WANNAakkaido

Best Way to Get Into Sumo?

Recommended Posts

3 hours ago, Katooshu said:

Where did you see him claim that he's going to return to Japan for physical revenge? 

Got a screenshot or anything?

It has been expressed to people in conversation, yours truly included.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Good God, I had to endure this excruciating thread full of troll-like behavior when it came out, and now I'm being reminded of it again.  When is this frickin' basho going to start???

  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm not sure why a couple of folks think the OP is a troll. Sounds like a genuine teenager with aspirations to me but maybe I'm just naive.

One thing to keep in mind is that one can give a sport and a culture a go without being a professional. I enjoy chess and have been a member of the USCF but I was never going pro. Same with soccer and basketball. I would not recommend transferring to a Japanese university, if that's possible at all, without first becoming proficient in the language, at least upper-intermediate. It helps to speak a bit of Japanese even if only visiting as a tourist. I also recommend that, in a big way, once the pandemic eases and restrictions are lifted. If you're studious and practice a good deal that can be done with a couple of years of effort. One could then easily get a job teaching English in Japan, hopefully someplace with a sumo club. I'm not sure how common these are for folks out of college already.

Alternately, it would be far easier to transfer to an American university in a metropolitan area where there's at least a serious sumo club. You sound like the kind of kid who might enjoy a larger city anyway. I don't know where you live in Montana but I've been to most of the larger cities.

There have been some NFL and martial arts folks who have gone to Japan and given it a go. One or two with a fair bit of success, like Kototenzan, John Tenta (aka- Earthquake). They pretty much universally describe sumo as the most difficult thing they've ever done, brutal, both culturally and physically. The dohyo, she's very hard, and not the least bit comfortable to be thrown down on, time after time after time. I'm not trying to dissuade you. It always helps to understand what you're getting into, though.

 

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think I referred to it as "troll-like behavior".  The chances of this happening was one-in-a-million; that's charming and inspiring, but not with a mindset that he can't do this or he can't start now, etc.  Success in that case is one-in-a-trillion.  This Gen Z-type behavior may well be sincere and naive, but it comes across as clueless, and triggers many to believe that he can't be real -- he must be a troll.

Sorry, I come in contact with people of this age who indulge in a lot of "magical thinking."  It's frustrating, and if you haven't encountered this behavior it seems "fake".

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The OP's 'training blog' hasn't been updated since Nov 30th 2020 either. Perhaps he's a) already quit, b) stopped recording training, c) recording elsewhere, d) currently in Jonokuchi, e) dead.

I'd do a proper poll but I've got gussets to scrub.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now