Age limits

[Oushimaru1138 5]

1 hour ago, Eikokurai said:

Most English speakers know the sport as ‘sumo wrestling’, so as ‘arm wrestling’ is the wrestling of arms, sumo must be the wrestling of sumos. There’s a grammatical logic there. 

Yeah, I try to use correct terminology, but it tends to slip my mind.

[Oushimaru1138 5]

4 hours ago, Otokonoyama said:

I always wondered why people unfamiliar with the sport wouldn't use sumoer...

To me, it doesn’t sound right. I prefer to try and use either rikishi, or wrestler 

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

29 minutes ago, Oushimaru1138 said:

To me, it doesn’t sound right. I prefer to try and use either rikishi, or wrestler 

Yeah, it was a failed joke. Smores, and all that. 

[Yamanashi 3,669]

1 hour ago, Otokonoyama said:

Yeah, it was a failed joke. Smores, and all that. 

As Homer Simpson might say, " Mmmmmm, sumoers, aarrrggggghh!"

 

[Oushimaru1138 5]

3 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

As Homer Simpson might say, " Mmmmmm, sumoers, aarrrggggghh!"

 

I get it lol

[Oushimaru1138 5]

Out of curiosity, are monikers a thing in amateur sumo, or is that strictly a pro sumo thing

[Oushimaru1138 5]

15 hours ago, itchyknee said:

I believe you, but what will convince everyone is a series of photos of you in a mawashi duking it out with other sumotori with the standard piece of paper saying "Yes, it's me, Oushimaru1138".

Other than that continued on-topic posting, but unrelated to you being a sumotori, should be convincing after a while.

Good luck.  Amasumo champions are respected and cheered. 192 thousand views: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2S22DZa2Ms

 

When it came to amateur sumo, I felt like it would be looked down on by the pros. Like why would someone who lives sumo 24/7 ever respect, or take a amateur seriously? Or that an amateur champion would never be on the same level as a Yokozuna. I know that’s more than likely wrong, and I’m just letting nerves get the best of me. And personally I want to prove my notions wrong, and prove to myself that an amateur wrestler (because I don’t know if rikishi is strictly used for pro) can take on and beat a yokozuna. I’m pretty sure it’s all fear, and nerves talking. But I want to earn the respect of the pros, and I felt the only way that was possible was to be a pro. 

[Asapedroryu 227]

2 hours ago, Oushimaru1138 said:

 Or that an amateur champion would never be on the same level as a Yokozuna. I know that’s more than likely wrong,

No. You are not wrong. For the first time you are 100% correct.

[Oushimaru1138 5]

23 minutes ago, RPedro44 said:

No. You are not wrong. For the first time you are 100% correct.

That’s why I said settle for amateur. But even if I can’t go pro, I’m gonna train like one. I’ll push myself to be at the same level as a Yokozuna. Also if they aren’t on the same level, is amateur even worth it then in your eyes?

[Oushimaru1138 5]

31 minutes ago, John Gunning said:

One yokozuna, several ozeki and countless sanyaku have come from amateur sumo.

Many if not most of the top amateur wrestlers are already sekitori level.

Go to the all-Japan amateur championships and you'll see many rikishi sitting in masu seki watching them.

Training in places like Nichidai is far harder and at a higher level that many sumo stables I could name. You could put the top five or six guys there up against the top five or six in a few stables and the pros likely wouldn't win a single bout.

 

Well that gives me hope lol

[Oushimaru1138 5]

1 hour ago, John Gunning said:

Using that logic everyone that's not Hakuho should quit sumo and there is no point to women's tennis or the paralympics. Soccer in Spain should just be Barcelona and Real playing each other 30 times a year etc etc

I was asking an opinion. That was in response to the other guy. I’m still new to the community itself. I’ve been mostly studying the sport. I joined the forum to meet people, and ask questions. 

Edited December 6, 2018 by Oushimaru1138

[Eikokurai 3,433]

1 hour ago, Oushimaru1138 said:

I was asking an opinion. That was in response to the other guy. I’m still new to the community itself. I’ve been mostly studying the sport. I joined the forum to meet people, and ask questions. 

I think the point for you to take away is not to underestimate the amateur side of the sport, particularly globally and within Japan itself where the level is high. If you’re serious about participating in sumo, it will stand you in good stead if you approach amateur sumo with the same mindset as you would if you were pro. If you think it’s beneath you, you’ll get nowhere. I hope it works out for you and there’s a good thread on this forum about amateur sumo where I’m sure you can get answers and support. 

[Kintamayama 44,169]

20 hours ago, zubairkhanzhk said:

My age is 21, So please tell me this forum is right for me?

Sure. But right for what?

[Asashosakari 18,649]

16 hours ago, Oushimaru1138 said:

That’s why I said settle for amateur. But even if I can’t go pro, I’m gonna train like one. I’ll push myself to be at the same level as a Yokozuna. Also if they aren’t on the same level, is amateur even worth it then in your eyes?

The question I have after reading your posts: Are you planning to do sumo strictly for maximum external validation, i.e. to become "famous"? If that's the case, then yeah, amateur sumo won't be providing a whole lot of that, simply because it's the niche version of a niche sport.

Edited December 6, 2018 by Asashosakari

[Yamanashi 3,669]

OK, so you won't be needing a shikona, since you won't be going into Grand Sumo; and you won't need a ring name, since you won't be joining any MMA/WWE type wrestling entertainment.  So, once you start doing amasumo, check in with us and tell us the name you're wrestling under, so we can follow your progress.   Beyond that, I don't think we should be wasting this young man's time with lots of forum chatter.

 

[Oushimaru1138 5]

20 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

The question I have after reading your posts: Are you planning to do sumo strictly for maximum external validation, i.e. to become "famous"? If that's the case, then yeah, amateur sumo won't be providing a whole lot of that, simply because it's the niche version of a niche sport.

I’ve always wanted to do it. I want to learn different fighting styles. But sumo was a sport that I promised myself I’d do if I had the chance. And it has to have some kind of popularity if it’s being brought up for discussion in the olympics. And it’s more I’d want to be at the same level as a Yokozuna, regardless if I went pro

[Oushimaru1138 5]

20 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

OK, so you won't be needing a shikona, since you won't be going into Grand Sumo; and you won't need a ring name, since you won't be joining any MMA/WWE type wrestling entertainment.  So, once you start doing amasumo, check in with us and tell us the name you're wrestling under, so we can follow your progress.   Beyond that, I don't think we should be wasting this young man's time with lots of forum chatter.

 

I’m enjoying the discussion for the most part. I’ve always admired the sport, but seldom get to talk about it, so it’s nice to have a discussion. And I don’t know how to address the rest of your comment without coming off as braggy, or egotistical. I just want to do my best, and have fun, and if I gain notoriety, I’ll be happy. Even better if I ever had a chance to have a pro fight. 

[Asashosakari 18,649]

1 hour ago, Oushimaru1138 said:

And it has to have some kind of popularity if it’s being brought up for discussion in the olympics.

Ever heard of korfball? Or floorball? Or bowls (not bowling)? All of those are technically in the conversation for Olympic inclusion as well, but I doubt any will become part of the Olympics in our lifetime. And sumo won't, either.

Edited December 7, 2018 by Asashosakari

[since_94 650]

I live in rural Taiwan. The Japanese occupied these islands from 1895 to 1945. Vestiges of the occupation are everywhere. Apparently there is some sumo legacy here, although it is all rather nebulous. Here’s the text of the only English article I have found discussing it.

Privacy a priority for Hualien sumo wrestlers 《吉安相撲賽》改良版丁字褲 添笑果

 

Few people knew that sumo wrestling, which originates from Japan, was once also contested in Taiwan, its ex-colony. Just recently there was a sumo wrestling contest organized in Hualien County in which wrestlers wear mawashi, the sumo wrestling suit, in a way that differs from its country of origin in quite a funny way. Wearing their Taiwanese-style mawashi, wrestlers from Hualien County’s Ji-An Township observe each other carefully in the dohyo, the circular ring from which they have to throw their opponent out. While the wrestlers seize every opportunity to beat their opponent, other tribesmen cheer loudly in the spectator seats.

Tradition says that a sumo wrestler should wear a mawashi when wrestling. However, it is relatively difficult to find a proper one in Taiwan these days. Therefore, Taiwanese wrestlers wear big towels, pieces of canvas or slings as substitutes for mawashi. They use anything white that could possibly be tied around the waist approximately in the way Japanese sumo wrestlers do. However, the Amis tribesmen living in Ji-An Township are conservative people. They are concerned that their private parts and other parts of their body are exposed, as the mawashi doesn’t cover much of their body. So in contrast to the masculine ambience of the wrestling ring, the contestants wear underwear under their wrestling suits to protect their modesty from the curiosity of the audience.

Elder tribesmen follow the tradition that forbids wrestlers from eating beef, vegetables and having sexual intercourse before competition because it is believed such activities consume energy. Wrestlers were only allowed to have other kinds of meat products, pork, bamboo shoots, vine heart, grass shoots and beans. But traditions have evolved, and today only elders still closely follow this rule.

Besides dietary rules, only men are allowed to watch the matches on the side of the dohyo because women are considered “unclean”, according to tribesmen.

Chief-referee Lin Chao-ming explained that Amis people call sumo wrestling Mitelu or Malalevu. It is aimed at strengthening tribesmen’s bodies and uniting young people in order to fight enemies. Sumo wrestling contests here ceased to be organized for a few decades until January 1986, when Ji-An Township’s Tung-Chang Village took the initiative to organize one. This initiative unexpectedly aroused the interest of Amis tribesmen around Hualien County.

(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)

大多數人都認為相撲源自日本，但是太陽帝國前殖民地台灣也有人好此道。日前花蓮縣吉安鄉年度盛事，阿美族原住民「米得路」相撲比賽，就在化仁國中操場熱鬧登場，共有三十九名部落好手競逐，選手們穿著改良版丁字褲，身體左右移動伺機出擊，族人則在場邊觀戰，加油聲此起彼落。

相撲活動規定穿著丁字褲，但因丁字褲已難尋，因此大毛巾、帆布片、背巾等，只要是白色且可以綁成丁字褲的布料全都派上用場，參賽者「將就」繫成丁字形穿上，保守的阿美族人擔心只穿丁字褲會太暴露或穿幫，紛紛穿上內褲後，再繫條丁字褲，在緊張的氣氛中顯得十分有趣。

老一輩族人說，傳統米得路比賽，選手上場前必須遵行不能吃牛肉和蔬菜，及不能行房的禁忌，認為會虛耗體力，只能吃獸肉、豬肉、竹筍、藤心、芒草心及豆類等，由於時代的轉變，這些禁忌只剩下較年長者才遵行。

此外，相撲擂台周邊也都只見男性圍觀，沒有女性的蹤影，族人說，因為傳統上認為女性不潔，所以禁止所有婦女靠近。

裁判長林昭明解釋，阿美族語稱相撲為「米得路」或「馬拉勒夫」，主要在讓族人鍛鍊強健的體魄，並讓年輕人團結一致以禦外敵，這項在阿美族中沉寂了數十年的相撲競技，民國七十五年一月間由吉安鄉東昌村示範登場，結果引起全縣各地阿美族人的興趣。（自由時報記者蔡百靈）

[Oushimaru1138 5]

On 06/12/2018 at 00:06, Eikokurai said:

I think the point for you to take away is not to underestimate the amateur side of the sport, particularly globally and within Japan itself where the level is high. If you’re serious about participating in sumo, it will stand you in good stead if you approach amateur sumo with the same mindset as you would if you were pro. If you think it’s beneath you, you’ll get nowhere. I hope it works out for you and there’s a good thread on this forum about amateur sumo where I’m sure you can get answers and support. 

I’m always trying to keep that mindset. Even if I go pro, I still want to be the best I can. One of my goals would to be able to hold my own against a pro. It’s kinda disconcerting when people make it sound like it’s pointless, or doesn’t have as much respect as pro. A lot of it is me psyching myself out too. Which usually happens if there’s something I’m getting into. But it can also be a good motivator. Thanx

[Tochinofuji 358]

2 hours ago, Oushimaru1138 said:

I’m always trying to keep that mindset. Even if I go pro, I still want to be the best I can. One of my goals would to be able to hold my own against a pro. It’s kinda disconcerting when people make it sound like it’s pointless, or doesn’t have as much respect as pro. A lot of it is me psyching myself out too. Which usually happens if there’s something I’m getting into. But it can also be a good motivator. Thanx

Ultimately, who cares if amateur gets as much "respect" as professional? Do you love the idea of doing sumo? If so, do it. If not, don't. If you're doing it for some sort of external validation of worth, which is what it sounds like in some of your posts, you won't last at it long enough to get that validation even if it's there to be had. Further, sumo is a niche activity that doesn't garner as much respect as it should anyways. So don't worry about it, and if you love it, do it. 

[Oushimaru1138 5]

1 minute ago, Tochinofuji said:

Ultimately, who cares if amateur gets as much "respect" as professional? Do you love the idea of doing sumo? If so, do it. If not, don't. If you're doing it for some sort of external validation of worth, which is what it sounds like in some of your posts, you won't last at it long enough to get that validation even if it's there to be had. Further, sumo is a niche activity that doesn't garner as much respect as it should anyways. So don't worry about it, and if you love it, do it. 

I’m doing it regardless. I’ll admit there is a bit of validation, but it’s mostly for myself, to prove that I can do it, and if I get recognition for this, I’ll be happy. But my goal is to at least reach a level comparable to yokozuna. And to maybe one day meet the rikishi that inspired me to want to do sumo in the first place

[Asapedroryu 227]

Is this still going on?

[Jakusotsu 5,721]

10 hours ago, Oushimaru1138 said:

But my goal is to at least reach a level comparable to yokozuna.

Made my day.

[Naganoyama 5,806]

Is it time to close this thread?