Average weight announced

[Kintamayama 47,179]

Rikishi average weight is now 151.7 kilos, a slight drop. This is the fourth straight time that the average weight has dropped. Rikishi are weighed every four months or so.

Asashouryuu is still 140, just like he was in January, the last weigh-in. He's the only one mentioned.

Edited April 27, 2004 by Kintamayama

[Yoavoshimaru 0]

Where is historical data on this kept? I'd like to see a graph of average weight over time.

[aderechelsea 125]

Asashouryuu is still 140, just like he was in January, the last weigh-in.

i am sure Asa doesn't need any more weight for the moment......

he is extremely strong and agile and he doesn't want extra weight to burden his knees.

if he gains some height.... we'll see then....... (Shaking head...)

[Tenkashoryu 0]

This is the fourth straight time that the average weight has dropped.

Wow :-)

Rikishis are getting lighter then. I wonder how long it is gonna last for going down.

[Asashosakari 20,223]

Are these averages for all sekitori or just Makuuchi?

[hoshidango 0]

Where is historical data on this kept? I'd like to see a graph of average weight over time.

Yeah, it would be interesting to see weight and height transition.

But I am amazed with Asashoryu being strong as he is. I mean if you just look at him physically(on picture) I can not possibly see how he can be that strong. Chiyonofuji was tiny but he was very muscular, Takanohana was not big but looked fairly larger(maybe just me) than Asa. I have not heard him being particularly powerful like Kaio or old Dewanohana either.

[Xris 2]

But I am amazed with Asashoryu being strong as he is. I mean if you just look at him physically(on picture) I can not possibly see how he can be that strong.

Are you sure ? Look again. Look at the tickness of Asa's arms. And he has no much fat (in comparison with Kaio, Musoyama, Tochinohana) so I would not be surprised if he has as much if not more muscular mass than them (there about 20-30 kg difference in weight). ;-)

[Kaikitsune Makoto 210]

Asashoryu looks extremely strong. His whole body looks very strong. There is a big difference to Asasekiryu who weighs as much as Shoryu.

KaioU has immense thickness all over and he is muscular rather than fat whereas Toki is fat rather than muscular type. Musoyama's and Dejima's lower bodies are out of this world.

Kotooshu looks like power pliers and I can't really understand the comments of him looking weak. Fat is not a necessary component to make someone look very strong. Mind you, he is very tall and hence the limb length factor must be taken into consideration.

The winner of all strong looking men was naturally Musashimaru at his 220kg peak condition. Complete bison. At the end of his career he looked much weaker already with much softer looking body.

Naruto-oyakata as Takanosato looked like a steroid+antibiotics fed big ox. Those oxes look incredibly massive.

Wakanosato's trapizeus are bigger than his wife.

The other end of the scale we have juryo Chiyotenzan who lost 10kg weight and at his worst looked like as if his muscles were drained with some needles or something. Tosanoumi's calves are an exception in sumo world.

Miyabiyama's body type is unique. It is some kind of a mix of various universal substances. He may be one of a kind ;-)

Sentoryu looked strong in bodybuilding way which is not the strongest looking type to me at least.

Asanowaka is on steroids because he has so big muscles in places he never uses in his sumo.

[Yubiquitoyama 4]

Naruto-oyakata as Takanosato looked like a steroid+antibiotics fed big ox. Those oxes look incredibly massive.

Yes, and he STILL has that look. He really looks enormously wide and massive compared to anyone else, as for example on that photo from the Yokozuna-kai meeting... ;-)

Wakanosato's trapizeus are bigger than his wife.

Which doesn't mean much. She is a VERY small woman (Shaking head...)

Btw, Mikko, what about Takanotsuru's body type? I mean, if you think Miyabiyama's is one of a kind... Takanotsuru's body seems to flow out from his head or something (Laughing...)

Edited April 28, 2004 by Yubiquitoyama

[sekihiryu 51]

. Tosanoumi's calves are an exception in sumo world.

What calves! ;-) He is cartoonish with his skinny little legs, "lucky legs" - as is lucky they dont snap off with all that weight above them!

[Exil 301]

Miyabiyama's body type is unique. It is some kind of a mix of various universal substances. He may be one of a kind (Shaking head...)

Um, is that a good thing? ;-) Unique he is, yes.

[Kintamayama 47,179]

Are these averages for all sekitori or just Makuuchi?

Sans Makuuchi, monsieur. Only Makuuchi, sir. Makuuchi dake desu, Oyabun.

[Kaikitsune Makoto 210]

what about Takanotsuru's body type?

Indeed! I watched Hatsu 1996 some days ago and there was a young jonokuchi/jonidan guy with many layers of stomachs taking yusho. He shook his head a lot despite winning and had trouble walking normally. Evidently had those well-known (or not so well-known) bad problems with bones and ligaments in foot which were later operated if I am not mistaken. Sekiyama he was, current Takanotsuru. Odd body type certainly (Applauding...)

[Gusoyama 104]

I was amazed at Kotooshu's lat(latissimus dorsi) muscles. Looks like he's got wings.

[aderechelsea 125]

I was amazed at Kotooshu's lat(latissimus dorsi) muscles. Looks like he's got wings.

well i certainly don't want a bear hug from this guy........ (Applauding...)

he can squeeze you to death with those things......

[Asashosakari 20,223]

Kotooshu certainly looks more like an amateur wrestler than a rikishi in that Kyokai picture. But hey, not like this has to mean anything in the long run...I understand Onokuni was also pretty skinny at his Juryo debut, and he ballooned up to 200+ kg during his time as Yokozuna. (Shaking head...)

[hoshidango 0]

Only pictures & videos I get to see are from Banzuke.com and Sumo Kyokai site. I cannot possibly see good details. Are there any other internet site you get to see the video of sumo matches? Anyone knows?

[Tenkashoryu 0]

Wow. his wings are are so impressive. (Laughing...)

he can squeeze you to death with those things......

Yeah, it is gonna be tough to match up with this guy in bear hug or morozashis. He would definitely squeeze you to death. (Shaking head...)

Edited April 29, 2004 by Tenkashoryu

[Datchayama 0]

I understand Onokuni was also pretty skinny at his Juryo debut, and he ballooned up to 200+ kg during his time as Yokozuna. (Laughing...)

Just wondered. May be slightly off-topic but just wondered on the reason for this "balooning" later as Yokozuna or upper Makuuchi rankings... Age/health changes? Changing in excersize/training routines by some? ("I'm at top so don't have to do the same amount of heavy training or heya activities") or maybe more due to relaxing tranings due to injury (as it's later in their careers)?

Just seems I'd seen several that have gone that way..get near the top then seem to end up too gaining too much and getting a bit "sluggish" in their sumo due to it.

Some seem to cope more...the "skills and adaptation" aspect showing thru. Musashimaru more recently seemed this way to me. To me he seemed to have balooned out during my sumo "break" (starting early 2000-ish)...he'd just reached Yokozuna then I lost track on sumo for a cpl years. He'd gained more belly..but still maintained great leg and upper strength. Others not so well (thinking on what I saw in Miyabiyama). Don't think we'll need to worry about Asashouryuu having that kind of a problem for now. Just a lot of good muscle there ^^.

OT....maybe _that's_ the main issue why Asa can toss his opponents around so much... It's due to the rikishi weight losses ^^ (Shaking head...)

[Yubiquitoyama 4]

I understand Onokuni was also pretty skinny at his Juryo debut, and he ballooned up to 200+ kg during his time as Yokozuna.  (Laughing...)

Just wondered. May be slightly off-topic but just wondered on the reason for this "balooning" later as Yokozuna or upper Makuuchi rankings... Age/health changes? Changing in excersize/training routines by some? ("I'm at top so don't have to do the same amount of heavy training or heya activities") or maybe more due to relaxing tranings due to injury (as it's later in their careers)?

Just seems I'd seen several that have gone that way..get near the top then seem to end up too gaining too much and getting a bit "sluggish" in their sumo due to it.

Some seem to cope more...the "skills and adaptation" aspect showing thru. Musashimaru more recently seemed this way to me. To me he seemed to have balooned out during my sumo "break" (starting early 2000-ish)...he'd just reached Yokozuna then I lost track on sumo for a cpl years. He'd gained more belly..but still maintained great leg and upper strength. Others not so well (thinking on what I saw in Miyabiyama). Don't think we'll need to worry about Asashouryuu having that kind of a problem for now. Just a lot of good muscle there ^^.

OT....maybe _that's_ the main issue why Asa can toss his opponents around so much... It's due to the rikishi weight losses ^^ (Shaking head...)

Others know much more about this than me, but my spontaneous reaction is that the answer is pretty simple. Their diet is such that they gain weight. In most cases I can recall there hasn't been ONLY ballooning in later years, but rather an increase in weight during their entire careers. I assume it isn't constant, since the amount of training done by the rikishi probably also makes a difference and will fluctuate during the career, which reasonably would mean most gained weight in the beginning when trying to establish a "match weight" and towards the end when injuries and the like makes training suffer.

In the case of Maru (if I remember approximately right), he weighed some 155 kg in Juryo, some 190kg when becoming Ozeki, around 225kg when becoming Yokozuna and close to 240kg towards the end of his career. I think others who gain a lot of weight over their careers tend to follow the same pattern, although I have not much data to immediately back that opinion.

Anyway, Onokuni who was "rather skinny" (some 130 kg in Juryo and 200kg peak as Yokozuna) has lost quite a lot of weight again after he quit sumo, so apparently he did something different during his active career...

Edited April 29, 2004 by Yubiquitoyama

[Araiwa 0]

Musoyama's and Dejima's lower bodies are out of this world.

that's because i like bouts of them against Tosanoumi. That just looks so incredible and some kind of grotesque. I really think Musoyamas calves are the strongest ever in sumo.

And about Asashoryu. I also wondered cause I think he does not really look that strong. Just look to him standing next to Takanohana or Kaio or Tochiazuma.

He has not that big shoulders.

[Golynohana 332]

I understand Onokuni was also pretty skinny at his Juryo debut, and he ballooned up to 200+ kg during his time as Yokozuna. (Shaking head...)

Where can I see pictures of young (and skinny) Onokuni ?? He must have looked funny being about 70 kg lighter than in his Yokozuna time (Laughing...)

BTW, When I saw a picture of young Kaio, I could believe that he was so thin then.

He looked like he was 110 kg or something like that...

[Sasanishiki 57]

Another reason of course is that they end up eating more. They get to eat first and have their pick of the food the higher they go. Also, yokozuna are more likely to be feted by patrons and supporters so they drink and eat more.

I don't think we can underestimate injuries either. They train and compete more intensely, not to mention jungyo and other special tournaments, and are likely to be injured somewhere along the way. They probably don't reduce what they eat while they are not as active, which would lead to weight gain. As they get older, might they not be more prone to injury?

Just a question for the experts. Do rikishi alter their diet or food intake during basho or jungyo compared to days when they just do keiko?

[sekitori 492]

Average weight can be deceptive. A rikishi whose weight is well above or below average can make a big difference. Toward the end of Konishiki's career when he was at his heaviest and when his weight was removed from the calculation, the average went down by about 3kg (7lb). When Mainoumi's weight wasn't factored in, the average went up by nearly 1.5 kg (3lb).

I guess everyone took Konishiki's weight for granted after awhile, but the impact it had on the average showed what an enormous man he really was (and from what I've seen recently, apparently still is).