Osaka Sumo - 2nd day

[A & V Antoce <antoce@main.biochem.osakafu-u.ac.jp>]

	Because I promised, here is the story of the second day of the Osaka Sumo
Tournament. I have to warn you, though, that there is a very unpleasant
personal happening in the end. I tried to make it sound humouros, but I
doubt it worked. Anyway, here it is:
	It was a live broadcast on a local TV station (Yomiuri TV). In Osaka we had
17 deg Celsius today and 92% humidity. This might have something to do with
the rain :-) , because it has been raining from Wednesday and doesn't seem
it is going to stop anytime soon. The weather didn't keep people at home,
though; there were 13,200 in the Osaka Castle Hall, which is 600 more than
yesterday, and again we had "manin-onrei" banners (as well as empty seats, I
must say...)
	The invited comentator was Wakamatsu oyakata - former Asashio ozeki. We had
the chance to see the replay of two of his matches. The first was in 1983
Haru Basho - he won but hurt himself somewhere in the face, which got
covered with a lot of blood. The other was a textbook example of
tsukioshi-sumo, and was from 1975 Haru Basho.
	We also watched another replay of a great match between Takanohana-I and
Takamiyama, from the Aki-Basho of 1980. It seemed to me that Takamiyama,
despite of the "yama" in his shikona, had a rather small body; but then,
maybe his name meant exactly "the mountain which _looks_ high". The fact is
that Takanohana was al over him at the edge, in a position where 99.9% of
the viewers would indicate him as a winner. And yet, Takamiyama, almost
touching the dirt with his back, manages to execute a kind of throw which is
more often seen (and possible) at judo matches. He got the victory, after a
"monoii". Very impressing.
	Now let's get to today's action. The contest was similar to the one held
yesterday: the winner goes on, loser is out. The prize for the champion was
the same - 4 million yen.

Ikkaisen (first round)
1) Konishiki - Misugisato.
Konishikis's forward movement,  ("deashi" ?) was absent today; he stopped
immediately after tachiai. After a few seconds Misugisato executed the
throw. Winner: Misugisato (uatenage).

2) Asanowaka - Dejima
Asanowaka received a lot of cheers for his shikiri act, and charged strongly
at tachiai. Dejima waited for him, and probably watched carefully. Winner:
Dejima (hatakikomi).
There was a picture of Asanowaka at 6-7 years old; they said that at that
age he used to like sports and "itazura" (jokes ? practical jokes ?) and
dreamed to own some cattle...

3) Yamato - Ganyu
A match of mawashi-sumo. Winner: Yamato (yorikiri).

Nikaisen (second round)
1) Akinoshima - Kotoinazuma
Kotoinazuma started with a "nodowa", then got his both hands deep inside
("morozashi"), then grabbed a leg of Akinoshima, getting him close to the
edge. Winner: Kotoinazuma (oshidashi).

2) Minatofuji - Tochiazuma.
A very dynamic fight. Minatofuji got a hand outside (uate), then both hands
on the mawashi, lifted up Tochiazuma and carried him to the margin of the
dohyo. Tochiazuma was resisting, so Minatofuji added a nodowa, but it still
took him a little while to finish. Winner: Minatofuji (I' not very sure,
probably by uatenage).

3) Kotonishiki - Misugisato.
Winner: Misugisato (fushosen). Kotonishiki was absent because he got injured
in yesterday's match with Takanonami. I'm not sure what kind of injury; I
think some swelling or bad bruise; but the comentator was saying that he
will be fine after a few days of rest.

4) Daihisho - Tamakasuga.
Tamakasuga was veri active, but Daihisho seemed so big and "unmovable".
Winner: Daihisho (oshitaoshi).

5) Daishi - Aogiyama.
Winner: Aogiyama (fusensho). Daishi was absent because he caught a cold.

6) Oginishiki - Asanosho.
Winner: Oginishiki (yorikiri).

7) Kotoryu - Dejima.
Kotoruy got both hands deep inside (morozashi) right from the beginning and
lifted Dejima twice in the air, but to no big result. The 3 time he lifted
_and_ carried Dejima to the edge of the dohyo. Winner: Kotoryu (yorikiri).
They were discussing Dejima's name, as being very suitable with hist style
of "one way only" pushing sumo, and to my surprise I found out that "Dejima"
is in fact his real life name!

8) Yamato - Kaio.
Kaio got his favorite right-hand-outside grip, which allowed him to get
Yamato out of balance. Winner: Kaio (uatedashinage); interestingly, although
a "nage" kimarite, Yamato didn't really fall to the ground - the "dashi"
part was the winning one.
There was a picture of Kaio too; they said he was 4.25 kg when born, and as
a child he liked Doraemon (a famous character in Japanese cartoons).

Sankaisen (third round)
1) Takanohana - Kotoinazuma.
The two rikishi took a solid hold of each other, executed 3 or 4
turn-arounds like in a waltz (I can tell you even that they were rotating
clockwise), then Kotoinazuma tried a leg trick (sotogake) which probably
helped a little. Winner: Kotoinazuma (I'm not sure, I think by yorikiri).
They said that Takanohana's expression, while returning to the shitaku-beia,
was one of great disappointment, but I don't think he took these matches too
seriously.

2) Minatofuji - Musoyama.
Musoyama kept his head a little too low during tachiai. Winner: Minatofuji
(hatakikomi).

3) Tosanoumi - Misugisato.
Tosanoumi pushed hard, the way he used to do when he came to makuuchi.
Winner: Tosanoumi (yorikiri).

4) Daihisho - Musashimaru.
Musashimaru did a great job in blocking any acces to his mawashi, he kept
his hands in front all the time, and the suddenly charged ahead. Winner:
Musashimaru (yorikiri).

5) Takanonami - Aogiyama.
Aogiyama was doing all kinds of stuff, nodowa and oshi included, but
Takanonami turned easily the situation in his favor. Winner: Takanohana
(again I'm not sure - I think it was yorikiri).

6) Oginishiki - Kyokushuzan.
Kyokushuzan made a small step aside at tachiai and got a hand outside very
deep (hidari uate). Then put his right hand on the back of Oginishiki's neck
and started rotating him; when they got speed (after 3-4 turns) he released
the opponent, then got behind him. Very nice match! Winner: Kyokushuzan
(okuridashi).

7) Takatoriki - Kotoryu.
A mild tachiai, from which Takatoriki got lifted to a standing position.
Winner: Kotoryu (yorikiri).
The oyakata was kidding: maybe Takatoriki was satisfied enough with
yesterday's prize...

8) Kaio - Akebono.
Tremendous tachiai from both rikishi. Akebono got a grip of Kaio's mawashi,
with the left hand, and then charged forward. Winner: Akebono (yorikiri).

Jun-jun-kessho (quarte-finals)
1) Kotoinazuma - Minatofuji.
There was some tsuppari from both parts, then they got in a "yotsu" and each
tried a throw. Winner: Minatofuji (shitatedashinage). Oyakata said that this
match was decided by weight.

2) Tosanoumi - Musashimaru.
Tosanoumi took a hold of the ozeki's mawashi, but while he was busy working
on it he got dangerously bent forward - his legs remained behind. Winner:
Musashimaru (katasukashi).

3) Takanonami - Kyokushuzan.
	On a hanamichi report, they cited Takanonami as saying something like: my
opponent is full of techniques, so it makes no sense to think too much
before the bout; you just have to get there very concentrated.
	At first Takanonami had no grip for a few seconds, but then got both hands
on Kyokushuzan's mawashi and lifted him up, as if to show his power. But
when Kyokushuzan was again feeling the dohyo under his feet he managed to
get in a curious position, under the left armpit of the ozeki; now his hand
could reach deep back on the ozeki's mawashi. From there, he grabbed
Takanonami's right foot, by the ankle, and lifted it up. Winner: Kyokushuzan
(suso-tori).

4) Kotoryu - Akebono.
Kotoryu jumped into the yokozuna, but the latter didn't seem to feel any
impact. Winner: Akebono (yorikiri).

Jun-kessho (semifinals)
1) Minatofuji - Musahimaru.
Musahimaru got pushed back a few steps. He again kept his hands in front,
blocking acces to his mawashi, and then recovered. Winner: Musashimaru
(yorikiri).

2) Kyokushuzan - Akebono.
Kyokushuzan got under the yokozuna, but Akebono took a good grip with both
hands, lifted Kyokushuzan up and brought him to the edge of the dohyo.
Kyokushuzan resisted there and even recovered a little. Another charcge by
the yokozuna, and again Kyokushuzan resisted. The third time Akebono found
the strength for another lift, and it was over. Winner: Akebono (probably
yorikiri).

And now, ladies and gentlemen, you better sit down, because this will hurt;
then take a deep breath and scroll down:
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    I  DON'T   KNOW   WHO   WON   THE   FINAL!

My TV turned off exactly while they were commuting to commercials before the
final match! (An electric cooking machine was on at the time, and although I
cannot be sure, I guess it made the automatic breaker work; until I
understood what was going on, everything was irremediably over!)

I am so ashamed - I was even thinking to give up sending this message,
although I don't know how I could have explained that. But then I thought,
after all, it depends how you look on it. Somehow and sometime we'll find
the winner - but what happened to me probably comes only once in a lifetime!

Yours truly,

Vasile Antoce (Osaka).