Kotoviki

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  2. Posted

    It's the first time to get online since the basho ended!

    I'm so excited!! Thanks!

    I made a screen shot to show my boys I appreciate them! :)

    Having dinner with some of the Kasugayama boys Sunday so I must thank them as 7 were on my team and only one gave me a makekoshi!

  25. Posted

    Naruto-oyakata scouting 3rd year high school judo athlete Daisuke Fujiwara, who will start at the Haru basho.

    Most recently scouted in early August at the "44th All-Japan Part-Time and Distance Learning High Schools" judo competition...do those schools not get to take part in the regular athletic circuits for high schools? Very interesting/odd. Shikama Technical HS, which Fujiwara captains, won its 6th straight team title. Fujiwara had said he'd only go Ozumo if he won the individual title in his category (75+ kg) there - which he did.

    Apparently coach "Hot-blooded Yankee" Miwa and the Shikama club were profiled in a TV documentary for the unusual turnaround it has undergone from rag-tag group of 3 athletes in 2006 (when Miwa arrived) to a national powerhouse of almost 40 students. Naruto-oyakata caught the documentary a year ago and contacted the club about their top talent Fujiwara afterwards.

    My coworker is in charge of this tournament every year. So I'm always lucky to be a guest and I bring a couple of rikishi along as well to scout out the judo guys.

    These types of schools have to have their own competition aside from the regular schools competition. They do this because the schools are completely separated. Also theses types of schools which include Tokyo Metropolitan night high schools (as I teach at), company owned schools (treated as correspondence), military type high schools and other types of distance learning do not get nearly as much training time as regular schools so the odds are in regular school students favor.

    Also an interesting fact is that both sisters of Kasugayama beya's Matsubayama are champs in the girls division of this tournament!

    One has now graduated. The first time I saw them compete I knew they had to be related. After it was over I was going to go talk to them but they came to me first and asked if I was Viki as they'd seen my pictures through him before. Small world!

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