Nicholas Tarasenko - English Sumo Hopeful

[John Gunning 3,719]

English schoolboy Nicholas Tarasenko may just be two months past his 15th birthday but he is already training in Minato Stable with the aim of becoming a professional sumo wrestler upon completion of compulsory education next summer. At 187 cm and 108 kgs the Hull native already has the size needed to compete in ozumo and is still growing.

 

 

Edited August 27, 2024 by John Gunning

[RabidJohn 2,071]

Good to see he's not going into it blind. We Brits don't have the best track record in ozumo, so I hope he can turn that around.
If nothing else I'd love to hear what Japanese sounds like with a Hull accent*, so a makuuchi KK would be great.

*I worked most of my life for a family from Hull. It's one of the funniest English accents around. 
I assume there's an interview coming, John. Have fun transcribing the words of someone who curls herm on his murbahl fern!

[The Fat Cyclist 39]

14 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

Good to see he's not going into it blind. We Brits don't have the best track record in ozumo, so I hope he can turn that around.
If nothing else I'd love to hear what Japanese sounds like with a Hull accent*, so a makuuchi KK would be great.

*I worked most of my life for a family from Hull. It's one of the funniest English accents around. 
I assume there's an interview coming, John. Have fun transcribing the words of someone who curls herm on his murbahl fern!

I was a little worried for him too but he doesnt look out of place & certainly has the build for sumo.

As a southerner it took me far too long to parse that last sentence :)

[Asashosakari 20,270]

7 hours ago, John Gunning said:

English schoolboy Nicholas Tarasenko may just be two months past his 15th birthday but he is already training in Minato Stable with the aim of becoming a professional sumo wrestler upon completion of compulsory education next summer. At 187 cm and 108 kgs the Hull native already has the size needed to compete in ozumo and is still growing.

Do you happen to know if the time he's spending in the heya now is already going to count towards his required kenshu prep period, or is that going to start next summer? I was assuming the latter until now, but seeing him take part in full-fledged practice (and not in a white mawashi typical of guests)...

[aderechelsea 125]

"curls  herm on his murbahl fern!"

I need to give this a go as a non-native that speaks the language.

"Calls home on his mobile phone"????

[John Gunning 3,719]

6 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

Do you happen to know if the time he's spending in the heya now is already going to count towards his required kenshu prep period, or is that going to start next summer? I was assuming the latter until now, but seeing him take part in full-fledged practice (and not in a white mawashi typical of guests)...

Just an assumption but I wouldn't think so.

The academic calendars are different but as far as I know he'll still be regarded as a junior high school student until he finishes up in June next year - whether that's in England or Japan.

[John Gunning 3,719]

My piece on him today.

This English schoolboy has big dreams of becoming yokozuna — and more

[Yamanashi 4,083]

8 hours ago, John Gunning said:

My piece on him today.

This English schoolboy has big dreams of becoming yokozuna — and more

What a fascinating story, John!

1) His body looks a little more Kotooshu than Baruto, but as long as there's strength with the height he should be fine.

2) He should be taking intensive language training to make the transition less painful (socially).

3) With Ichinojo gone, the heya has nobody with more than mid-Makushita credentials.  This could be good or bad.

[Leoben 174]

Great article, I'll be keeping an eye on him for sure.

He's got great physical tools and 10 years of judo + 5 years of rugby experience are a really solid background to bring into sumo. 

[Benevolance 2,534]

Bah. He needs, what, three words for sumo? He's got to recognize hakkeyoi, matamatamata, and be able to mumble gambarimasu. BAM! Japanese covered. I think he'll do great. In fact, I'm already putting some wheels on the ol' ozeki bandwagon. 

[Gurowake 4,153]

From those pictures it doesn't seem like he's really all that big....until you realize he's only 15.

[Katooshu 3,485]

I've seen all sorts of numbers for him - 193cm/190cm/187cm. The shortest of those seems the most accurate, which is still very tall for his age. At the recent middle school national championships, which are mostly 2nd and 3rd years, a 183cm competitor looked like a giant compared to his opponents.

Edited August 29, 2024 by Katooshu

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,291]

Hopefully he takes all the rules and restrictions seriously 

[Hoshotakamoto 259]

8 hours ago, Gurowake said:

From those pictures it doesn't seem like he's really all that big....until you realize he's only 15.

I was scrolling facebook earlier in the week, saw him next to Terunofuji, and became very confused.

[growltiger 9]

Hi,

I'm new and mostly just lurking but since no one  here has remarked on the article in The Guardian from today, I'll do the honours.

No great new content about the boy, but he seems to be really earnest since he has brushed up his Japanese, it seems.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/25/nicholas-tarasenko-15-year-old-hull-british-sumo-wrestler-japan

 

[Sakanayubi 4]

Hi, this news of a potential British rikishi after so many years since the last one has made me take the jump from years of lurking to actually posting.

One thought about Nicholas - his family name “Tarasenko” would work in Japanese as a Shikona, and he could use the character 鱈 (codfish) for the “Tara”.

That would be really nice as that is precisely what his home town of Hull was known for in the Victorian era, a lot of the wealth being down to the city’s status as a key port for fishing. They still talk of a “Fishocracy” in Hull society.

[RabidJohn 2,071]

5 hours ago, growltiger said:

Hi,

I'm new and mostly just lurking but since no one  here has remarked on the article in The Guardian from today, I'll do the honours.

No great new content about the boy, but he seems to be really earnest since he has brushed up his Japanese, it seems.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/25/nicholas-tarasenko-15-year-old-hull-british-sumo-wrestler-japan

Welcome to the fold. Good find.

Many here wouldn't look to The Guardian for rational comments on sumo, but this is another good article with no snide comments about past scandals.

That's two recently. A third will make it a trend.

[Octofuji 431]

 

On 25/06/2025 at 16:58, Sakanayubi said:

Hi, this news of a potential British rikishi after so many years since the last one has made me take the jump from years of lurking to actually posting.

One thought about Nicholas - his family name “Tarasenko” would work in Japanese as a Shikona, and he could use the character 鱈 (codfish) for the “Tara”.

That would be really nice as that is precisely what his home town of Hull was known for in the Victorian era, a lot of the wealth being down to the city’s status as a key port for fishing. They still talk of a “Fishocracy” in Hull society.

I skim-read the article and thought his shikona was Tarasenko. Let's hope he reads the forum and takes note of your suggestion!

Edited June 26 by Octofuji

[Suwihuto 145]

On 27/08/2024 at 11:02, RabidJohn said:

Good to see he's not going into it blind. We Brits don't have the best track record in ozumo, so I hope he can turn that around.
If nothing else I'd love to hear what Japanese sounds like with a Hull accent*, so a makuuchi KK would be great.

*I worked most of my life for a family from Hull. It's one of the funniest English accents around. 
I assume there's an interview coming, John. Have fun transcribing the words of someone who curls herm on his murbahl fern!

As someone from the other end of Yorkshire, I (and my rugby team) was quite amused by the "...tartanic struggle tonart..." we were being told about after the match we'd just played. T' diff'rence a few mile mecks.

[Koorifuu 1,120]

Offtopic, this reminds me of when Michael Laverty first became a pundit for MotoGP, took me days to figure out what 'rispies' was.

[Kintamayama 47,290]

Nicholas Tarasenko (16), who will become the third British-born rikishi in professional sumo history (including those from Hong Kong before its handover to China in 1997), joined the keiko at Minato beya in Kawaguchi, Saitama. He used his 190cm, 120kg frame to his advantage and won by pushing his opponents out of the dohyo. He also managed to do an uwatenage by getting a firm left hand uwate . However, his hips were too high, allowing his opponents to get inside from the start and get a morozashi. He was easily defeated by being pushed out of the dohyo. His Oyakata, former sekiwake Minatofuji, pointed out that he should hit lower, and he reflected, "I still have a lot to learn, especially at the tachiai." The Oyakata was also enthusiastic about training Tarasenko to overcome his weakness, citing his long legs. He arrived in Japan at the end of June and was interviewed by the Kyokai during the Nagoya basho in July, before becoming a trainee. After completing his training, he could make his debut as early as May next year. After keiko, he eats chanko with chopsticks and seems to be getting used to it, saying, "Japanese food is delicious." During Nagoya, he watched the matches from his lodgings, and said, "Aonishiki who was competing for the yusho, made the biggest impression on me." Tarasenko, who also has blue eyes, is aiming to make it to Makuuchi.
 

Edited August 15 by Kintamayama

[Gospodin 270]

On 25/06/2025 at 17:58, Sakanayubi said:

One thought about Nicholas - his family name “Tarasenko” would work in Japanese as a Shikona, and he could use the character 鱈 (codfish) for the “Tara”.

My money´s down he has Ukrainian and perhaps Hungarian ancestry.

[Bunbukuchagama 978]

2 hours ago, Gospodin said:

My money´s down he has Ukrainian and perhaps Hungarian ancestry.

The last name is definitely Ukrainian. I don't know where you found anything Hungarian though. 

[Gospodin 270]

 Niklas (Nicholas) is a traditional Hungarian forename, though rare among the young. But could have been passed on from the father, grandfather, godfather, etc. Still a strong tradition among at least Austrian-Hungarians.

[Bunbukuchagama 978]

37 minutes ago, Gospodin said:

 Niklas (Nicholas) is a traditional Hungarian forename, though rare among the young. But could have been passed on from the father, grandfather, godfather, etc. Still a strong tradition among at least Austrian-Hungarians.

Nicholas is likely to be an Anglicized version of Russian Николай or Ukrainian Микола.