Chanko Thief

I had no idea that these rules get put into place as a direct result of certain groups of foreigners succeeding in sumo....interesting....

I will definitely have to try and seek this out, thank you Joann!

I know that Hakuho uses a forearm/slap combo at the tachi-ai often (and yes, we all have an opinion on its merit one way or the other, let’s not bring up that debate again), but I was wondering if anybody has used these tactics against him since he became Yokozuna? If so who? I’m not familiar with the protocol here with regards to what is considered ok to do to a Yokozuna in a match. Would these tactics be highly disrespectful/frowned upon, or is it fair game? Or is it simply a matter of most everybody being too scared to piss Hakuho off by doing so?

True....yet there are still some pretty big boys in sumo today. Though granted, they aren’t as dominant as the Pacific Islanders in question.

Did this idea of penalizing rikishi for being too heavy ever go anywhere?

I hadn’t considered this, but off the top of my head I can’t think of any examples of guys using slapping/forearm techniques against him. If anybody can recall matches such as this, please let me know. Thank you.

Thank you for keeping us updated, much appreciated. As soon as the pandemic clears up I’ll be placing my order.

I see....had no idea about this, thank you for enlightening me.

Hmm....this reference escapes me. What is the 44 bad luck number?

I liked watching Kotonowaka’s sumo, and I’m really excited to see his son do so well now. I’ll be rooting for him for sure.

I’m new to oat milk as well. Only had it a couple of times since my wife made me give up real milk. But I can say that the consistency seemed very close to real milk and the flavor was not half bad, at least for the brand I have had. Worth a try.

Great analysis Katsunorifuji, thank you. How many yusho do you see him retiring with then?

Fair enough, but Akebono is 4” taller than Musashimaru, and back when I used to box, 4 additional inches in height was never a fun thing to deal with (different sport of course). And yes you could use Baruto as a measuring stick to see how well Asa does against tall opponents but I am of the mind that Akebono was much more superior to Baruto in the skills department and would present some problems.

True. But depending upon how many he does get between now and next summer, I wouldn’t be surprised if he held out for a bit longer to reach 50. I mean, there is no possible way I personally could stop at 47 or 48 yusho without giving one last go at 50, but that’s just me.

I’ve tried some soy milk, but the flavor isn’t quite the same to me unfortunately. And when I have had it, it has been sugar free (unless all soy milk is sugar free and I just don’t know?), which didn’t suit my palate. I’m not lactose intolerant but I have recently been diagnosed with diabetes and my wife said no to milk due to the high sugar. I’ve tried many substitutes but none have come even close to tasting like the real thing. The only one I have found that is tolerable is oat milk actually. It is still very different but if you drink it fast enough, it’s not bad haha.

A fine topic indeed. I absolutely love milk and used to drink a gallon a day. Unfortunately due to some (more than likely related) health problems, my wife does not allow me to drink milk anymore. But oh how I miss it, and crave it!

Do you suppose the height and weight would be a problem for them (Asa especially)?

That was heartbreaking seeing him like that. Truly sad. May he RIP.

Time to revisit this thread ladies and gents. Sounds as though Hakuho has committed to continuing his active career until the Olympics next year. How do you guys think he will fare until then? Will he continue on until 50 yusho? Of course with sumo on hold for now, we are thus far down one potential yusho win....

I have read many times that Hakuho lifts weights constantly in his home gym but the only clip I have seen of this is a short video on his instagram account where he is bench pressing. Does anybody have any weight training footage of Hakuho, or know his routine? Also, does he maintain a traditional sumo diet (chankonabe, etc.) or does he have a more specific diet plan? I heard he has given up dairy products, but that's about all I know. Any footage/info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all.

Thank you Joann!

Awesome, glad to see a fellow Washingtonian on the forum. We should definitely watch a basho together sometime after Covid settles down.

Why do we never see any Hawaiian wrestlers these days? Is sumo not as big in Hawaii as it used to be? I miss Konishiki, Akebono, and Musashimaru, they put on great bouts and I would love to see another Hawaiian find success in sumo. I remember reading about Musashimaru’s nephew a few years back and how he was joining ozumo, whatever became of him? Will we ever see a resurgence of Hawaiian sekitori?

Thanks Swami

Now that’s a good point. It would be cool to see more Americans getting into sumo for sure. I had never heard of this Wakaichiro until now, thank you for informing me. What was his reason for retiring, did he just lose his passion for sumo?