example, the current number of Maku(no)uchi rikishi has been
40 for a while, but according to Sumo Kyokai's guideline, if I
remember correctly, the number of Maku(no)uchi rikishi should
be 38. It has increased by 2, and they have been difficult time
keeping the number within the guideline. That has been a traditional
trend for a long long time.

High ranked juyo rikishi usually have good-enough to be lower
rank Maku(no)uchi rikishi, but the lower maegashira rikishi 
refuse to be demoted to juryo and "fix" hoshi as long as possible.

So, one time, it was about 25 years ago, I believe, Sumo Kyokai
cut the number of Maku(no)uchi rikishi and Juryo rikishi drastically.
At that time, even kachikoshi rikishi in both Maku(no)uchi and 
Juryo were demoted to lower rank. Since then, the guideline said
number of Maku(no)uchi rikishi should be 38 and Juryo should be
24. (I don't have referece, so this number might be off.)

Now, there are 40 Maku(no)uchi rikishi and 26 Juryo rikishi.
That's 4 more sekitori than the current guideline.

When Tochiazuma was promoted to Maku(no)uchi, Misugisato's
record was 7-8 with some cussion betwee juyo and him, but
he was demoted to juryo to let Tochiazuma being promoted.

I'm sure Misugisato felt he was treated unfairly. But there 
are no "strict rule" of rikishi's right in promotion or restricted
demotion. Sumo Kyokai has all the right to do whatever they
want.

Historically, there were so many unfair treatment of rikishi
from smaller heya compared to the rikishi from larger heya, 
or heya owned by politically powerful oyakata.

-Masumiriki

Peter J. Parbrook wrote:
> 
> > General guideline among Maegashira rikishi are that the difference between
> > wins and losses are the numbers of promotion and demotion. This is not at all
> > a strict guideline. Kachikoshi's promotion has much higher priority than
> > keeping makekoshi rikishi's demotion "fairly".
> >
> 
> Abe-san,
> 
> You are quite right about all you wrote, but there is an exception to
> the fair demotion rule: Even if four rikishi in Juryo put together
> records that 'fairly' would see them as shin-nyumaku.  Makuuchi
> rikishi will not be 'unfairly' demoted to Juryo to make way for them.
> 

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