Kyokushuzan vs Hakuho

[Dale 0]

Did anybody else think this looked kinda, well, odd? It

was a bit like watching a guy (Hakuho) dancing with a

broomstick. Or maybe Kyokushuzan has very powerful

toes, and can generate thrust by waving his legs in the

air. I don't know- given their relationship, it doesn't

bother me a lot either way. It just looked like Hakuho

was in total command throughout, you know?

I haven't finished today's movies yet, but this match can

be seen at-

http://www.banzuke.com/~movies/natsu2006/d...ushu_hakuho.wmv

Dale

Geez, sorry to all those who've sent me messages here. I'll sit down after

the basho and answer them, if anybody still cares. Sorry. Just work and

sleep here for the past few months. I should be rich, but noooo....

Edited May 18, 2006 by Dale

[Asojima 2,870]

Or maybe Kyokushuzan has very powerful

toes, and can generate thrust by waving his legs in the

air.

This is a set of moves that were very common thirty years ago, but, unfortunately, are seldom seen now. The attacking rikishi moves in tight with a good belt grip, lifts his opponent onto his belly and attempts to walk him out of the ring. The most common defense is for the liftee to kick his legs vigorously to try to get the lifter to lose his balance. Good yotsu sumo!!

[Dale 0]

Or maybe Kyokushuzan has very powerful

toes, and can generate thrust by waving his legs in the

air.

This is a set of moves that were very common thirty years ago, but, unfortunately, are seldom seen now. The attacking rikishi moves in tight with a good belt grip, lifts his opponent onto his belly and attempts to walk him out of the ring. The most common defense is for the liftee to kick his legs vigorously to try to get the lifter to lose his balance. Good yotsu sumo!!

I know what you mean, but the final lift isn't what I'm talking about. In that, Kyokushuzan

seemed to be making a cooperative hop backwards, if anything.

It's the two times Hakuho had Kyokushuzan back against the tawara- Kyokushuzan only had

one foot on the dohyo the second time, yet he was able to move Hakuho back. The first time,

he was able to somehow swing Hakuho back towards the center, but I can't see how, unless

Hakuho was the guy doing the swinging. It looked like a typical jungyo match to me. Entertaining,

but...

Dale

Edited May 18, 2006 by Dale

[Zuikakuyama 1]

Shuzan was doing his best impersonation of a dog peeing.

[Asojima 2,870]

Took another look and see what you mean. The only thing I can figure out is that, given Shuzan's ability to sidestep at the tawara, Hakuho got unnecessarily defensive and did not want to overcommit to the final push. The yusho is on the line. Its a stretch, but that is the only explanation I have.

[rhino 0]

When I first read the post, I was afraid Hakuho had actually lost this one...

It does look extremely bizarre to me- I can only imagine that Kyokushuzan's tawara legwaving somehow threw Hakuho off balance and swung him around. But for a rikishi as strong as Hakuho to be "unable to finish off" a one-legged old man at the edge, legswinging or not, seems mightily weird.

On an unrelated topic- thanks for the movies! I would probably have given up on following sumo if it weren't for your site!

[Mark Buckton 1]

Hakuho could have finished it twice before he did - he was playing with Kyokushuzan - wanted that move. Not unlike the yokozuna in some bouts in that he'd like it to run longer to enable him to finish it as and when he chooses.

[Azumashida 1]

Its a stretch, but that is the only explanation I have.

It actually sounds like a very sensible explanation to me.

The initial way for me to understand such seemingly strong resistance was that Shuzan actually IS extremely powerful, but because he wanted to break the record for most consecutive hiramaku basho he restrained from destroying the opposition all these years... Now THAT was a stretch... (You are going off-topic...)

[Guest kambo]

"I know what you mean, but the final lift isn't what I'm talking about. In that, Kyokushuzan

seemed to be making a cooperative hop backwards"

The way i saw it was that the hop back was Kyokushuzan's attempt to unbalance Hakuho, while he (shuzan) stayed in the air long enough to avoid touching down first.

A somewhat brilliant but desperate move i thought. (Dohyo-iri...)

[ilovesumo 12]

As you all know, each Rikishi have to move carefully fighting Shuzan. A rush of Hakuho could have given Shu the opportunity to swing around or something else we have seen often enough.

If you want to see it the other way- maybe a little help for a kid made by Shuzan.

We don't know, we can't ask.

Good bout, maybe good show. Shuzan was no stone to fall over on the way to Hakuho's first Yusho. There is a big stone waiting. 3 more days to go.

[Flying_Monkey 0]

Shuzan is the master of edge-of-the-ring fighting and unexpected moves (as well as being one of the most experienced rikishi out there), so even some of the more powerful rikishi can do rather odd-looking things against him...

[aderechelsea 124]

Hakuho could have finished it twice before he did - he was playing with Kyokushuzan - wanted that move. Not unlike the yokozuna in some bouts in that he'd like it to run longer to enable him to finish it as and when he chooses.

exactly my impression too. A lot of smiling faces in the Kokugikan after the bout seing Hakuho fooling arround with his opponent. Looked like a cat had caught a mouse and was too bored to eat it right away.

(many posts to follow in various topics after my return to Greece)