Nine wrestlers from Shikihide Stable have left the heya, appealing to the Kyokai for help from moral harassment. The wrestlers left claiming that the stable’s okamisan had imposed and enforced unacceptably strict rules in the absence of Shikihide-oyakata due to an unspecified illness.
There are nineteen total wrestlers at Shikihide stable. The identities of the wrestlers involved have not been disclosed. The nature of Shikihide’s illness has not been disclosed, either, but he has been kyujo from tournaments this year. He usually manages the jungyo tours which have been cancelled due to the pandemic. Tachiai wishes him well and hopefully he will recover soon and hopefully some arrangement and solution can be found for the stable.
I would like to note the close timing with the friction between Nakagawa Oyakata and a group of wrestlers, Abi’s Cabaret Club visit with another unnamed wrestler, and Tagonoura oyakata’s own dinner out where he was caught intoxicated on social media. Apologies for the massive run-on sentence but there has been almost as much drama off the dohyo as on it.
Sadly, we may have lost Abi. If he’s out, surely one must wonder about the lower-ranked wrestler who went with him…and now almost half of Shikihide beya? The heya life has become exceedingly difficult under COVID restrictions. Wrestlers have been virtually cloistered for months. It is understandable and perhaps predictable that tensions are high and tempers have flared. I hope these little fires can be contained, perhaps by loosening of these restrictions on movement and social media before it’s too late.
Very interesting Andy and surprising for this heya which has a reputation for being laid back, eg tolerating Hattorizakura’s own brand of sumo. Sounds like the Okami-San may have been on something of a power trip if this is all true:
http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/topic/40047-shikihide-beya-troubles/
Imagine, your life goes from being a mother figure for Hattorizakura to…you have to train Hattorizakura. Rather than a power trip, the responsibility would be soul crushing. I’d be wanting to turn him into the next Rocky with a bit of structure and discipline.
Some of the allegations appear quite overbearing and intrusive. Can you imagine what a group of guys from Animal House are ordering off Amazon.jp? Jeez…if it was me at that age, I had a subscription to Penthouse (for the articles, I swear!). No way I’d be happy with her opening up, taking, and sharing pictures of what I got.
I think the word “train” – which Kintamayama was also uncomfortable about – is misinterpreted here. It’s 指導, “give guidance”, which is generally either coach or discipline. I don’t think the okami-san was doing anything in the keiko-ba, which is why the original article may have mentioned that the rikishi were using it as a “safe space” of sorts. What she was doing was disciplining them. Which in moderation is pretty much expected – someone has to do chores, people have to go shopping, and make sure they wear a mask and wash their hands, and generally it’s expected that discipline in the daily life at the heya be maintained. But she was over-doing it. And according to other sources (See SumoSoul’s tweets, and there were others), this has been going on long before the COVID situation. The oyakata’s illness, COVID, and a tyrant okamisan all grew into a situation that’s impossible to bear.
Captain Queeg-like. Even taking into account cultural differences, sounds like control issues.
Wow. Wow. Wow. Sighhh. You know I have tremendous respect for this sport. Been following it for years, gang. For YEARS! But my heart really goes out to all the young men at Shikihide Beya. And…I hate to say it…but this is going keep happening. This is going to happen again…if things aren’t addressed. Communication is KEY right now, and there needs to be serious heart-to-heart, open dialogue. In my life experience…and I bet many in here may agree…this kind of drama CAN leave a very bad mark on the sport of sumo. What is incredible is that with the Kizakiumi head injury: that scandal went how many months with a change in the “Days Without Scandal”…and now we have gone back-to-back-to-back scandals! What a year 2020 is turning into.
I think the “Days since last scandal” Calendar needs to go negative now. Can we make a “Super Scandal Calendar” that goes back in time when major Chanko hits the fan!