Featured rikishi - Bushuyama

[Rijicho 6]

Bushuyama!

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Musashigawa-beya man with massive breasts and silent existence in ozumo. There is more to this rikishi. But what might be it?! Good question! Lets get on with it and unravel layers. What is Bushuyama to YOU?

Geez..the Irish lightning was fast

Edited August 11, 2004 by Kaikitsune Makoto

[Azumashida 1]

What he means to me: the 7th Musashigawa beya Sekitori at the moment, and that's about it. I suppose he's an oshi-guy, but that's already inferred from the fact that he's from Musashigawa. I think I've seen only a couple of bouts from him, if I remember well he's taller (checked: he's 1,90m), or at least does his sumo significantly higher, than most of his comrades (especially Dejima, Kakizoe, Buyuzan and Wakanoyama), but maybe I'm wrong...

Judging by the facts stated above that he's supposed to be "hairy" (like Buyuzan and Wakanoyama) and have "massive breasts" (like Miyabiyama), I suppose he's the ultimate Musashigawa Rikishi (someone wrote they were all ugly not so long ago, well, that's a matter of taste really - see below).

Doesn't look that "hairy" here...

Edit: he's actually more of a yotsu-guy, much more Yorikiri than Oshidashi, cf. the NSK's Bushuyama page

Edited August 11, 2004 by Azumaryu

[Kintamayama 45,565]

hairy

I think you meant Buyuuuuzan. Bushuuuuuyama is definitely not hairy.

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Tall 190cm big robust rikishi with the biggest breasts at sekitori-level.

162kg at last weigh-in. Pretty orthodox straight-forward sumo without much

trickery. Exhibits considerable strength at times and has been stagnating

in juryo at around the same level throughout his first sekitorihood year.

Bushuyama is a late bloomer from Musashigawa-beya. 28 years old now and

despite having started as makushita tsukedashi (last one to enter ozumo at

the bottom of makushita) due to successful enough college career, he

needed 4.5 years to get to juryo. Mainly due to severe injuries I suppose

as can be deduced from this post by Joe Kuroda on ML after Aki 2003 where

Bushuyama got 4-3 at Ms2e and promotion to juryo. Bushuyama has been

hungry to catch up with Kakizoe with whom he has very much keiko since the

makushita days.

27.09.2003:

New Juryo

===========

Bushuyama (27 years old, 190 cm tall, 159 kg)

Musashigawa Beya

-----------------

"Aiming towards the Kyushu Basho, I feel half anxious and the other with

anticipation. I'd like to show vigorous sumo, a sumo style of always

moving forward."

Bushuyama became the first sekitori from Daito Bunka University. As his

sumo club had only 15 memebers, the members worked out at Musashigawa

Beya. He made his dohyo debut at the Hatsu Basho in 1999 after becoming

eligible as a Makushita Tsukedashi ranking by placing the Best 16 in the

1998 All Japan Sumo Championships.

A year later he tore his left elbow ligaments and fell to Jonidan rank.

He had a bad habit going with his chest up and could not win consistently.

Last Kyushu Basho after suffering three consecutive make-koshi, he phoned

his mother telling her that he felt he had reached the limit and would

never get to Juryo. He told her he wanted to give up and come home to

Aomori. But his mother, Kyoko, told him to stay just one more year and do

the best he can. "I cried my heart out at the phone then," Bushuyama

recalling that day. Since then he has put together five consecutive

kachikoshis.

The first Juryo promotion after 29 bashos since the dohyo debut is the

fifth slowest in the sumo history.

Musashigawa oyakata

--------------------

"He started using his right and lost the bad habit of raising his chest. I

saw him working out pretty hard lately so I had a feeling he would become

a sekitori soon. He has a good physique so the only thing left is start

using the body to his advantage and not to pull as he used to. He's seen

the guys more junior move ahead and doing well, so that must have been

motivated him sufficiently."

(Both Wakanosato and Takamisakari are from Aomori and were at the same

year during his university years. Tochiazuma and Chiyotaikai are born in

the same year.)

http://www.banzuke.com/03-5/msg00761.html

Katrina sheds a light on his character and background:

http://www.banzuke.com/03-5/msg00763.html

I didn't watch Bushuyama's sumo closely enough to notice the change in

style, but the change in his demeanor of late has been quite remarkable.

He used to be one of the gloomiest guys you could hope not to see in a

heya. Never smiled, barely returned a greeting and looked as if he'd

rather be any place but there. The fact that he was awfully injury prone

could have had something to do with it. He was often relegated to the

task of keeping score of who did keiko and how often - standing in the

corner with his arm in a sling, awkwardly grasping the note book and

pencil.

I think there was also a lot of pressure on him from his former university

coach, who kept nagging him about the need to be the first sekitori from

Daito Bunka University. Maybe the coach will be happy now and the other

Daito Bunka boys inspired to do better.

Taking the fancy shikona of Bushuyama - easily confused with Buyuzan since

the first and last kanji are the same - instead of his real name,

Yamauchi, didn't do much to change his mood or his luck on the dohyo, but

this past year though Bushuyama has been much brighter, and obviously more

successful. Just goes to show what a talk to your mother on the phone and

a good cry can do for you!

[Mark Buckton 1]

Jovial and friendly chap - sdstops to chat to fans on his way into KK and doesn't mind posing for pics. ;-)

[hoshidango 0]

Video of his bouts this basho gave me an impression he is bit more on offense, faster sumo and improved the strength. Perhaps he could keep his rank in Juryo for few years. Looks needs improvements to stick to upper juryo or makuuchi.

Edited August 16, 2004 by hoshidango

[Manekineko 200]

He has strangely handsome face. (Laughing...)

[hoshidango 0]

Yes, but current handsomeness is not good enough to get to makuuchi...

[Torideyama 32]

My thanks to Kaikitsune Makoto for including my photo of Buyuzan and Bushuyama here. I am honored.

I got this picture in December of 2003 during a tour to Mushashigawabeya. Afterwards, Bu and Bu came out to visit (not much talking, as were we all Americans from a nearby U S Army base). I had brought pictures of both for them to autograph. Bushuyama seemed amazed that anyone would do such a thing, that someone really wanted HIS autograph. I have a picture of him looking at the photo before he signs it, but I can't it to upload here.

He has done poorly since I visited him. I guess I jinxed him. But he did make KK this time in Makushita. Maybe he is on the upswing again.

He has never seemed aggressive enough to me. Seems rather laid back, even in keiko. We will see how he does from now on.

[Jakusotsu 6,052]

I have a picture of him looking at the photo before he signs it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Update 20.8.2006

Bushuyama has turned 30. I was watching the archive Musashigawa keiko clips from earlier this year (including June) and he certainly has genki spirit going. Also his keiko success against Miyabiyama, Kakizoe, Dejima and Buyuzan is not bad at all. In fact he takes part in their keiko quite often as if he would be a part of the makuuchi group. Whenever he gets right hand outside grip, he appears to be very strong even against makuuchi rikishi.

Lately his ascension closer to juryo has been stable. 5-2, 6-1 and now 4-3 at Ms8w in Nagoya basho. One of the ex-juryo rikishi with more than 50% chance of making it back to juryo if things go well. Hopefully we'll see him at Musashigawa-beya's live keiko feed prior to basho. Adds a new dimension to oversea fans for sure.

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Update 28.5.2008

Bushuyama has turned 32 and just made a successful comeback into juryo. He made his first comeback since the last update of this featured rikishi-page already in Hatsu 2007 and even had 9-6 record then before sliding back to makushita with 6-9 and 6-9 and even suffered a bad makekoshi 2-5 at Ms2 in Nagoya 2007.

Since Aki basho 2007 he has had only kachikoshi results. 5-2, 4-3, 4-3 and 4-3 in makushita and now very good basho with 9-6 at J14. Bushuyama had the best basho of his career in my opinion.

Days 1 and were promising with good oshi attack against Katayama and very clever and dynamic tsukiotoshi from static position against Wakakoyu. On day 3 he yielded uwate to Shimotori and outpowered. On days 4 and 5 he had powerful tachi-ais against Daiyubu and Sagatsukasa and tsukiotoshied both. On day 6 he was pushed out by Kirinowaka but on day 7 he had Shirononami in kime-hold and finished with kotenage after taking all Shito's attempts. On day 8 he had no problems with Asofuji and on day 9 he had another hidariyotsu stance against Mokonami and finished him with kotenage too.

On days 10-12 he lost three in a row but didn't have any bad bouts though. Day 10 bout against Kitazakura was intense. Bushuyama won the tachi-ai and even in migiyotsu stance was the forcer until Kita unleashed a nice sukuinage close to edge. On day 11 Bushuyama had a long exciting bout against genki Koryu putting Koryu into defensive. Both had their chances until Koryu did a surprising uwatehineri amidst Bushu's pressure. On day 12 he attacked Kimurayama well but Kimurayama's sideways movement was superb. Bushuyama looked very annoyed and disappointed after each of these losses.

On day 13 he clinched his kachi koshi finally by having an aggressive counter with Ryuo finishing with his third kotenage of the basho. He was VERY happy to have that kachi koshi and simply oozed content and fighting spirit. On day 14 he was outpowered by Ushiomaru but sent Ichihara to makekoshi on senshuraku to get a good 9-6 results.

Bushuyama's sumo had strong tachi-ai, good kime-squeeze, powerful hidarityotsu and always fighiting spirit high. He is also mini-Kitazakura in his inability of lack of will to suck up the content and disappointment after bouts. This was best Bushuyama ever and he is 32! Must be healthy and sumo is fun for him now. Even in the bouts he lost he was mostly rather good. Only 2-3 "bad" bouts.

Pay attention to Bushuyama. He is strong and has spirit.

Edited May 28, 2008 by Kaikitsune Makoto

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Bushuyama said this basho was his "last chance" and he was desperate to get kachi koshi. Indeed his sumo looked very spirited throughout and especially the fact that he was able to win well with oshi, yotsu, kotenage and defensively he had many techniques at his disposal.

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Update 25.9.2008

Bushuyama has done it. He has actually sealed his promotion to makuuchi at the age of 32. There is an ongoing thread dedicated to his current achievement ( http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=16290 ) but such a feat warrants an update of this thread too.

He is nowadays an aggressive rikishi who can do good oshi and yotsu and who is amazingly solid against pushing attacks too. Lets see how effective he is in makuuchi in Kyushu 2008.