Osh tries new stuff

[Kintamayama 44,345]

Take three slices of cheese (probably the yellow kind..), put them on top of a big bowl of rice, stick it into the microwave. You will then get what Kadoban Ozeki Kotooushuu has been eating lately. "I was 152 kilos last basho, I'm 154 now, and maybe I'll get to 160. I've got to make it hard on my opponents to push me out..", he explained. A big bowl of rice has 400-450 calories. 3-4 slices of cheese are worth another 250- 300. 3 "cheese-ricers" are worth 5 "clean" rice bowls, and are even tastier, according to Osh. "It's a pseudo-lasagna thing..", he said. His left upper-arm bicep injury has completely "healed", and he has started training from the 9th with Kotomitsuki and Kotoshougiku. Yesterday, he was 16-2.

Cheesy human butsugari machine- Osh and Shog agog:

[ilovesumo 12]

Before the cheese topping, mix in a bit garlic oil :-P

[Kotoviki 16]

Absolutely too funny.. I've eaten this before myself. Just wanted a change but I only used one slice of cheese. Velveeta sliced cheese melts best!! :-P

I wish I had known this earlier, I would have asked him about it when we were talking at Soka today!

[Jonosuke 28]

Kotooshu fighting at 160 kg can be really formidable. Up to now I think he had a tendency of not wanting to gain too much weight. This in turn made his sumo "small", rather than making full use of his size advantage.

If he gets confident enough that he won't get easily pushed off, then I believe he will go with more Oshi-zumo and can show his dynamic power sumo. I am really looking forward to see his sumo next basho as I think he will be over his injury by the start of the basho.

Hearing about Cheese-Don, I miss eating Doria. This is something you can only eat in Japan though I think it was "invented" by a non-Japanese. It's like a gratin casserol with rice and melted cheese on top. I love that stuff. I think I am going to Japan soon...

[Kotoviki 16]

He looked good today in Soka! I hope that the weight works for him. I'd really like to see him get better and stronger!!

[That-Satsu-Guy 1]

Dumbo has his feather.

Popeye has his spinach.

Now, Kotooshu has his cheese.

I wonder what new Meiji commercials this will spawn.

Edited April 13, 2008 by That-Satsu-Guy

[higginbotham 0]

The problem is the way he gains weight. too much in the legs, but a bit around the belly. Unfortunately, it has not helped much.

[Jonosuke 28]

The problem is the way he gains weight. too much in the legs, but a bit around the belly. Unfortunately, it has not helped much.

I am not exactly sure what you mean by this but he has not competed in hon-basho with the newly gained weight, we won't be sure if it does help or not.

I personally feel he will better with more weight regardless of where he gains. Muscles he gains should reflect when he worked out the most in his training but if he simply just consumed calories and not worked out, it won't help him or anyone much.

More than anything else what I am looking from him is a different approach to his bouts. I think if he tries too much to just grab the mawashi so he can throw out his opponent, his sumo tends to get more passive and will be slower. Rather he should utilize his power to simply hit his opponent hard before he goes out and grabs the mawashi if he can or he can simply push him out. He can do more of Baruto type of sumo with more mass.

[kaiguma 0]

The problem is the way he gains weight. too much in the legs, but a bit around the belly. Unfortunately, it has not helped much.

I am not exactly sure what you mean by this but he has not competed in hon-basho with the newly gained weight, we won't be sure if it does help or not.

If Higgs is on the same page as me, he is talking about all of the post-ozeki weight gained up until now. Osh was still very slim during the ozeki run, but bulked up and got a bit chunky right after the initial knee injury, I believe. Appears to be about 10 kg over the past year or 15 kg over the past 2 years. In that time he has seemed sluggish to me, especially in his footwork and leg mobility. Of course that could have been the injury dogging him and the psychological woes, lack of confidence etc., but I always wondered if the weight didn't play a part as well.

[higginbotham 0]

The problem is the way he gains weight. too much in the legs, but a bit around the belly. Unfortunately, it has not helped much.

I am not exactly sure what you mean by this but he has not competed in hon-basho with the newly gained weight, we won't be sure if it does help or not.

If Higgs is on the same page as me, he is talking about all of the post-ozeki weight gained up until now. Osh was still very slim during the ozeki run, but bulked up and got a bit chunky right after the initial knee injury, I believe. Appears to be about 10 kg over the past year or 15 kg over the past 2 years. In that time he has seemed sluggish to me, especially in his footwork and leg mobility. Of course that could have been the injury dogging him and the psychological woes, lack of confidence etc., but I always wondered if the weight didn't play a part as well.

Exactly. I don't know - as I can't- the effect Kotooshu's most recent weighgaining will have on his sumo, altough I sincerely hope for a profitable outcome; anyway, all the efforts he has done on that way up to now have not done much good for him, making legs heavier and footwoork slower, though not compensating on the other hand.

[Gusoyama 95]

How is gaining a lot of weight ever a good idea for someone with a bum knee? I think the risks outweigh the benefit on this. His weight gaining dish of choice sounds good though. I'd even consider putting some butter on a skillet, throw a ball of rice on there, flatten it with a spatula, and put some american cheese on top. Crispy on the bottom, gooey on the top. I may have to try this.

[That-Satsu-Guy 1]

Maybe, I haven't been listening to the right people, but I haven't heard anyone say he needs to get heavier. Last I heard his shisho said that he's heavy enough. I can understand the weight distribution debate. He might be a little too top heavy, and lowering his center of gravity could be a boon.

I have heard many, many commentators say his sumo has become small, and most people agree that his problems are mostly in his head. If he thinks he needs cheese, then eat some cheese.

If I could give him advice, my advice for him would be to improve his leg work and to learn to tsuppari better. Then he could better use his reach advantage, and deliver a distraction at the tachi-ai to set up a throw. Simply put, he needs to bring some Van Damme-age to the dohyo. Maybe he could rent some old Sonny Chiba movies or take dancing lesson or something.

Whatever he's been doing hasn't been working.

[Sashohitowa 6]

His left upper-arm bicep injury has completely "healed", and he has started training from the 9th with Kotomitsuki and Kotoshougiku.

Just wonder, what for are the quotation marks? Is it a quote, or is it the "sarcastic" type?

[Kotoku 0]

Tachiai is everything. The large-style European rikishi have some great moments, but they tend to put themselves at a huge disadvantage at the shikiri-sen. They have a problem either if they come in "at size," meaning they will be too high and susceptible to nage, or if they come in low, to hatakikomi or a variety of slap and push downs.

The only solution is to impose their will at the start. The other problem is the inability to lose the forearm to the front of the opponent. It sets them up for the banzai pose and a quick exit form the dohyo.

[Sasanishiki 57]

He might be a little too top heavy, and lowering his center of gravity could be a boon.

Being a tall guy was an advantage/point of difference on the way up but is proving to be a problem now everyone has worked him out. However, if he puts on more weight it will not address this problem. In fact, he risks becoming like Akebono, a huge body on long legs. Akebono overcame his height and centre of gravity issue by getting really low (he worked on that a lot). Unfortunately, having to over compensate to get so low caused him some knee issues. As Kotooshu already has some knee issues I don't know if the weight will be good for him. As was already said, it will add more wieght to carry, but (as I am arguing) it may make it difficult to get as low as he needs to be to be more successful.

[Kintamayama 44,345]

His left upper-arm bicep injury has completely "healed", and he has started training from the 9th with Kotomitsuki and Kotoshougiku.

Just wonder, what for are the quotation marks? Is it a quote, or is it the "sarcastic" type?

Well, it's sarcastic, because I personally feel there was no real injury-just the sort of Ozeki injury one gets when one nears a "hard" makekoshi at this rank. No big deal, it's customary. Osh didn't invent it. Yokozunas do it often as well. What's important is that he returns and demolishes his opponents , finally.

[That-Satsu-Guy 1]

He might be a little too top heavy, and lowering his center of gravity could be a boon.

Being a tall guy was an advantage/point of difference on the way up but is proving to be a problem now everyone has worked him out. However, if he puts on more weight it will not address this problem. In fact, he risks becoming like Akebono, a huge body on long legs. Akebono overcame his height and centre of gravity issue by getting really low (he worked on that a lot). Unfortunately, having to over compensate to get so low caused him some knee issues. As Kotooshu already has some knee issues I don't know if the weight will be good for him. As was already said, it will add more wieght to carry, but (as I am arguing) it may make it difficult to get as low as he needs to be to be more successful.

I agree, but why aren't people making the same argument about Baruto's sumo. He's also a tall guy who doesn't get low.

This reminds me of a Yomiuri article I read about Aran. He said that it's hard to change from wrestling's stand up and push down to sumo's get down and push up. The usage of arm strength is very different.

I think that sums up the Euro henka phenomenon, as well as the tall guy balance problems.

Edited April 25, 2008 by That-Satsu-Guy

[Harry 67]

As Kotomitsuki watches Kotooshu's sweaty keiko

Kotomitsuki and Kotoshogiku and kadoban ozeki Kotooshu, all from the same beya, did degeiko torikumi today.

After injuring his left upper arm in the haru basho, Kotooshu has his second kadoban. The taping that was on his upper left arm during the haru jungyo was missing. Returning komusubi Asasekiryu and Tokitenku, Toyonoshima and others were there. Asashouryuu was there too but declined keiko with Kotooshu.