Preparations of the Y/O - Nagoya 2025

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Yokozuna Houshouryuu has announced that he will be spending an estimated one week going for degeiko, in preparation for the Nagoya Basho. He  did not do any sumo at his heya in Nagoya today, but instead worked up a sweat with basic exercises. After keiko, he revealed his plan to train away from home every day from the 3rd. Attention is focused on new Yokozuna Oonosato, who is aiming for his third consecutive yusho this tournament. As the senior Yokozuna who was promoted after the Hatsu Basho, he expressed a strong desire to be the  first current Yokozuna to get a yusho. Determined to train hard in the scorching heat. Houshouryuu trained at his heya today, practicing basic exercises such as shiko, lending his chest to the young rikishi etc and sweating well. After keiko he said, "I'm thinking of going for degeiko from tomorrow. I haven't decided where exactly to go yet, but I'll look for places where a lot of sekitori will be. I won't be staying at my heya these next days."

Temperatures are forecast to reach around 35 degrees every day in Aichi Prefecture from the 3rd onwards, and close to 40 degrees on hot days. Like Tatsunami beya,, many of the training areas are outdoors, so he plans to hone his sumo instincts. In the past, he has been training hard until about four days before the first day of the basho. If this pattern continues before the coming basho as well, it is expected that he will be training away from home for a week until the 9th. His heyamate Maegashira 5 Meisei is suffering from back pains, so he will not be able to do any sumo  with sekitori at his heya for the time being. This was also a factor in his decision to train away from home. Since he will not be able to face the young rikishi of his heya at the keikoba for a while, he gave them more "loving advice" than usual today, such as "You are not putting enough force into your tachiai. You will get hurt." "Yesterday (1st), I lent my chest to  the Makushita rikishi and did some light sumo to check my condition, and I think it's pretty good. I feel like my body is getting more toned." He is already preparing well, and it seems like he is at full throttle from the first day of training away from home. In June, he returned to his hometown of Mongolia and went mountain climbing, without revealing details, to refresh his mind and body in nature. He is also full of energy. Last tournament, he had 12 wins and 3 losses, beating undefeated Oonosato on the final day, but despite his good results, he won't look back on the past, saying, "It's over. If you dwell on what's over, you can't move forward." Although Oonosato is getting all the attention, he doesn't care, saying, "I'm only thinking about myself." He is determined to take center stage again at the Nagoya basho, where he took the yusho two years ago. 

Edited July 2 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Today, new Yokozuna Oonosato, who is aiming for his third consecutive yusho at the Nagoya Basho,  did some basic exercises such as shiko, suriashi, and teppole at the Nishonoseki beya lodgings in Anjo City, Aichi Prefecture. Although he did not do any sumo, he was seen giving technical advice to wrestlers from Yamahibiki beya who came for degeiko. While searching for the optimal position of his hips, he quietly repeated suriashi (sliding of the feet while eating a bagel with lox) outside the ring. Towards the end, he did some shiko  with young rikishi and spent over two hours overall on basic exercises. When he was promoted to Yokozuna, he said, "I've always been faithful to the basics. I've done them since I joined this stable." He thoroughly trained his lower body, to generate speed and power. On the 1st, after doing some sumo in his first keiko session since arriving in Nagoya, he was very busy with rikishi meetings and courtesy visits. He was in poor health after the announcement of the rankings before last basho, but so far this basho the preparations seem to be going well. In the future, he plans to increase the pace of his keiko, including going to other training facilities.

Both Yokozunae pretty much doing exactly the same things..

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Ozeki Kotozakura is suffering from neck pains and did not do any sumo today. Yesterday he faced Wakatakakage and others but as evening fell and birds could be heard the pain set in. "I have no idea what brought this about but i intend to train from tomorrow and onwards," he said.   This year he has not performed well so far, with five, eight and eight wins, but in June he has focused on basic exercises such as shiko and suriashi in an effort to make a comeback. With a heatwave expected over the weekend, he spoke optimistically, saying, "I have to think about the number of bouts, but sometimes my body moves better in the heat."

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Houshouryuu went to Isegahama beya today for degeiko, where he showed off his excellent condition, winning 12 and losing 3 out of 15 matches against Maegashira Hakuouhou and Atamifuji. As he had declared yesterday, he intends to go for degeiko daily from today. He chose his first degeiko to be at Isegahama beya, saying, "It's the first time since the joint training camp we had (at Isegahama ) when I was in Sandanme or Makushita," he said.   He participated in keiko at Isegahama for the first time in about 6 or 7 years. He broke out in a big sweat in the outdoor ring while the former Yokozuna Isegahama Oyakata  who became the new Oyakata at the heya from this tournament, looked on. He won all 4 matches against Hakuouhou, the first sekitori he chose. In the second bout, Houshoryuu put his hand down and Hakuouhou flew outside the ring at almost the same time, which was a close call, but after the session Hakuouhou admitted that he had lost that one. Houshouryuu overwhelmed Hakuouhou by using his abundant energy to throw him with an uwatedashinage, and showed a sharp tachiai to win by yorikiri, demonstrating his true abilities.

The next opponent he called out was Atamifuji, against whom he has a losing record of 3-5 in honbasho so far. Perhaps due to his feeling that this opponent has figured him out, he was unable to apply pressure from the start, resulting in three losses to him, but he also showed good movement in many instances, like using the whole dohyo to counterattack and turn the tables even when pressure was applied. After the session, Houshouryuu said, "It's good. It's before the basho, so I just wanted to avoid injury and put up a good fight. It's been a while since I've practiced with someone from another heya," he explained, wiping the sweat off his brow with a good feeling, as the temperature had soared to nearly 35 degrees by the time he returned home.

Edited July 5 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Yokozuna Houshouryuu went for degeiko at Isegahama beya  for a second consecutive day of training today and injured his toe. He faced Hakuouhou and Kusano, before injuring his left big toe midway through keiko and cutting the session short earlier than planned after having ten bouts in all. Sekiwake Kirishima also came for degeiko. "I wanted to face him,, but if I had gone on, I might have aggravated the injury." he said. He acknowledged the abilities of newcomer Kusano, saying, "He seems like he'll be a good training opponent." Tomorrow he will stay at home as he has a dedicated dohyo iri at the Atsuta Jingu Shrine. Asked where he intends to train on Sunday, he answered that he doesn't know yet. 

[Kintamayama 46,753]

New Yokozuna Oonosato, who is aiming for his third consecutive yusho at Nagoya  had 18 consecutive bouts against Makushita Hananoumi at the Nishonoseki beya in Anjo City, Aichi Prefecture today, going 13 - 5l. He also did a lot of basic exercises such as shiko and suriashi, and said, "It's quite tough when I'm doing sumo. I'm doing it at my own pace without getting impatient." Hananoumi, who is 173 cm tall, continued to hit Oonosato with all his might from a low position against the 192 cm tall Oonosato. There was also a scene where the Yokozuna couldn't help but pull back and was pushed out.

He talked of his expectations from the 22-year-old hopeful Hananoumi who is ranked Makushita 7W and has a chance to become a new Juryo, saying, "He doesn't let his guard down, so I can go all out. I want him to be promoted before the end of the year, and I want to mentor him." Yesterday, during a break from keiko, all the rikishi celebrated the 39th birthday of their Oyakata Nishonoseki (former Yokozuna Kisenosato). "We all gave each other cake as a present. It was a good time to take a break and relax," he said happily.

Tomorrow he will take part in the Atsuta Shrine dedication ring-entering ceremony, and then he will go to for degeiko to further prepare for opening day. "I'm in good shape, so I want to keep doing my best," he said with confidence.

Edited July 4 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Yokozuna Oonosato went to Sakaigawa beya in Fuso-cho, Aichi Prefecture for degeiko today, and fought a total of 14 bouts against Hiradoumi and Sekiwake Kirishima, who was also there for degeiko. 12--2: 3-1 against Kirishima, and 9-1 against Hiradoumi.. He showed some pressured and quick attacks, and calmly staved off Hiradoumi's low blows. Even so, he was not satisfied, saying, "The balance between the upper and lower parts of my body is still off. I have a lot to reflect on. I want to improve my accuracy a bit more." After arriving in Nagoya, Oonosato revealed his reason for choosing Sakaigawa beya as his first training location, saying, "There are opponents with good moves there. I want to get myself in shape." In the sweltering heat, he sweated earnestly. "The heat is draining my stamina. I want to be conscious of doing everything carefully," he said. On this day at Sakaigawa beya, the keiko-ba  was unairconditioned, and he trained while keeping in mind measures to prevent heat stroke, such as drinking fluids and licking salt.  

 

Edited July 6 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Well, it went down today- A rare sanban keiko session between two Yokozunae was held today. Yokozuna Houshouryuu and fresh Yokozuna Oonosato went to Sakaigawa beya in Fuso-cho, Aichi Prefecture, for degeiko. Houshouryuu and Oonosato took turns having several bouts each against Sekiwake Kirishima, Komusubi Takayasu, and Maegashira Hiradoumi of Sakaigawa beya, who were also there for the training session. After alternating and training with said opponents, they had 4 bouts between them as a finishing touch with Houshouryuu winning three and losing one. Apart from at the YDC soken, it is extremely rare for Yokozunae from different Ichimons to face each other in keiko. Even when combined with matches against other sekitori, Houshouryuu had a good record of 10 wins and one loss out of a total of 11 bouts. He had two bouts against Takayasu and five bouts against Hiradoumi, winning all of them. On the other hand, Oonosato had three wins and two losses against Kirishima and Hiradoumi, respectively. With a total of 14 bouts, he ended up with 7 wins and 7 losses, showing a mixed record.

Their comments after keiko were also in contrast. Houshouryuu proudly stated, "I was able to train well. Even though I had fewer bouts, I was determined to put on a good performance." On the 4th, when he went to train at  Isegahama beya, he hurt the area around his left big toe, and today he also trained with tape on the injured area. He did not train on the 5th and 6th, but emphasized that he has recovered, saying, "I'm much better now." Even with two days of rest, he continued to perform well, wiping away the sweat and saying, "All that's left is to train well until Friday and take care of my body. It's hot, so I have to be careful with my body."

"Not there yet.. It was good that I got to train. We're in about the same situation, and it looks like we'll battle it out till the final day.. I want to do my best again starting tomorrow. Still, the quality was lacking, but on the plus side, at least I got to go all out. I want to continue to gambarize from here on, " said Oonosato.

Edited July 7 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Ozeki Kotozakura faced off against degeiko-ing Ouhou at Sadogatake beya in Nishi Ward, Nagoya today. In the sweltering heat, he fought 13 matches in a row, and laughed, saying, "I feel like I did 70," expressing his fatigue. On the first day of the previous tournament, he was beaten by Ouhou in a disappointing way despite attacking. Against that formidable opponent, he fought hard today, finishing with 8 wins and 2 losses. On the 2nd, he developed neck pains, but said it was no problem, and looked ahead to the basho where he will be competing alone as Ozeki, saying, "It doesn't matter if the time left is short,  I just need to concentrate and do my own keiko."

[Kintamayama 46,753]

More on he Yokozuna clash today:

It is extremely rare for Yokozunae from different Ichimons to practice together, except for the Soken. The younger Oonosato asked, "What would you like to do?" and Houshouryuu replied, "Let's do it." Oonosato was seen struggling against Houshouryuu's low tachiai. The two championship contenders sparked off a battle even before the tournament.

[Steve 11]

I am a latecomer to sumo, terunofuji never appealed to me as he was the grumpy,damaged old bully that broke kirishima and cost him ozeki

hakuho, an impressive character was from the past and looked like he couldnt be matched in this generation until this year, how lucky are we to see the rise of the current pair of yokozuna, young and fit and looking to dominate for the foreseeable future, exciting times

all we need now are some solid ozeki to form a barrier to the lower ranks and sumo will be set for years to come

Edited July 8 by Steve

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Ozeki Kotozakura had 15 consecutive bouts today against Ouhou, Nishikigi and Kotoeihou, going 12-3. He worked up a lot of sweat on the outdoor dohyo in the sweltering heat. Although the flow was a bit lacking at times, he rarely showed any pulling, and seemed to show that he has improved his forward movement and his stamina. After training, he was cheerful, teasing Kotoeihou, who turned 22 today, and congratulating him, showing how good his condition was. Just as he was talking to Kotoeihou, a large truck came to deliver some luggage to the stable. When Kotozakura said, "A truckload of presents has arrived," Nishikigi and the fans around him burst out laughing. He casually informed those around him of the milestone day of his former attendant, trying to create a friendly atmosphere and a celebratory mood. He spoke calmly about his current condition, saying "it's going well, slowly but Shirley" which doesn't mean that his preparations are behind schedule, but shows that he is not in a hurry. He is expected to compete for the yusho along with the two Yokozunae, saying, "I'm always thinking about that. Well, what will be will be. I just have to believe in myself."

[RabidJohn 2,010]

14 minutes ago, Steve said:

I am a latecomer to sumo, terunofuji never appealed to me as he was the grumpy,damaged old bully that broke kirishima and cost him ozeki

Where did you get that idea? Kirishima got the neck injury that still plagues him as a result of over-training between basho. He was doing a ridiculous number of training bouts, so it was no surprise. There are some good grounds for not liking Terunofuji, but Kirishima losing his rank isn't one of them.

If you're new to ozumo then this is a great place to learn about it. I started watching a bit of sumo in the late 1980s, and I've followed it continuously since 2015, yet I had to be put right about komusubi promotions just this week. I don't know about you, but I like having my ignorance diminished.

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Hakuouhou trained at home today. "I'm training well while keeping myself in good shape. I feel like the tournament could start tomorrow," he said with a satisfied look on his face. He has reached his highest rank of all time, East Maegashira 4 this basho, and will face all the top rankers. "I'm looking forward to it. The Yokozuna (Houshouryuu) came to train with us, as did Kirishima-zeki , so I want to beat them this Basho  " he said,  expressing his hope for his first kinboshi. Regarding the theme of his training before the tournament, he vowed to overcome an issue, saying, "Don't stop after the tachi-ai. I can't help but stop my feet. Isegahama Oyakata has been strict about that, so I'm going to hit low and aim for the mae-mitsu, without my feet stopping. It's very difficult for me, but I want to be able to do that."

Edited July 8 by Kintamayama

[Akinomaki 41,571]

I first thought this was about Hoshoryu, from the thread title, but at highest rank looked again at the shikona. Hoshoryu appears as well, so the thread is OK 

[Steve 11]

3 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

Where did you get that idea? Kirishima got the neck injury that still plagues him as a result of over-training between basho. He was doing a ridiculous number of training bouts, so it was no surprise. There are some good grounds for not liking Terunofuji, but Kirishima losing his rank isn't one of them.

If you're new to ozumo then this is a great place to learn about it. I started watching a bit of sumo in the late 1980s, and I've followed it continuously since 2015, yet I had to be put right about komusubi promotions just this week. I don't know about you, but I like having my ignorance diminished.

Absolutely, i am here to learn as much as i can, love the layers of complexity that come with ozumo and am well prepared to have my assumptions soundly dashed by people in the know, this is an amazing forum

[Yamanashi 4,040]

5 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

Well, what will be will be.

Did he mention whether or not the future was his to see?  Seems newsworthy.

[Kintamayama 46,753]

7 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

I first thought this was about Hoshoryu, from the thread title, but at highest rank looked again at the shikona. Hoshoryu appears as well, so the thread is OK 

Sorry, another brainfart from the old man..

[Kintamayama 46,753]

Today, Yokozuna Houshouryuu fought 15 bouts against Meisei at home in Minami-ku, Nagoya, going 12-3 . He showed confidence in his preparations for the Nagoya Basho), saying, "I feel good. My body is in good shape. I'm almost too tense." With Oonosato's promotion, the  Yokozunae will line up on both the east and west sides of the banzuke for the first time in four years, and Houshouryuu is aiming for his first yusho since the first basho of the year. On the 9th, he went to train at Naruto beya, where he showed his energy  by competing with Sekiwake Kirishima and new Komusubi Oushouma. Wearing a dark blue mawashi, he showed his power, pushing off with a sharp tachiai and then thrusting his opponent out in one go. While watching the video of it, he nodded and said, "I think it's good." Nagoya has been experiencing scorching heat for days. After finishing his outdoor training, he took a dip in a cold bath filled with ice to refresh himself.