🌐 Location: Yokohama
Kakuryu takes san-ban with Makuuchi-level wrestler
Yesterday Kakuryu settled for butsukari, but today, for the first time in a long while, he took san-ban with Maegashira Chiyonokuni for 10 bouts, of which he won 8 and lost 2.
The Yokozuna tested both his oshi-zumo and his yotsu-zumo. “I don’t feel any pains. If I can keep up this pace feeling the same, no worries” he said with a smile.
Regarding his time away from the dohyo, he said “Watching sumo on TV made me gloomy at first. Then gradually I became angered with myself. I was especially frustrated when three Yokozuna were absent. ‘Damn’, I thought, ‘I want to be out there and do sumo'”. He intends to make a few suggestions at the next meeting of the rikishi union, including re-instating the kosho-seido system.
Aminishiki puts his muscles where his mouth is
As the sekitori were engaged in moshiai-geiko (a series of bouts in which the winner decides who his next rival will be), Daieisho named Aminishiki as his next rival. Aminishiki ascended the dohyo, grabbed Daieisho under his armpits and pushed him out and away in one go. He then proceeded to wrestle with 21 year olds, taking a low stance and burying his head in their chests.
In all, he wrestled 9 bouts, winning 6. “Oh, just 9? Double figures and 9 are completely different things”, he joked (a hint to Harumafuji?). When asked about wrestling with his head (a basic technique usually used by weaker rikishi against stronger opponents) he said “Well, that’s the only kind of sumo I can do now. I aim to enter the dohyo every day, but preparing my legs takes time… I wrestle taking the length of tape I have left into consideration.”
Kisenosato continues to train with Asanoyama
For the second day in a row, Kisenosato invited Asanoyama to san-ban. This time 18 bouts, of which he won 12 and lost 6.
横浜場所。稀勢の里関と朝乃山関の稽古。 #sumo pic.twitter.com/zLwtRpGfOP
— 相撲大好き (@ryogokulove) October 6, 2017
All in all, Asanoyama, whose favorite grip, right-hand-inside, is the opposite of Kisenosato’s, did not just go for a simple frontal attack-and-retreat vs. the Yokozuna, but tried various techniques and tactics, like ottsuke and makikaeshi, which pleased the Yokozuna very much: “That’s exactly what I wished for”.
Goeido offers chest to Yago
The lonely Ozeki offered butsukari to Yago
But later pictures show Yago clean at the end, so either this was very, very short, or Yago simply succeeded in pushing the Ozeki out of the ring every time. If so, then it wasn’t Goeido’s last time of the day:
(Sorry, I’m not sure who that is. I’d say Mitakeumi, but doesn’t he wear a wine-colored mawashi?)
This just in – Harumafuji update
Apparently, Harumafuji did not participate in the torikumi. The only Yokuzuna bout was Kakuryu-Kisenosato.
From what I can gather, he also did not participate in any on-dohyo activity, and settled for stretches and advice to youngsters.
🤕😕
Thank you for this — I’d by jonesing hard for my sumo fix without these posts.
Good on Kakuryu for wanting to fight for kosho-seido! If more of the sports big names put pressure on the Association, hopefully they will make changes to protect their rikishi’s health. As an Asanoyama fan, I’m so glad that he received another day of tutelage at the foot of Kisenosato!! He must feel incredibly honored to be receiving so much training from the Yokozuna. Keep on learning Mr. Sunshine!! I think you initial guess is right, Mitakeumi has been known to wear a dark blue mawashi in from time to time.
Yes, pressure from the Yokozuna corps may help, especially as they do not profit from this themselves. Kakuryu just seems unhappy about the number of injuries all around, not his own. His other suggestion was to change the prayers that rikishi offer in the beginning of the year from prayers for victory to prayers for health… though I don’t believe this will be as effective as reinstating kosho-seido.
I wonder what Harumafuji’s position on this is. He is actually the chairman of the rikishi union.
I hope that Asanoyama will watch the Yokozuna’s footwork and thigh work very carefully. He could do with a lower stance.
And if it’s indeed Mitakeumi, it was an impressive win. The tweet I grabbed this from contained four pictures, one showing him on the edge of the tawara with his heel barely two centimeters from defeat. Then he pushed Goeido all the way to the other edge and managed to lift him up like that? Impressive.
If the sequence of events you describe actually happened then it’s an impressive win even if it wasn’t Mitakeumi. ;-)
And now I’m curious to know if the story the four pictures told actually happened and if so, who the mystery rikishi really was.
Here is the original tweet.
When I saw the third picture, his higher center of balance made me think of Shodai but the first few pics do look more like Mitakeumi from the back.
Yes, I’m definitely leaning towards Mitakeumi. He wore a blue mawashi in the Gonin-Gakari as well.
Shohozan and Kakaryu are not impressed ;)
Maybe prayer will work… but lets save that for plan B! I would hope that he and all the other Yokozuna would want to see an end to young men suffering from career ending injuries. This is the first I’ve heard about the rikishi union. How much sway would you say the union has? I hope Mr. Sunshine was paying attention as well. I believe he will have a very successful competition in November.
There’s a medical tape manufacturer out there who’s missing out by not sponsoring ads during Aminishiki’s bouts.
I think Popeye-style TV commercial might prove beneficial to both parties. Aminishiki gets pushed by some brute to the tawara. Picks a pack of tape out of thin air, tapes himself in fast motion (or the tape auto-applies), then wins by some rare zori or tsuri or nage or whatever. Sales double within a day. :-)