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Coaching & Practice

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So in professional Sumo how are the various stable training sessions ran (in general)? Are there head coaches, assistant coaches, strength coaches? What is a typical practice like? I know there is an emphasis on Shiko, and general stretching. It seems the basic "conditioning" (outside of wrestling practice) is squats. Anything else? Do coaches speak of strategy?

Just curious what it would be like to be a fly on the wall in most Japanese stables.

Thanks

Jake

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Hi Jake,

I am no expert.. but I felt so sorry that nobody replies to you! Could be everyone is busy for the holidays?

I can only say that there is the Oyakata who is or isn't there for all/some/most of the time depending on the stable! Kasugano is there almost the entire time...

The junior Oyakata if they have them are either coaching from the sidelines or on the dohyo depending on the stable.

They do a lot of different things. In the morning practice they are doing matches with each other and practicing techniques. They do the shiko, squats, push ups..

Most of the guys I know do weight training in the evenings on their own either at the heya or at local gyms.

What else do you want to know?

Here is a partial photo album of one of my Isegahama practice days: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8625...mp;id=678645637

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Thanks so much! Beautiful pics! The dojo (I assume that is what they call the training hall??) is GORGEOUS!!!!

I am ignorant about any of it, so every little bit helps. Interesting that many supplement their training with weights as well. So are most practices informal? Meaning no one really leads the class in X amount of Shiko, X amount of squats etc.?

Thank you and happy holidays!

Jake

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Thanks! I will look through them.

I guess I was just wondering the specifics of how practice is run is all. I know many of you have had the fortune to watch practice live so I was hoping for some insight from those who know, but it looks like few actually know.

Thanks

Jake

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Hi Jake,

You're welcome.

Isegahama is so new that it is really beautiful!

During the practices at the end they do a certain amount of squats, push ups and shiko and they count off as a group (as you can see by my pictures).

During practice the eager ones get in more bouts because they push. The winner of the match gets to pick his next opponent. Sometimes the oyakata will tell them to go again with the same person if he sees that it was not a good match or that he wants that guy to go again.. sometimes he will tell him to pick someone else.

But they are usually picking their own opponents.

The lower ranked start first while the sekitori often show up later than the others. So when the lower divisions are done the upper divisions start. The smaller the heya though they often are stuck working together with lower ranked guys. A larger hey like Kasugano can split things up so that makushita higher ranked guys are practicing with sekitori but the other guys are done and they are off to cook and shower except the tsukebito who are stuck there to help.

At Isegahama they also release the lower division guys so they can start cooking and there are only the sekitori doing practice at the end with tsukebito with them.

But at Onomatsu for instance they all stay till the end! They practice together right to the last. If someone is injured they do cooking and the Tokoyama-san and Okami-san were doing the cooking.

Each heya is different...

It is 3am here time to really go to bed... tell me what else you want to know.. I will try to help you out!

Good night!

Viki

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I think it is hard for someone to answer the question because the answer could be incredibly broad.

From anecdotes I have heard ranging from personal account to foreign and domestic articles, I have noticed a very wide range of attitudes towards coaching.

For example, in one heya you might hear that the lower rankers file in to train early and the eldest among them leads the session with physical exercises, hardly any words spoken, only the counting or rhythmic grunts/"shouts" to lead the activities. Oyakata or assistant wanders in halfway through this without even acknowledging anyone, sits with his nose in a newspaper and smokes a cigarette, perhaps constantly. Sekitori come in randomly, oyakata barely seems to notice. Gives a few comments now and then, maybe not even in complete sentences as the sekitori take over the space and do practice bouts.

Then you will have an oyakata who is exactly the opposite. There from the break of dawn with the lower rankers, observing every shiko and constantly working on technique from start to finish. The ones who are like this even will put on the mawashi when they are still young, and have assistant coaches who will take over when they cannot be around and who are encouraged to be just as involved in training. This also seems to be the type who does not spare the rod and keeps a cane handy throughout practice. Probably the most dangerous type is from the first example yet still likes to keep a cane around...

And then there is everything imaginable (or unimaginable) in between and beyond.

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At Isegahama they also release the lower division guys so they can start cooking and there are only the sekitori doing practice at the end with tsukebito with them.

But at Onomatsu for instance they all stay till the end! They practice together right to the last. If someone is injured they do cooking and the Tokoyama-san and Okami-san were doing the cooking.

Each heya is different...

It is 3am here time to really go to bed... tell me what else you want to know.. I will try to help you out!

Good night!

Viki

Hi Viki!

I am so jealous of you! Harumafuji is the reason that I started to watch sumo.

Thanks for all the great information and photos!

Tell Harumafuji I said hi and his number 1 fan in Canada roots for him every basho

As Always,

Craig

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And when you have a look to the Sumo Fan Magazine there are a lot of heya reports for nearly every heya, some of them with pics and description of the practise.

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You've seen these youtube vids,right Jake?

Just click on the links...

Sumo Training

From the seventies featuring Takamiyama

Could You Be A Sumo Wrestler?

Takasago Sumo Beya

横綱・朝青龍の素顔 1/3

Asashoryu's training methods

横綱・朝青龍の素顔 2/3

(a young Hakuho gets hazed) (In a state of confusion...)

千代の富士 対 北勝海 〜兄弟稽古〜

Chiyonofuji with Hokutoumi

SUMO TRAINING

with Akebono

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At Isegahama they also release the lower division guys so they can start cooking and there are only the sekitori doing practice at the end with tsukebito with them.

But at Onomatsu for instance they all stay till the end! They practice together right to the last. If someone is injured they do cooking and the Tokoyama-san and Okami-san were doing the cooking.

Each heya is different...

It is 3am here time to really go to bed... tell me what else you want to know.. I will try to help you out!

Good night!

Viki

Hi Viki!

I am so jealous of you! Harumafuji is the reason that I started to watch sumo.

Thanks for all the great information and photos!

Tell Harumafuji I said hi and his number 1 fan in Canada roots for him every basho

As Always,

Craig

Craig, I promise to do so!!!!

I have a present for Aminishiki from the Rally Japan race (he is a huge rally fan & we love the same driver so I have an autographed remote control car for him..) so I have to go there before the basho no matter what!

Harumafuji is really a great guy. He always takes time with kids which I like. Stops and picks the up for pics and gives them a kiss.

He always acknowledges me when he comes in to training as he comes a bit later & I am already there. I think it is special that he will always do so. All the boys at Onomatsu are like that. They take turns coming to say good morning. It makes you feel special no matter who you are!

Craig if you send me a letter to him I will give it to him. Either a regular letter by mail or an email I can print out.

I always bring him love letters from my 5th grade student. And I gave him some pictures of him holding the Tegata that he gave me for him. He always asks me now "how is Sou-kun?"

If you send me a letter for him I will try to get you a tegata as well! :)

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Viki

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Viki -

Thanks so much! That was great. You are very fortunate.

It seems that their is usually only one Dohyo in each stable!? I imagine space is very, very expensive to rent in most of Japan, but is that the reason?

No I have not seen those videos, but thanks. I will check them out.

Agreed practice can vary I am sure. But again, just trying to strike up an interesting conversation from those of you who have been and can offer experiences they have had.

Cheers and Happy Whichever Holiday you Celebrate!

Thanks again Viki!

Jake

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few places have the room for a second ring but I actually don't know any that do.

Michinoku - doesn't have the room for the one it has!

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Jake,

Mark is right, there isn't a lot of room for an extra dohyo... and some don't really seem enough for one!

I'm not sure about other remote locations but just fyi when Kasugano does their training camp in Iruma (where I live) they do have to dohyo and I didn't realize it until this year! Probably I was so busy looking at their butts I didn't notice the 2nd dohyo.. :-)

Seriously, anyway we have an outside dohyo and the Oyakata and guests sit under some tents next to it. It is really quite gorgeous, I was there when it was built, and it was made so well because the Oyakata's best friend does Kid's sumo here and they use it for those matches.

Anyway there is a storage building made like a temporary warehouse next to the dohyo. I knew the guys stood around in there but for the first time this year I realized that they have an extra dohyo in there.

Ok, so back to the heya and the dohyo..

As you mentioned it must get tight.. and it does especially in a place like Kasugano with so many rikishi. That is why they start their practice from 0530 because they have to go through stages and ranks and the lowest guys practice first. When they are done the next group gets going and they go off to shower and cook.

It is still crowded though with the Sekitori, tsukebito & the Makushita guys and usually Futeno or other guys coming for degeiko.

One day at Otake which is very small they had Otake & Kitanoumi guys who almost always train together. But in addition there was an entire HS & University group there who showed up later. Oyakata's friend's group. It was so crowded in there people were stepping on themselves.

Keep firing your questions away Jake...

And what about the letter for Harumafuji... ? ;-)

Viki

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As you mentioned it must get tight.. and it does especially in a place like Kasugano with so many rikishi. That is why they start their practice from 0530 because they have to go through stages and ranks and the lowest guys practice first. When they are done the next group gets going and they go off to shower and cook.

In the regular heya in Tokyo, it very commonly happens (as I've said before) that to allow more time for each level, the makushita and maybe top sandanme are sent to one heya (in rotation) to have a long training session together, while all the sekitori of the ichimon gather in another heya to get a longer time there. Otherwise in a large heya nobody gets enough time. This swapping is especially common, to the best of my knowledge, in the Dewanoumi ichimon.

Orion

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