New yaocho prevention committee

[Kintamayama 42,366]

The eight suggestions put forward:

1. After the matches (or "after the match"?), shinpan and yaocho inspectors meet to discuss possibility of yaocho.

"Giving the inspection committee more clout and bringing about real cooperation with the judging department in order to expose lethargic sumo"

4. Increase and clarify the punishments for yaocho in the future.

"Targeting not only those that did yaocho, but those that solicited, proposed or demanded it as well"

6. Implement training institution for rikishi

"Implementing a training course for rikishi who make it to Juryo and Makuuchi at the time of their promotion."

Edited April 7, 2011 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 42,366]

A temporary rijikai was convened today to receive the rebirth committee's 8-point plan and to decide how to implement it. Talk is of defining the punishment for yaocho and lethargic sumo and making an offer or a demand to do yaocho a punishable offense. The 8 suggestions are mentioned in a post above.

Edited April 15, 2011 by Kintamayama

[ilovesumo 12]

A temporary rijikai was convened today to receive the rebirth committee's 8-point plan and to decide how to implement it. Talk is of defining the punishment for yaocho and lethargic sumo and making an offer or a demand to do yaocho a punishable offense. The 8 suggestions are mentioned in a post above.

So the next no-go will be over-motivated Sumo ala Kisenosato or some long-gone gaijin's punching-Sumo...

[Asashosakari 17,346]

A temporary rijikai was convened today to receive the rebirth committee's 8-point plan and to decide how to implement it. Talk is of defining the punishment for yaocho and lethargic sumo and making an offer or a demand to do yaocho a punishable offense. The 8 suggestions are mentioned in a post above.

Some additional bits of information:

- It looks like a ban on cell phones may be part of the strengthened dressing room supervision after all; at least it was proposed by the committee when its suggestions were delivered to the Kyokai brass.

- Audience participation in judging bouts for lack of fighting spirit was also mentioned again. One proposal I saw a little while ago (not part of the official suggestions the other day) was to hand out a sort of scorecard to masu-seki seat holders.

- The list of punishments for "intentionally unspirited sumo" was amended right in Friday's rijikai session (suggestion #4). Previously it was reprimand / salary reduction / suspension / retirement advice / expulsion (jomei); now the lowest two are out and dismissal (kaiko) has been added, so any recognized case of outright yaocho should be leading to a suspension at a minimum.

- The inspection committee will reprimand rikishi for lack of fighting spirit - even of the unintentional, "too injured to do better" kind - with two reprimands in the same basho leading to an "advice" to go kyujo. (Should be interesting to see how well this will work in practice...will Kaio finish every basho 8-5-2 in the future?)

- The specific implementations of the other seven points on the list of suggestions will be decided by the end of April. Everything will apply starting with the upcoming Natsu nonbasho.

Edited April 17, 2011 by Asashosakari

[Kintamayama 42,366]

I wonder how they are going to treat henkas. After all they are regarded by many as the "mother" of all lethargic sumo. They are a great way to win while minimizing further injuries. OK, so the committee is talking about losing- not all henkas end in wins. What about the losers by henka? Isn't that a great way to cover up lethargic sumo? "Oh, how on earth did I fall for that ( wink wink nod nod).." As it seems the public is being asked to "help" in bout assessments, surely a large part of them (so I am constantly reminded) will automatically tick the henka rikishis' boxes as lethargic sumo??

Edited April 19, 2011 by Kintamayama

[Asashosakari 17,346]

Hakuho has voiced his support for the reintroduction of the kosho system today. "I think that it is necessary, and the rikishi-kai assembly agrees. Many honbasho injuries can't be cured in just a month," he commented.

[Kintamayama 42,366]

Shitakubeya no-phone update: At the joint meeting of the judging committee and the newly beefed-up inspection committee, the planned "no phone in the shitakubeya" program was discussed. Some oyakata were skeptic about being able to enforce this, but someone came up with the idea to electronically block the signals ( like some concert halls do) rendering the phones useless. The problem is that they will need to get the approval of the Ministry of Communications, which can take up to three months. The cost- a few million yen.

It was additionally decided that two oyakata will be in each shitakubeya at all times thus easily preventing yaocho. An additional Oyakata will be seated in the stadium announcer area next to the responsible gyoji, thus TOTALLY obliterating yaocho.

Edited April 27, 2011 by Kintamayama

[Asashosakari 17,346]

The rijikai will officially decide on specific measures on May 4, just in time for the basho.

[Asashosakari 17,346]

Word is that the kosho revival is off the table for now. Renewal chairman Shimamura met with the Kyokai bigwigs today and found them disinclined to support the reintroduction at this time. The committee's proposal included a provision that "taking the lessons of the past into account, the start of a new kosho system ought to be examined", but the internal position seems to be summed up by an unnamed Kyokai official: "The old system did fail, so there's a need for measured debate [about the details]."

Honest concern or delaying tactics?

[James H 0]

Shitakubeya no-phone update: At the joint meeting of the judging committee and the newly beefed-up inspection committee, the planned "no phone in the shitakubeya" program was discussed. Some oyakata were skeptic about being able to enforce this, but someone came up with the idea to electronically block the signals ( like some concert halls do) rendering the phones useless. The problem is that they will need to get the approval of the Ministry of Communications, which can take up to three months. The cost- a few million yen.

It was additionally decided that two oyakata will be in each shitakubeya at all times thus easily preventing yaocho. An additional Oyakata will be seated in the stadium announcer area next to the responsible gyoji, thus TOTALLY obliterating yaocho.

The thing about this is that it built on a false assumption - that yaocho was organised within the physical confines of the shitakubeya. There were/are plenty of opportunities for rikishi and their tsukebito to get in touch with each other outside the shitakubeya, and even if they combine this with a decision not to announce bouts too far in advance, there will still be time to get the fix in if one is so inclined.

Window dressing as usual.

It was additionally decided that two oyakata will be in each shitakubeya at all times thus easily preventing yaocho.

And this is dumb. They've had an oyakata sitting outside each shitakubeya, ostensibly on security detail/yaocho prevention, for years and it did diddly squat.

[Kintamayama 42,366]

And this is dumb. They've had an oyakata sitting outside each shitakubeya, ostensibly on security detail/yaocho prevention, for years and it did diddly squat.

I hear it's going to be a DIFFERENT squat this time.

[James H 0]

I hear it's going to be a DIFFERENT squat this time.

;-)