Re: (Sumo) Akebono; Rikishi benching and squats

["HM1(FMF) Light" <lightsms@texas.net>]

I have a question,

Isn't it true that Chiyonofuji had to make a decision about either to have
surgery or to do like 1000 push-ups a day to get his shoulder problem to go
away or atleast to make it stronger?

Scott




At 06:15 AM 2/5/99 -0800, you wrote:
>Doreen,
>I'm glad you wrote the second half of your message, since your initial
>anecdote left me still dubious.
>A recent illustration of the significance of upper body "strength" would be
>Tochiazuma's injury - the before and after: in retrospect no small part of
>the initial rise of this fireplug related to his refusal to bend; a weakened
>chest and shoulder left him vulnerable for many months, and even today....Or
>consider the judo skills essential for success of smaller rikishi, as you
>later mention...although Wakanohana's thighs are prominent reminders of the
>first point that you make...whatever our emotional reaction to tsuppari-type
>sumo, the hand-grappling that often achieves the ultimate advantage in a
>non-sanyaku bout requires that a smaller rikishi have, what, not biceps but
>"sinew?"
>Chuck Finberg
>
>-----Original Message-----
From: Doreen Simmons <jz8d-smmn@asahi-net.or.jp>
>>[FIRST HALF] Developing upper body strength is counter-productive. A
>top-heavy man fails
>>in sumo. I personally knew one youngster in makushita ...
>>As his chest, shoulders and upper arms got bigger, his sumo got worse and
>>worse ...Also to my personal knowledge, Kirishima trained exceptionally
>hard with
>>weights, and developed great strength in the upper body.
>
>>[SECOND HALF] But it's important to distinguish between weight training to
>develop
>>strength - which many modern sumoists do -  and weight training to develop
>>bulging muscles - which spoils their sumo. Therefore this talk of how many
>>(or how few) pounds they can bench has no bearing on sumo.  That said, the
>>slimmer men in particular...have the strength to pull off utchari and
>>tsuridashi ....But this requires mainly timing and good back and leg
>muscles, rather than
>>the brute strength needed for bench pressing.
>
>
>
>