Re: [General Sports]Re: The 100 Greatest

[Joe Kuroda <joe_kuroda@yahoo.com>]

---Masumi Abe <abe@accesscom.com> wrote:

<snip-great stuff on Futagoyama oyakata-snip>

> He was treated very well (if it is not in sumo, the treatment could
have
> been interpreted as abusement, though) by his oldest brother and his
> Shisho in front of his fellow rikishi, everyday.

As Abe san indicates, in sumo parlance, 'kawaigaru' has an opposite
meaning as used normally.  It usually means to take care or treat, say
your pet or child, with affection and kindness. 

When a 16 year old Ryuji Hiroshima knocked the door of Kokonoe Beya
with his blond-tinged hair, he was met by Kokonoe oyakata who turned
him away after telling him to come back when he got himself more
suited to enter a sumo heya. 

He came back with a shaved head.  Kokonoe oyakata thought this kid had
spirits looking at the kid who was a member of judo and karate club at
a junior high school and already weighed over 120 Kg.

Kokonoe oyakata said later he thought then he could  'kawaigareru"
this young apprentice.  The new recruit indeed did have the spirits -
he often ate the sand as the senior rikishis really took to their
heart in 'kawaigaru' but the kid trained harder than anyone else and
perservered.  When the oyakata said they all had to do 500 shikos and
500 pushes (against the pillars) he did 1,000.     

It did all pay off eventually.  Six years later this Januray the young
Ryuji became an ozeki as Chiyotaikai. 

Jonosuke 
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