Abolishing Kosho System

[Jonosuke 28]

Here are the results the Kyokai gathered at May and Nagoya Bashos:

May Basho

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

1. 11.4%

2. 23.1 %

3. 48.6%

4. 16.9%

Nagoya Basho

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1. 6.2%

2. 17.4%

3. 53.4%

4. 23.0%

(Sumo magazine notes...perhaps a reflection from the fans sympathizing with their favorite rikishis if they ever suffer an injury.) The Kyokai abolished the Kosho as of this Hatsu Basho.

[Mark Buckton 1]

Kosho has always been abused by those in need of a rest.

Put up or shut up - tis a man's sport. You don't fight you go down.

[Fujisan 533]

The no Kosho rule invites those with real injuries to keep fighting with danger of aggrivating the injury-

We should have Kosho for everyone except Musoyama who isn't really affected anyway with his Fusen sho,Kachi-koshi,Fusen sho,Kachi koshi version of the Hokeycokey. (Showing respect...)

[Zentoryu 154]

The problem I always had with the kosho rule was that the Kyokai never made any distinction between the severity of different injuries.

They would hand out kosho status to a rikishi with a seperated shoulder, then turn around and hand out that same kosho status to a rikishi with a stubbed toe.

To an outsider, the whole system seemed somewhat corrupt.

Every injured rikishi who submited a kosho request to the kyokai always had a "medical" report that stated his injury required two months to heal. It didn't make a difference if that injury was a blown out knee or a bruised elbow. It was always "two months to heal". (Just enough time to miss the next tournament) That always struck me as fishy.

However, instead of abolishing the kosho system all together, I would rather that they have established guidelines that stated which types of injuries required kosho status and which didn't and form a board of review to enforce such rules.

There is a difference between being hurt and being injured. When you are hurt (bumps and bruises) you can and should still be able to fight. When you're injured (seperated shoulder, broken bones, etc) you should be able to take the time off to heal.

The kosho system as it existed never made this distinction.

[Elenrian 0]

The big problem with the kosho status is that it should be exeptionnal and very unsual, but it was used as a normal status... There should have been very specials exceptions for the wounded rikishi, if it is severe, and not for a little (Poking the other guy...)