Tochinofuji

At your service!

I recommend getting your hands on the National Art of Sumo series. They can be found around for download, but also on YouTube. Fantastic highlights from a specific range of years for each volume. A personal favourite of mine:

That may be, but the 1th of anything is decidedly not a thing, anniversary or otherwise.

I'm a huge fan of Tochinoshin, but having watched them both, and shaken hands with them both in person (albeit a decade ago), I'd say Baruto was stronger hands down. As for who would win a match, I think that comes down to more than just strength, and think that Tochinoshin now would give Baruto a good run (and make for some fantastic matches). Though Baruto appears to be well ahead historically at 12 to 1, so that may just be my bias talking.

I've definitely enjoyed some of Tochinoshin's calmer moments as he's settled into the joi'i, but I'd say nothing's ever a given and the main thing he has to be nervous about in terms of Hakuho is an aggravation of an existing injury or creation of a new one. It'll be a breath-holding viewing experience for me at least!

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My suggestion, bearing in mind it's worth very little (about two practices of sumo a decade ago, some judo/BJJ (current)/wrestling): As part of the dashinage, your opponent is going to be turning so that to pull you, such that he's facing either perpendicular to you, or facing nearly the same direction as you. In your example, being able maintain your upright balance and swing your left foot out and around in a large arc to turn you so that you and your opponent are facing each other again, basically using the foot to post and break the direction of the throw. This essentially uses some of the energy of the throw to swing you back into a traditional yotsu position. At the beginning of the foot movement, depending on your opponent's body position, you may also be able to swing your right arm makikae to take the shitate position away from your opponent as well to further rob the throw of some of its power, though that likely is a bit of a pipe dream given the speed at which things happen in a match. All that being more a last ditch defence with the opponent already having started executing the throw. As with all types of grappling, you'll be more successful by heading that off by denying your opponent their grip of choice or denying them position to execute the throw (they need to break your balance first to make it work). A good tachiai strategy seems the ideal way to do both of those things in sumo.

Correction: both yokozuna avoided Chiyonokuni. Clearly they know that not even they could overcome him should he unleash his ultimate final form...

Excellent, thank you very much!

Hi all, As a long time fan of Toshinoshin, I'm hoping to get my hands on an "official" paper copy of the banzuke for Nagoya 2018 showing his first listing as an ozeki. Does anyone have any lines on a vendor or thoughts on otherwise getting a hold of one? Any information or assistance would be greatly appreciated!

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I was also thinking Takanosato, but for some reason thought he looked a little young for Takanosato in 1980 to me.

I have to say, how is that a bad thing that a bunch of new viewers are tuning in, even for one match? Assuming you're right about the viewer spike, it means in this case sumo is making news abroad, even if it's just about a local hero, when the topic isn't some raging scandal. And sumo, like all activities, isn't for everyone. But if even one or two of those 50 think next time "Hey, that Tochinoshin match was actually pretty exciting, maybe I should watch a few more matches", we have one or two more fans abroad. That can only be a good thing in my books. Disparaging a bunch of people for checking out a passion of yours, but not being instantly as into it as you are, seems a pretty standard and sad way in most niche hobbies to feel like part of some elite cadre of "true" fans (see, for example, mocking "newbs" in video games).

That was a defensive move I noticed as well. Blocking the leg and hip like that brilliantly killed Ichinojo's throw attempt.

Great video. And man does Hoshoryu look like his uncle!