Kisenosato and Hakuho Progressing Towards Full Health
In an article from Japanese web site hochi.co.jp, some news of the recovery of two marquee rikishi who sat out the Aki basho, and their chances at returning to public matches.
Hakuho was interviewed at the Miyagino party after the last day of the Aki tournament, he stated “My rehabilitation is going very well, I feel confident about Kyushu”. He also state that he would like to join the fall jungyo PR tour from October 5th, provided his recovery continues as planned.
Kisenosato was more upbeat, and stated that he intends to be with the fall jungyo from the start. He stated “My body feels good, and I am moving well. I think I should be able to be part of the tour from the beginning”.
Last but certainly not least, the article also mentions that Yokozuna Kakuryu will participate in the jungyo tour, starting with day 1.
After the lack of top end rikishi at Aki and over the summer tour, fans will cheer the return of the Yokozuna during the November tournament.
One thing that stood out to me was the lack of attendance of a representative of the Imperial household at day 1 (or any day) of the Aki basho. Typically the Emperor or the Crown Prince will attend a portion of day 1 of any basho held in the Kokugikan. To my knowledge, this was not the case for Aki. During May’s Natsu Basho, the duty went to Crown Prince Naruhito, who was warmly received by the crowd. Emperor Hirohito (Showa) was a massive sumo fan, and would regularly attend.
Much of this is likely due to the declining health of the current monarch, Emperor Akihito, who will likely abdicate the throne in favor of the Crown Prince, quite possibly at the end of 2018. While purely ceremonial, the presence of the Imperial Household at sumo and other public events is a foundation element of Japanese cultural and civic life.
The song in question being, of course, Kimi-ga-yo (the Japanese National Anthem), which is sung right after the yusho is won.
Nice try, old foe.
In 1993, after about six months without a single Yokozuna, Akebono, the American Ozeki, managed to string together two yusho, and the YDC finally gave in and admitted that foreign-born rikishi can, in fact, have the “hinkaku” – the “spirit” – worthy of a Yokozuna. Akebono was the first foreign-born Yokozuna.
Like many Japanese concepts, that “hinkaku” doesn’t have a clear definition. It’s clear you can’t have a losing record. It’s clear that you can’t have drunken brawls or anything that hints at them (right, Asashoryu?). But what is it that you are supposed to have?
Well, if you want a practical lesson in the art of the hinkaku, just re-watch foreign-born Yokozuna Harumafuji in the Aki basho. He would have put the YDC members of the 1990s to shame. Read or listen to his interviews, where he spices that hinkaku with jokes (“I think I’ll go kyujo!”). Make sure any young and aspiring athlete around also watches, reads and internalizes. Tachiai was not the only source speculating about his retirement, and questioning his abilities. He was under huge pressure. “Class act” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Fighting his own demons, as well as his old friend, Pain, he still made sure each of his rivals leaves the dohyo with all his limbs – and his dignity – intact.
The Japanese media has a habit of not interviewing the losers. But if Goeido was interviewed after the playoff, I can only hope that his response would be “benkyo ni narimashita”. Which roughly translates to “This was educational”. I hope he is not too old to learn. For one, managing your crises is a good thing to learn. Harumafuji had his crisis and near-breakdown in the first week, but came to the finishing line as sharp as a razor. Goeido fell apart in money-time. Never a good thing for an athlete.
There is an old Israeli song that ends in “Moral of the story: once you get yourself f—ed, it’s hard to kick the habit”. This is another thing Goeido needs to learn. Once you start thinking backwards, defensively, henka-oriented, it’s hard to kick the habit. You’re an Ozeki. Think Ozeki. If you’re healthy, the Terunofuji attitude is much better than yours. Come to every bout believing you’re going to swallow your rival whole and spit the bones, and only stop and scratch your head in amazement when it doesn’t work. Because with your size and abilities, and possibly some intelligence and tactics, it’s supposed to work 14 times out of 15.
Harumafuji himself also has to learn something: he needs to adjust his style to his abilities and the increasing age difference between him and his rivals. Like Hakuho, who started to give every rival a hearty slap just to add a couple of years to their age for the critical minute, Harumafuji should put more effort into studying his rivals and coming ready rather than trusting in his intuition and his speed. His preparations for the playoff today were exactly what he needs to do even when he is going to fight a maegashira #5, because chances are that the maegashira #5 is 20 years old and genki, and can move faster than lightning.
Now on to some actual sumo. The regulation bout started with the Yokozuna on the west and the Ozeki on the east. Tachiai. The Ozeki begins to push forward, dragging the Yokozuna backwards. But the Yokozuna already has a maemitsu grip, and half way to the tawara, gets his second hand in for a mae-morozashi. Unlike Mitakeumi, Harumafuji knows how to utilize a morozashi. One ozeki, out. Yori-kiri. There’s a playoff.
Both sides get some time to prepare and regroup. And the Yokozuna works on his tachiai. He asks Terutsuyoshi to play the rival. Not something you normally ask of a sekitori. When asked about that he joked that they wanted to give Terutsuyashi some air time…
Also, Terutsuyoshi is much smaller than Goeido. Doesn’t matter. What the Yokozuna wants is to sharpen his tachiai, knowing he is facing a slippery eel. Then, when the bout actually starts, the Yokozuna on the east, the Ozeki on the west – and the yokozuna perform what is later referred to as his best tachiai of the year. The bout was all tachiai, and all Harumafuji. And it’s just amazing to be able to see a move practiced and then executed exactly according to plan like that. Game over before it even started, and we get to enjoy Harumafuji’s heavy Mongolian-accented Japanese in his yusho interview. I think I’ll install his “zen-shin zen-rei” as my phone’s message alert just for laughs. Or even better, his “arrrrrgh! igato”
Here’s the NHK special summary of the regulation and playoff bouts, for those of you who understand Japanese. Long interview with the Yokozuna there at the end. Interesting to note that when asked about the new generation of young talents, his first reaction is “Mmmm… I feel relieved”.
Now on to some other points in this senshuraku.
Asanoyama was paired with Chiyotairyu today, and I wasn’t expecting him to pull his 10th win against somebody ranked so much higher. But he did. And with it, he landed the Fighting Spirit award.
Onosho is a man on a mission. And he, too, secured his double-figure today for a Fighting Spirit award. But while I predict Asanoyama will stick to the lower ranks for the time being, Onosho, even if he has a few setbacks here and there, is not going to stop at komusubi, which is where he is heading right now. In his post-bout interview he said that he discovered several weak points he has, and that he will work on improving them. Good boy. Exactly the correct attitude. When he dropped back to Makushita in the middle of his Juryo stint, he was bold enough to ask Kisenosato for help when the then-Ozeki visited his stable. I would advise him to do the same again. Kisenosato is a master of keeping his center of gravity always between his feet and low, which makes him a human roly-poly toy. Very hard to sidestep. If Onosho learns that, he’ll be half way to invincibility.
Kokonoe oyakata was very proud today. Of his 16 participating rikishi, 9, including all 4 Makuuchi, are kachi-koshi. This includes, of course, the rubber band, Chiyonokuni, who won today in wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am style. Chiyoshoma, who keeps inventing new ways to throw people around, likewise finished his business quickly and got his kachi-koshi. The one who took his time was Chiyomaru, who once again employed yotsu-zumo, and employed it well. If the Ever-Round is going to add skills to his sumo like that, he’ll find himself bouncing up the banzuke in short order. It was a pleasure to watch him this basho, and I hope the problem in his upper chest there at the end is only a minor cramp.
Takarafuji worked really hard against Kotoshogiku, preventing him from hugging and bonking him in his favorite style. But Kotoshogiku is showing his mettle, and twisted the solid Isegahama man first one way and then the other for a nice Wazaari. Oops, wrong sport. Kotenage.
Nishikigi bids his farewell to Makuuchi, but not before a very impressive win against Tochinoshin on the mawashi, of all things. Nishikigi, where were you this whole basho?
If any of you still have sake left from yesterday, Yoshikaze came through with the promised bleeding. Mitakeumi was somehow sure he lost. But neither his foot went out nor his hand in Yoshikaze’s hair considered intentional. So he was surprised into accepting the kenshokin and keeping his sekiwake rank. And he needs to work hard in the coming 45 days, as he was less than brilliant this basho, and that without any of the frightening top rankers to show him the door.
Tamawashi keeps diving. Takakeisho picked an Outstanding Performance prize for beating both the Yokozuna and the Ozeki. Onosho could have been awarded that, but I guess they thought that winning against the Kyujo Kaiju was not that great an achievement and in any case he already had a sansho.
One last honorable mention: Ichinojo, despite being thrown into the joi, secures his kachi-koshi. This time he didn’t give up when Daieisho started pushing him, and pushed right back and out. Ichinojo, be a good boy and lose 20kg. I don’t want you to be sad all the time, and I’m sure getting more respect from the other rikishi will improve your mood.
And from the largest man in Makuuchi, to the smallest man in Sandanme, who has adopted one of Hakuho’s habits: he just wins and wins and wins. I wonder how far he can get with that stature, though. Here is his playoff bout from today, in front of a rather larger audience than he is used to:
And his interview (english translation, yay!)
And that’s the end to this late (and lengthy) summary. Can’t wait until Kyushu!
Winner: Goeido. Cleared his kadoban status and ended up in the yusho playoff.
Winner: Kotoshogiku. Dipped into the maegashira ranks for one basho, picked up a kinboshi on his way back up to San’yaku.
Winner: Mitakeumi. Sure, hopes were much higher, but I consider staying at sekiwake a win.
Winner: Yoshikaze. Much blood and no Ozeki run after another late fade, but the berserker also stays at sekiwake and picks up his 4th Gino-sho to boot. He had a pretty unusual basho: LLLLWWWWWWWWLLL.
Winner: Onosho. Third straight basho with double-digit wins, another Kanto-sho, and an express trip to San’yaku.
Winner: Chiyotairyu. He faded badly with 5 straight losses after a red-hot 8-2 start, but a kachi-koshi at M3 and a stay in the joi is a win.
Winner: Takakeisho. Shukun-sho, kinboshi, and a strong bounce-back after his 5-10 performance in Nagoya.
Winner: Shohozan. Kachi-koshi against a tough slate.
Winner: Chiyonokuni. He continues to work his way back up the banzuke after his disastrous Natsu basho, was responsible for many of the best matches at Aki, and should be in or near the joi in Kyushu.
Winner: Ichinojo. 8-7 despite being pulled up from M6 to fight the “big boys.” Hope to see more from him in Kyushu, as he is a force to be reckoned with when he is focused on his sumo.
Winner: Takarafuji. 9-6 and a nice jump up the banzuke.
Winner: Arawashi. 9-6, right in the thick of things, lots of exciting sumo.
Winner: Daishomaru. Double-digit wins.
Winner: Endo. Looks like the ankle is healing well. Double-digit wins even after being pulled up to fight opponents way up the banzuke. Should be solidly in the mid-maegashira ranks in Kyushu, without taking too big a jump too soon.
Winner: Kaisei. Looks like he’s back for real after his Juryo sojourn in Nagoya.
Winner: Asanoyama. One of the biggest winners, actually. Improbably in the yusho race until day 14, double-digit wins in his Makuuchi debut, Kanto-sho, 1-1 against the M3 bruiser boys. Hopefully a sign of things to come; would be great to see him work his way up the banzuke and join the likes of relative newcomers Mitakeumi, Onosho, and Takakeisho in the upper ranks.
Loser: Goeido. Losing the yusho after leading by 2 wins with 3 days to go has to hurt, not to mention letting a golden chance to start a Yokozuna promotion run amid depleted Yokozuna and Ozeki ranks slip through his fingers.
Loser: Takayasu. An injury and kadoban status in only his second basho as Ozeki. Wishing him speedy healing and a strong bounce-back in Kyushu.
Loser: Terunofuji. Injured again, loses Ozeki rank, needs 10 wins in Kyushu to earn it back. Hopefully he’s either healthy enough to do it or wise enough to sit it out and let his knees heal properly.
Loser: Tamawashi. It looked like he may have to pull out after injuring his ankle in the same day 2 bout that claimed Takayasu. He stayed in, and fought his way to a 7-8 record against tough opposition. Kudos. Still, he drops out of San’yaku for the first time in a year.
Loser: Tochiozan. Unable to follow up his strong Nagoya basho, and drops out of San’yaku after one tournament at komusubi.
Loser: Tochinoshin. Obviously injured again after a strong Nagoya basho, and will take a big tumble down the banzuke.
Loser: Shodai. Another disappointing performance. He needs to fix his technique, his focus, or both. We were hoping for him to become a mainstay in the upper ranks with the other rising young guns; instead he tumbles into the mid-maegashira territory.
Loser: Ikioi. What’s up with Ikioi? How does someone with his size and talent go 6-9 at M7?
Loser: Aoiyama. The talk of Nagoya was injured between tournaments, came back mid-basho to successfully defend a place in Makuuchi, but will take a huge drop in rank.
Loser: Kagayaki. He seems spirited enough, but his sumo has been…not good. At this rate, he may find himself in Juryo in a basho or two.
Loser: Ura. Came in injured, aggravated it, on the verge of dropping out of Makuuchi but that may be the least of his problems. Given how unique his style is, and what a joy he is to watch, may the sumo gods save his career.
Loser: Ishiura. He did not look like he belonged in Makuuchi in most of his bouts, and will have a chance to work out the kinks in Juryo.
Loser: Tokushoryu. Should have been in Juryo for Aki; will be in Juryo for Kyushu.
Loser: Yutakayama. Matches his 4-11 record from his first trip to Makuuchi at Natsu and goes back to Juryo to figure things out.
Loser: Sadanoumi. Came back from injury to try to stay in Makuuchi, but unable to do much on the dohyo.
The Japanese media has a habit of not interviewing the losers. But if Goeido was interviewed after the playoff, I can only hope that his response would be “benkyo ni narimashita”. Which roughly translates to “This was educational”. I hope he is not too old to learn. For one, managing your crises is a good thing to learn. Harumafuji had his crisis and near-breakdown in the first week, but came to the finishing line as sharp as a razor. Goeido fell apart in money-time. Never a good thing for an athlete.