Day 7 activities on the dohyo

[Kaikitsune Makoto 189]

Kaido and Harunoyama both lived up to their records with dominating wins

over Kobo and Chiyotenzan respectively. Both proudly stand at 6-1 now and

beat their foes with brute strength and solid stability.

Bunch of 5-2 rikishi are knocking their heels with a special heel knocking

sumo shoe. Hagiwara leads the way with 5 consecutive wins since his two

early defeats at the beginning of the basho. Today Hagiwara sort of

covered Kasugao with his sumo and made a tight package not allowing

Kasugao to deploy uchigake. Hagiwara is on his way to makuuchi debut in

Kyushu. KOtoshogiku doesn't fall far behind in quality though. He

pressured Gojoro into a retreat and skillfully reacted to every move

Gojoro tried and soon had Gojoro off the dohyo. Shogun has only lost to

Hagiwara and Harunoyama in this basho. He has beaten fairly easily all

juryo level guys.

Ama is also at 5-2 at J4 and it starts to look like he has a decent chance

for makuuchi promotion even! Today's win matched the trend of

overwhelmingly talented sumo he does in his wins. Bushuyama tried blindly

to outpower Ama but Ama was fast and explosive dumping breastman with

businesslike uwatenage. The last 5-2 rikishi is Hakurozan but he is hardly

a candidate for juryo yusho. He has lost 2 out of his last 3 bouts and was

in major trouble today against Daishodai winning at the edge with a last

effort tsukiotoshi.

In other bouts Kinkaiyama failed to uphold his winning spirit from

yesterday and didn't manage to budge Wakatoba's oshi-attack. Kinki is now

1-6 and his yoyo is in jeopardy of dropping into a sewer system.

Wakanoyama beat Katayama who has now found his current limits. Katayama is

struggling at J7 with 2-5. He is the first newcomer of late that is

showing quite worrysome signs of not having nearly enough tools to become

a makuuchi rikishi in the very near future. Wakanoyama simply matched him

face to face and gradually proved to be stronger. Wakanoyama himself is

now 3-4 at J3 and has found his home at this level I think.

In the bout between former makuuchi who showed ability to survive

comfortably at that level too, Kasuganishiki looked to be doomed early on

getting in the way of Ushiomary's bulldozer but moved aside letting him go

past. Ushiomaru doesn't have a healthy knee and it severely hampers his

sumo.

Juzan was hapless again and had nothing to offer to Hamanishiki except

shiroboshi on a clean plate. Juzan is now 0-7 but it is not so uncommon

for him in juryo. Asofuji pulled down Asanowaka while SUmanofuji totally

destroyed Wakakirin's stance with a well-timed push.

Kitazakura and Tokitenku get well-deserved applause from the crowd lasting

even 20 seconds. The bout is long and exciting. Locked into yotsu

Kitazakura tries to drive Tenku out with power but Tenku resists and tries

his neat leg trips. Kita survives one particularly dangerous one well.

Then as the bout goes on Kita plants his feet and bents them trying to

swing Tenku out and around and all the time Tenku resists (what else?).

Great power struggle. Another short stalemate ends when Tenku finally gets

his uchigake into action and Kita falls like a tree, slams the dohyo with

his sizeable hand in big frustration and looks more pissed than ever heh.

Great bout to start the makuuchi action!!

Takanotsuru has been what Harunoyama has been in juryo but today he

doesn't get any offense going while Kotooshu seized a grip and walked

Tsuru to the edge where Tsuru hung around for a while before yielding to

pressure. Kotooshu gave a big extra shove not only once (the first extra

shove failed) but twice!

Toyonoshima trips Potsu with a clever leg trip. Faked a move to the other

side and then toppled POtsu with a surprise uchigake. Potsu remains

winless but is not as bad as Juzan is in juryo. Toyonoshima is now 3-4 and

looking ok but not quite as sharp as in Nagoya.

Takanowaka already annihilated Kotooshu and today he was all fired up to

do the same to Roho. Roho was in retreat and did a pull but stepped out

clearly before Takanowaka hit the clay. Both now at 5-2 having a good

basho.

Aminishiki is in constant danger of falling to demotion zone. At M16w he

pretty much needs a kachi koshi. Loss today in yotsu-bout against

Hayatateumi doesn't help the matter. 3-4 now and looking bulked up but

also out of touch in his losses. Hayateumi gets only his 2nd win.

Jumonji was in different class and beat Tamakasuga without any problems in

Tamakasuga's game. Tamakasuga is not makuuchi rikishi anymore.

Tochisakae beat Futeno with good oshi. Futeno had a really bad day.

Futeno's 3-4 is a big disappointment to the mankind and Dewanoumi-oyakata.

Tochisakae got his 3rd win in a row after a sleepwalking start.

Kaiho was in complete asynchrony with himself at the tachi-ai. Buyuzan

didn't do any asynchrony but Kaiho didn't know how to plant his feet and

how to swing his arms so he indicated with a palm gesture to Buyuzan that

you have to hold on a second while I am struggling to find synchrony with

myself. Buyuzan obeyed and when the bout started Kaiho had the one step

ahead momentum throughout. Buyuzan tried to push Kaiho but Kaiho always

moved slightly aside and tried to grasp the mawashi. He got it at some

point and swand Buyuzan around. Buyuzan was able to turn to face Kaiho

twice but then too much was too much and he was pushed to the edge and

propelled down like a tree. Painful looking loss but he got up unharmed.

Kaiho has had tachi-ai mysteries this basho and is now 3-4. Same for

Buyuzan.

Shuzan said he can be genki like this once in 2 years or so as it is fun

occasionally (while on other times he just shows up). Today he started

with nodowa and kept Tsuumi away. Then both got into yotsu simultaneously

but Tsuumi did absolutely nothing while Shuzan marched forward and won by

yorikiri. 7-0 for Shuzan. Tsuumi's lack of keiko and chin problems prioir

to basho show a lot. 1-6 without any Tsuumish shitate-action or anything

else for that matter. Tsuumi is probably the least genki rikishi in

makuuchi now.

Sakke has been a shadow of his best form. No Sakke-like yotsu-pressure,

lot of feebly defense and in general pathetic sumo. Today he had a good

tachi-ai and really showed determination in walking Kotonowaka to the

edge! There Koto resisted but Sakke was so close and in strong position

that it was only a matter of a second drive to finish the bout.

Kakizoe pulled Hoku.

Dejima took the space out of Kotoryu.

If there ever was a stumbling win...Toyozakura demonstrated it with

perfection. Takekaze went for henka and while Toyo turned to carry on the

assult, Takekaze moved aside with a pull leaving Toyo staggering in

desperation. Somehow Toyo was able to divert his staggering towards

Takekaze and used Takekaze as support ousting him in the process as

secondary affect! Peculiar win but well-deserved and Toyo is now 2-5.

After impact Sekiryu tries to pull Tosanoumi down. Tosa survives and

returns the favour in the next wave pulling Sekiryu down. Tosanoumi looks

reasonably genki this basho and Sekiryu isn't bad either. 3-4 for Tosa,

2-5 for Sekiryu.

Hakuho from Ulan Bataar appears on the dohyo against Kotomitsuki.

Immedieate yotsu-lock. Kotomitsuki has right hand inside and Hakuho has

right hand inside. Kotomitsuki tried to get his left hand outside while

Hakuho tries to get his left hand outside. Both try to avoid giving that.

Kotomitsuki is the first to get both hand on the belt and Hakuho almost

gets his left hand outside too. Almost isn't enough and after patient

waiting game Kotomitsuki launches a drive taking Hakuho all the way to the

other side and out. 4-3 for Koto and same for Hakuho now.

Miyabiyama simply knows how to fight Nada. Just broke Nada's attack again

and pushed him out. Simple sumo but so efficient when Miya has Nada to lay

the manifestation of his simple sumo on. Nada falls to 5-2 while Miya is

respectable 3-4 now after two good wins in a row.

Wakanosato blocked Tenho's left hand outside attempt, got morozashi and

bunny hopped Tenho out without hesitation. Wakanosato has now won 4 in a

row after a shaky start. Tenho falls to 3-4 after 3 consecutive losses to

formidable foes.

Taikai had a good tachi-ai and took Kokkai back but then as Kokkai

resisted close to edge, Taikai pulled. Kokkai survived the pull, had a

good drive going and Taikai soon found himself with back to back losses to

maegashira. Taikai is now 4-3 as is Kokkai.

Tachi-ai impact, failure to get to yotsu, strong pull by the back of Iwa's

neck. KaioU won with hatakikomi. Not that good sumo but an important win.

Musoyama started out strongly and Shimotori looked like a goner. Erected

back and all but then he got his golden grip and in addition to that he

was able to lower his stance. Left hand outside, right hand inside by

Shimotori is very very dangerous combination. Shimotori drove Muso back

once but Muso still regrouped but on the second try Shimo was too strong

and threw down Muso with power. Great sumo by Shimotori! Musoyama falls to

tragic 2-5. 3-4 for Shimotori.

Joijin is really genki. Kokkai, Shimotori, Hakuho, Tochinonada,

Asasekiryu, Iwakiyama all look good. Tosanoumi isn't bad at all either.

Even Tamanoshima woke up yesterday and who knows what he can do against

Shoryu now! Often tough bouts between those two. We shall now observe with

eyes.

Tamanoshima got a good grip and was going for a fast win but Shoryu is

very quick in reacting and just pivoted and pivoted with a throw and

managed to take the win with uwatenage. These are the kind of bouts that

make Shoryu so good. He was losing the bout but with such a speedy

reaction and game plan created in a fraction of a second, he was able to

get out of the tough situation. Tamanoshima looks much better now after

early days of crappy sumo.

[Hakuyobaku 32]

incredible Kokkai.

Beats all ozekis, even sekiwakes and loses to maegashira.

[Burainoan 0]

incredible Kokkai.

Beats all ozekis, even sekiwakes and loses to maegashira.

I believe the proper name for this type of rikishi is a "Tochinonada."

[Mark Buckton 1]

;-)

Interesting as always Kakitsune-san. Got to ask again though - are you really an overworked, stressed out and underpaid med stude? (all those I've known in the UK and a couple of Japan fit this description) Time a plenty to type leaves me as jealous as #$%#"$ (Holiday feeling...)

[Kaikitsune Makoto 189]

Interesting as always Kakitsune-san. Got to ask again though - are you really an overworked, stressed out and underpaid med stude? (all those I've known in the UK and a couple of Japan fit this description) Time a plenty to type leaves me as jealous as #$%#"$ 

Med school is what I like the most. Overworked? Lot of work yes but doesn't feel like overwork in a negative way. Stressed out? Only during the most hectic times. Underpaid? Have you seen me in Japan yet? So yes, that one is true. Besides I like writing about sumo. There is always some time. If time falls completely short, something is wrong. Noone who doesn't have a family has 24 hours of unwanted busyness or if they do, they have peculiar time allocation principles. Finally, my posts are free flow for most part so it is not exactly honed writing for some magazine or newspaper. That means no second guessing much of what to write and how. What comes out, comes out and that is it. Such approach makes the time spent much less than in case of professional writing on more official places like magazines, newspapers where they would even pay money for writing! And when enough time to watch sumo live via web stream I just write as watching the bouts. When watching the bouts later on the day, I watch the bouts through fast and then if feeling is good and time allows I write a fast report of some kind without much hesitation or filtering. It doesn't take that much time.

[Tokimori 0]

Thank you for your reports! They are for me one of the top things with this forum. (Holiday feeling...)