New recruits for Haru 2016

[Akinomaki 41,841]

3rd year high school Miyazaki (17, 179cm, 90kg) from Otaru, Hokkaido, is to enter Hakkaku-beya (ex-Hokutoumi) for Haru after graduation. He is in the judo club, but last year for doing keiko (alone) he formed a sumo interest group.

He is interested in sumo since entering a tournament as 2nd year middle school and in April this year at the All Hokkaido championships, representatives of Hakkaku-beya scouted him, they liked his use of the lower body and his forward going sumo. He wants to become a rikishi who can win with technique even with a smaller body, like Chiyonofuji.

NHK news page with video http://www3.nhk.or.jp/sapporo-news/20150825/4265381.html

announcement at the school with Hakkaku-oyakata (bad sound)

Ito (18, 178, 101kg) from Toyako (Hokkaido) also enters Hakkaku-beya, from judo background: the heya people noticed him at a tournament because he's big. In May he visited Hakkaku-beya and entered because he was impressed by the rikishi doing keiko together even under harsh conditions.

NHK news page with video http://www3.nhk.or.jp/sapporo-news/20150824/4266611.html

The oyakata would like to see many sekitori from Hokkaido.

Edited August 27, 2015 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 41,841]

Now that the thread is there and an article appeared, it's time to put him here with a recap of the ama-zumo threads (without Naya, who will surely get his articles later).
http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/sports/news/CK2015090502000250.html

1st year at Saitama Sakae high school, ... Sadogatake-oyakata's first son Masakatsu Kamatani
wants to enter ozumo after graduation (I won't create the thread "New recruits for Haru 2016" yet).

Edit: Shortened and the contents moved to the Kyushu 2015

Edited September 29, 2015 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 41,841]

Kamatani plans to enter the heya of his father Sadogatake before high school graduation and start at the Kyushu basho or else the Hatsu basho.

Taiho's grandson Naya on the other hand plans to go to Chuo university.

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2015/09/11/kiji/K20150911011111990.html

Edited September 29, 2015 by Akinomaki

[Gurowake 4,154]

What are the reasons behind someone wanting to go to University if they plan to enter Ozumo? Is there some strong stigma about going to college after failing at different career? Or is it because the lifestyle is so much easier, they'd rather continue developing as a student instead of as a deshi, as they can do the same training without the humiliation and spend a shorter actual timespan at the bottom of the ranks? I've always taken the relative lack of college Yokozuna and to some extent Ozeki as a sign that those who know they are really good enter as soon as possible. All the current Yokozuna did. The college guys turn out more like Tokitenku usually.

edit: You might say, "How the hell did Hakuho know he was any good if he never did it before and had trouble getting anyone to accept him, and started with an MK"? I'm talking in general, and certainly he would have known he had genetics on his side.

Edited September 11, 2015 by Gurowake

[Akinomaki 41,841]

Onomatsu-oyakata went to Hanamaki-city to get Chida (17, 182cm, 123kg) for his heya. Judo over 100kg best 8 at the inter-high was what made the heya scout approach him. Up to then he had no interest at all in sumo. He watched the summer jungyo and went to the heya - "Looks good, seems interesting" - and that made him develop a yearning for the sumo world (the paper misspelled that).

The oyakata: "He has a well balanced body. Even in our heya there are only 2 or 3 (of 16) with a body like that. If he puts on more muscles and gets to 150kg, he can do full-fledged yotsu-zumo (at the belt). I think he will make it."
http://www.iwanichi.co.jp/hanamaki/6327.html

[Akinomaki 41,841]

Again Hakkaku-oyakata was at the announcement at the school of a new recruit - he has secured 6 new recruits so far, one is
Sato (15, 176cm, 115kg) from Aizu-Wakamatsu-city, Fukushima. Several heya had approached him, since he is said to have been in the finals of the open weight division of the sumo tournament in this year's National middle school sports festival - but he appears only as winner and last year's 2nd at the Tohoku regional tournament. In the national tournament only a Sato from Yamagata made it to the best 8.
http://www.minyu-net.com/sports/sports/FM20151208-033964.php

Edited December 8, 2015 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 41,841]

Ishibashi (21, 188cm, 162kg) will start at the Haru basho as sd100TD http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASHDS63T4HDSPTQP00P.html

with his oyakata, who also is his Kindai sempai

He started sumo as 4th grade in primary school, has started to think about becoming pro in his last high school year and wanted to try at university how good he could become.
with new heya-mate Tamaki

3 from the Kindai sumo club will join ozumo - no definite information though who might try to start next basho and who for the Haru basho.

This was the last tournament with sandanme bottom tsukedashi qualification, the other 2 are the Kokutai and the corporate championships - the student championships have none.
Kokutai:

those in the best 8 gain one, but can only use the qualification if they are under 25 on the day before the shin-deshi kensa they want to apply for.
That means joint 3rd Hashimoto (22) and Ishibashi (Kinki univ. 4th year) and joint 5th Ichinose (23), Nakajima (1st year) and Yago (3rd year) have one. Ishibashi may be the only one to think about using it.

Ishibashi, again in the best 8, has announced that he'll enter ozumo.

Edited December 25, 2015 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 41,841]

Ishibashi, with Takasago-oyakata, visited his old high school. He declared that he wants to reach sekitori next year.
http://www.hokkoku.co.jp/subpage/TL20160108611.htm

[WAKATAKE 2,759]

Had to make sure nobody had posted about this yet.

Ryota Oyanagi, a senior of Tokyo Agriculture University will be joining Tokitsukaze beya and make his hatsu-dohyo in Osaka. He finished in the top 8 at last year's All Japan Sumo Championships which is enough for him to find his way into the banzuke as a sandanme tsukedashi. While wrestling at Tokyo Agriculture he captured 5 individual championships. He currently stands at 184cm and weighs 162kg. He first wants to make it to the sekitori ranks, then wants to become an ozeki like the 14th Tokitsukaze, Yutakayama. Oyanagi hails from Niigata and wrestled for Kanazawa Gakuin East High School before moving onto Tokyo Agriculture University. The current Tokitsukaze oyakata also went to Tokyo Agriculture and is his university sempai.

http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1597400.html

Edited January 27, 2016 by WAKATAKE

[Akinomaki 41,841]

I usually think he's read Koyanagi as well, but his reading is Oyanagi.

http://www.hokkoku.co.jp/subpage/LS20160127601.htm

This was the last tournament with sandanme bottom tsukedashi qualification, the other 2 are the Kokutai and the corporate championships - the student championships have none.

those in the best 8 gain one, but can only use the qualification if they are under 25 on the day before the shin-deshi kensa they want to apply for.

Heavy weight world champion Oyanagi wants to think about it, considering a job as well.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Akinomaki

[WAKATAKE 2,759]

I usually think he's read Koyanagi as well, but his reading is Oyanagi.

http://www.hokkoku.co.jp/subpage/LS20160127601.htm

This was the last tournament with sandanme bottom tsukedashi qualification, the other 2 are the Kokutai and the corporate championships - the student championships have none.

those in the best 8 gain one, but can only use the qualification if they are under 25 on the day before the shin-deshi kensa they want to apply for.

Heavy weight world champion Oyanagi wants to think about it, considering a job as well.

Well I certainly wouldn't have known if you hadn't pointed it out, thanks!

[WAKATAKE 2,759]

Yamanote line?

[Akinomaki 41,841]

Ishibashi is the first to be confirmed by the NSK to start as the new sd 100TD
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20160128/sum16012819030006-n1.html

Ishibashi (21, 188cm, 162kg) will start at the Haru basho as sd100TD http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASHDS63T4HDSPTQP00P.html
with Takasago-oyakata, who also is his Kindai sempai

He started sumo as 4th grade in primary school, has started to think about becoming pro in his last high school year and wanted to try at university how good he could become.
with new heya-mate Tamaki

3 from the Kindai sumo club will join ozumo - no definite information though who might try to start next basho and who for the Haru basho.

This was the last tournament with sandanme bottom tsukedashi qualification, the other 2 are the Kokutai and the corporate championships - the student championships have none.
Kokutai:

those in the best 8 gain one, but can only use the qualification if they are under 25 on the day before the shin-deshi kensa they want to apply for.
That means joint 3rd Hashimoto (22) and Ishibashi (Kinki univ. 4th year) and joint 5th Ichinose (23), Nakajima (1st year) and Yago (3rd year) have one. Ishibashi may be the only one to think about using it.

Ishibashi, again in the best 8, has announced that he'll enter ozumo.

Oyanagi will be the 2nd: "I even would have entered sumo if I had to start at maezumo."
He emphasizes his positive attitude - in contrast to his 2 year sempai Shodai (both at university and now in Tokitsukaze-beya), who still has to work to erase the image of the negative thinker.
Their coach at Tonodai compares them: "He's many levels stronger than Shodai, has all that Shodai lacks. When sending Shodai to a tournament with 'Do it', his reply was 'I'll do what I can', while Oyanagi's was 'I'll definitely take it' - he has a strong spirit."
http://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/sumo/news/CK2016012802000150.html
with (likely) coach and oyakata

with the club

Edited January 29, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Senkoho 552]

All those comments about Shodai's negative attitude make me like him even more. He seems like the only sane person in this hai, ganbarimasu circus.

[WAKATAKE 2,759]

All those comments about Shodai's negative attitude make me like him even more. He seems like the only sane person in this hai, ganbarimasu circus.

Yes it's really interesting how Shodai's former team is really dumping on him like that. Methinks there could be a possible bitter rivalry going on in keiko here real soon. Especially since he's decided to talk about Shodai like that when he's joining the SAME HEYA as him.

[Gurowake 4,154]

All those comments about Shodai's negative attitude make me like him even more. He seems like the only sane person in this hai, ganbarimasu circus.

I see it as depressive realism, something which I "suffer" from as well. I had a similar feeling about him when I read about his supposed "negative attitude". As you say, it's probably more that he knows all the gambarizing talk is complete fluff and would rather just get down to business. I played association football in high school, and our team did fairly well (state finals one year, semifinals next year) but I was personally fed up with how much the coach and other players talked about having "heart" and "the will to win". I just played as best as I could all the time, and didn't need any encouragement to do so. I needed more encouragement to persevere in putting up with the bullshit they spewed than playing hard when it was time.

[WAKATAKE 2,759]

All those comments about Shodai's negative attitude make me like him even more. He seems like the only sane person in this hai, ganbarimasu circus.

I see it as depressive realism, something which I "suffer" from as well. I had a similar feeling about him when I read about his supposed "negative attitude". As you say, it's probably more that he knows all the gambarizing talk is complete fluff and would rather just get down to business. I played association football in high school, and our team did fairly well (state finals one year, semifinals next year) but I was personally fed up with how much the coach and other players talked about having "heart" and "the will to win". I just played as best as I could all the time, and didn't need any encouragement to do so. I needed more encouragement to persevere in putting up with the bullshit they spewed than playing hard when it was time.

I think that's all perception. There will be athletes that are just in it to play the sport, and then there are those who want to win, and will compete like champions. Sometimes you just have to have a really good coach who knows how to coach the athletes and knows how to motivate the players. My college wrestling coach is one such person. Sometimes it's how you tell the story. He was a state high school placer but didn't really have any offers from schools to wrestle in college. But what he ended up doing was walking on to the Oklahoma State Wrestling program, which today has the most collegiate national championships of any sport in the nation. For the first two years he was a nobody, and no one knew that better than him. But he stuck with it, stayed with the program, even beating varsity guys that were better than him when he started. And what ends up happening in the end was he became captain of the team, the only walkon in the history of the program to do so. He was also a two-time NCAA All-American placer at the NCAA Wrestling National Championships. His teammates included Kenny Monday and Olympic gold medalist John Smith. And no matter how many times he tells the story, it awes and inspires everybody who walks into the wrestling at the school he coaches at now. I still get goosebumps listening to him and still get inspired to try and at least stay in shape and one day get back into competitive wrestling.

[hamcornheinz 839]

Not a new recruit but this is an amazing video of Ura before he entered Ozumo, and I'm not sure where to post it.

[WAKATAKE 2,759]

Ura is going to be a fun wrestler once he gets into the sekitori ranks. Do we have the next Mainoumi in our midst?

[Katooshu 3,485]

Now that was a nice throw! The Russian couldn't believe it.

Ura has some impressive skills (especially his ability to maintain good balance while getting so low) and is a joy to watch, even in defeat.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Kotooshu's Revenge

[hamcornheinz 839]

I can't help but think hes gonna get Hatatikomi'ed to death in the upper ranks fighting like that....

[krindel 688]

I can't help but think hes gonna get Hatatikomi'ed to death in the upper ranks fighting like that....

Or simply flattened like a pancake... It is my impression that a lot of the techniques he is trying have a very very high injury potential if he tries to apply them to 160 Kg + sekitori...

I really hope I am wrong though, cause its always nice to see any sort of "different" rikishi in the upper ranks.

[hamcornheinz 839]

I can't help but think hes gonna get Hatatikomi'ed to death in the upper ranks fighting like that....

Or simply flattened like a pancake... It is my impression that a lot of the techniques he is trying have a very very high injury potential if he tries to apply them to 160 Kg + sekitori...

I really hope I am wrong though, cause its always nice to see any sort of "different" rikishi in the upper ranks.

Who knows. Takekaze is his size and A FRIKIN PUSHER-THRUSTER, and he makes it work. So I hope I am wrong too. I think he may very well just get flattened by the tachiai's against bigger guys with lots of explosion in their legs... maybe if he goes extra low we'll se someone shikiri jump right over him...

[d_golem 213]

Does anyone not read Hinomaru Zumou? It's obvious that he's going to use his super low tachiai stance and center of gravity and hit his opponents lightning fast head on, and using his prodigious strength send them over the tawara in the blink of an eye. All of that minus the intimidating body scars.

[WAKATAKE 2,759]

Does anyone not read Hinomaru Zumou? It's obvious that he's going to use his super low tachiai stance and center of gravity and hit his opponents lightning fast head on, and using his prodigious strength send them over the tawara in the blink of an eye. All of that minus the intimidating body scars.

What about Ah, Harinamada? Where the main character is trying to challenge Futabayama's record?