Does Ozumo need a tachiai fix?

[Asashosakari 19,543]

(A May 16 Asahi Shimbun article by Noriyasu Nukui; all errors are to blame on my lack of translation skills.)

With Ozumo finally taking place again, NHK chairman Hanaregoma has been heard commenting that "the trust that was lost on the dohyo must be regained on the dohyo. Things must improve on the dohyo!" But is it all just about eradicating yaocho?

It didn't take the fixing scandal for people to voice their displeasure with the quality of today's sumo. The wrestlers have size going for them over their counterparts from years past, but clearly size isn't everything: "The rikishi are lacking in personality" and "too many bouts are decided by the tachiai hit now" are some of the most common complaints.

A young rikishi in the Nishonoseki-ichimon is frustrated. Still suffering from the effects of a neck injury he laments, "I can't hit as hard at the tachiai as I want." His shisho is angry, too: "The injury only happened because he wasn't practicing enough."

Tokyo University professor Ichiro Nitta, a member of the governance committee advising the Kyokai on reforms, disagrees. "The impact of today's tachiai has no comparison in times past. It's about reaching the limits to the human physiology, not a lack of practice," he comments.

Changes to how bouts are started have happened before. The two shikiri lines only date back to 1928 and were introduced along with the first NHK radio broadcasts of Ozumo. Other tachiai styles were also prevalent until then, but the addition of the lines made the direct impact the dominant form of tachiai. Originally set 60 cm apart, the lines are at a distance of 70 cm now. Is this still appropriate for today's rikishi? As they grew in size, the frequency of tachiai henka also increased.

Nitta continues: "In sports, setting the right rules framework is important. With rikishi getting larger, the tachiai henka was a strategic evolution to gain an advantage within the rules that apply to the shikiri-sen." However, utilizing the henka is looked upon as unfair and somewhat cowardous. An audible sigh filled the Kokugikan when Yoshikaze beat Wakanosato with it the other day.

To give both small and large wrestlers a level playing field without the need to resort to such chumon-zumo acts, Nitta offers an unusual proposal: "Shouldn't there be just one shikiri line?" Rikishi would be allowed to set up wherever they wanted, as long as they stayed on their side of the line. A drastic rule change such as this may be necessary to advance the "dohyo improvement".

Edited May 17, 2011 by Asashosakari

[Haruibono 11]

Does Ozumo need a tachiai fix?-The answer is yes (I am not worthy...)

[mokele 3]

Does Ozumo need a tachiai fix?-The answer is yes (I am not worthy...)

I agree. I have even wondered whether bouts should start something like the way drag races start, with a light system which changes from red to yellow to green. This way there would be no matta except for rikishi that "jump the gun", that is, who start the bout before the green light comes on. They would be allowed one false start after which they would be disqualified.

The current honor system in which the rikishi are supposed to start simulraneously seems archaic and vague. It seems dissatisfying when so many bouts are decided by who gets the better tachi-ai. A rikishi is not punished for initiating a matta, which seems unjust.

[shumeigiku 0]

Other tachiai styles were also prevalent until then, but the addition of the lines made the direct impact the dominant form of tachiai.

Does anybody know anything more about this? For some reason I find this idea fascinating, but I'm having trouble imagining what a different tachiai could be.