The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Kotooshuu Insulted My Footwear

[SalParadise 0]

I just got back from the Nagoya basho, which contained moments of the good, moments of the bad, and one ugly moment. On Friday the girlfriend and I went in Yukata (which makes a foreigner like me look like a twat, I realize, you can all mock me for it later), and had fun cheering our favourite rikishi. We made uchiwa with the names/flag colours for Baruto and Kotooshuu, and got a smile from the former when he was coming back from his Dohyo-iri.

On our way out of the aichi prefectural gymnasium, my girlfriend noted that one of the cars in the traffic waiting to exit the grounds was carrying kotooshuu, whipped out the uchiwa, and waved them at his window. He rolled it down, asked me if I was Czech, allowed us to take a quick photo (his car was about to be moving), despite losing that day.

So on Sunday (last day of the tournament), we went to morning practice at Sadogatake beya (where Kotooshuu, Kotomitsuki, and Kotoshougiku all train) to watch and cheer on Kotooshuu. Unfortunately, since it was the last day, we couldn't enter the practice area, and had to watch from behind a fence.

One of the lower ranked wrestlers (Jonidan I believe) was practicing very poorly, as he was displaying weak shoves despite his size, and getting whack on the ass with a 2x4'esque paddle. I was rather shocked at seeing a giant hulk of a man look like he was about to cry. That is until another low-ranked wrestlers performed even worse than him. He got smacked the f*** around. He was getting beat across the ass with the 2x4, then smacked across the face, tossed around by his hair, and they kept pushing him until he did it right, and beating the shit out of him until he was able to do what they wanted a handful of times.

He ended up with his hair in shambles, and blood pouring out from his mouth, but he managed to do what they wanted. (As a post-script to this part of the story, the first wrestler who kept getting his ass beat won his match, and had HUGE bruises and marks where he had been whacked).

Practice ended, and while we were pretty sure that Kotooshuu noticed and remembered us (I was the only tall white guy there), we didn't get a chance to talk to him or wish him luck. So we decided to go back to the Inaka station to get into the city to see the last day of the tournament. Everyone else had driven or lived nearby, so the town was deserted as it was 9am on a Sunday morning. On our way back to the station, we looked down a side street to see Kotoshougiku washing his hair sitting on a stone wall behind the place they had been practicing. Having come all that way to see the practice, we decided to go up and wish him luck, at least, before going.

When we got close, someone from inside (the manager perhaps?) told us that it would be better if we didn't get close, so we backed away, and contemplated going back to the station for real this time. We started walking away, and saw Makushita rikishi leave, and figured that we should just give up. We changed our minds and waited a little longer while I had a smoke, and kept idly looking down the side street. We decided to leave for real, took one look back, and saw Kotooshuu, in boxers, come outside with a towel. He took a photo with two girls who were waiting for him, and we decided to go up to him.

His tsukibito saw us and said, "Hey! No yukata today, eh?" Kotooshuu recalled that my girlfriend liked Czech, and then he insulted my footwear. He said that it was great I had worn a yukata, but wearing sandals with it is a no-no. I explained that I can't find geta my size (32cm) at which point he gave us the name of a place in Tokyo that makes them for rikishi and will deliver. Coincidentally, Kotooshuu has the same size feet as me. We chatted for a while, he was very personable and friendly, his tsukibito took a picture of us together, and then we headed to the basho.

According to one of my Japanese friends, in the Nagoya basho, the fans come up and dismantle the dohyo at the end of the last day. So we were excited to take part in this time-honoured tradition of getting a free cool souvenir. When I asked around at the basho itself, I was told that you can even take pieces of the tawara (the rope barrier that marks the boundaries of the dohyo) home with you, if you can manage to dig them out.

As the ceremonies winded down, I moved up to the dohyo, along with a herd of people, and prepared to get myself a piece as a souvenir. People had brought shovels and shit. It was insane. Absolute madness. I pushed into a herd of people digging at a tawara, grabbed it, and tore the thing out. Three people tried to wrestle it from me, and wouldn't give up. The old man of the group started yelling at me in really rude Nagoya-ben (which doesn't hold a candle to Osaka-ben for rudeness if you ask me), and telling me to give it up. When I responded with some unkind words of myself, one of the other two guys blindsided me, and started kicking the snot out of me on the ground.

My girlfriend came to tell me to stop, and just let go, which I did, and decided to go for another piece of rope. The second group, much more friendly than the first, decided to simply Janken over it (which I lost), and I had to settle for a piece of dirt instead, some bruised ribs, scraped hands and arms, and a torn shirt.

Drunk as I was I passed out on the train on the way back to Kyoto, got home and drank a couple more beers, and then went to bed.

Today I feel the true consequences of my romp in Nagoya. I am bruised, battered, hungover, and I have a torn shirt. Hrmph. All in all a good weekend, but for f***'s sake, getting kicked in the ribs sucks.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

I hope you weren't wearing a Tigers shirt... ;-) There have been punch-ups at baseball games between Dragons and Hanshin fans on several occasions.

You story brings back fond memories. When living in the near vicinity, I made it a point to visit the Sadogatake temporary stable at least once during each Nagoya basho. Of all the rikishi, Kotoinazuma and Kotonowaka were by far the most approachable & personable (I suppose that dates me a bit). They always made sure I got my fill of chanko and beer at lunch :-)

My dohyo destruction experience was the opposite of yours. I was at senshuraku, noticed the mayhem on the floor, and walked down to check it out. A kind older man noticed the shocked foreigner, and gave me a plastic bag filled with a big lump of clay and a small piece of tawara. Lots of bows, handshaking and backslapping. I had a few rail-pops on the way home to celebrate, and then enjoyed a big helping of misonikomi-udon at my favorite restaurant, and some fine Ebisu draught. (Laughing...)

Drunk as I was I passed out on the train on the way back to Kyoto, got home and drank a couple more beers, and then went to bed.

おみゃーさん、そんなによーけービールを飲んでいかんにぃー。 :-)

Edited July 24, 2006 by Otokonoyama

[SalParadise 0]

I'm glad you had a better experience than me. The second group was far more civilized than the first, and many spectators stated (after-the-fact) that the first group was overly rough and were yelling to the people to just give it to me.

My body aches like Hell today though, and I have an important meeting tomorrow. I've got to pray that they don't notice how torn up my hands are. At least I will be wearing a suit which will cover up the worst of it.

Save for the last little event there, I had a wonderful weekend. However, I paid for it in the end.

[Petr 0]

Why Czech?

Is Kotooshu driving around and looking for me?

[SalParadise 0]

I have no idea why Czech. It was confusing to me and the girlfriend alike, and neither of us could think to ask why he thought I was Czech the next day. Go figure.

[Olenishiki 0]

Thanks, SalParadise, for a fascinating (and well-written) tale. (Applauding...)

[Kurinoku 0]

My body aches like Hell today though, and I have an important meeting tomorrow.

Ah-haa! (Applauding...) Perhaps you can find some consolation by uniting yourself spiritually with the sufferings of all our dear rikishis. Don't you think their bodies must ache like hell x10? (Applauding...) (Applauding...)

[Ryukaze 0]

LOL Damn bro thats one hell of a story, hope your feeling better. Your comment about Kotooshu is interesting, as I have heard from some other people that he's a real ass. Then again I suppose everyone has their good and bad days, rikishi are people too, so while expected it may be a little naive on our part to expect perfection of them all the time.

Edited July 24, 2006 by Ryukaze

[BuBa 77]

Thanks, SalParadise, for a fascinating (and well-written) tale. (I was stupid...)

To me it reads more like a diary of a mad man. Sorry

[Fujisan 535]

Great story Sal.

I would gladly take a kicking to see Japan once in my life. (I was stupid...)

[Olenishiki 0]

Thanks, SalParadise, for a fascinating (and well-written) tale. (Holiday feeling...)

To me it reads more like a diary of a mad man. Sorry

The essence of good writing is to be able to talk to the page (or screen) as naturally as you talk to a friend sitting before you. No matter what the tone or mood or emotional valence. SalParadise seems to me to have a natural, personal story-telling voice-on-the-page. Which means it was well written. (I was stupid...) (Holiday feeling...)

Edited July 24, 2006 by Olenishiki

[Guest masamune2005]

Thanks, SalParadise, for a fascinating (and well-written) tale. (Holiday feeling...)

To me it reads more like a diary of a mad man. Sorry

The essence of good writing is to be able to talk to the page (or screen) as naturally as you talk to a friend sitting before you. No matter what the tone or mood or emotional valence. SalParadise seems to me to have a natural, personal story-telling voice-on-the-page. Which means it was well written. (I was stupid...) (Holiday feeling...)

yeah, great story. tho' i've got a little deja vu, pierrot... (Nodding yes...)

Edited July 27, 2006 by masamune2005

[SalParadise 0]

One of the comments that Kotooshuu made to me was, 腰が低い (koshi ga hikui), which means that I was very, well, for lack of a better word, respectful. I spoke only in Japanese, asked nicely if I could approach him and speak to him (both times), and if I could take a picture. I used polite Japanese the whole time, and thanked him excessively, and generally used Japanese manners through the whole thing.

He said that it was rare that foreigners approached him with that sort of attitude, which may have had something to do with his friendliness, I don't know. But he was a perfect gentleman to us, even on the day he lost, and didn't show an inkling of the bad blood he seems to display in some recent interviews and whatnot.

I'm sure the rikishi themselves ache, but they get money and housing for it at least. I paid somewhere in the realm of 90,000 yen for my weekend (tickets, hotel, meals, transportation), whereas most of them got more of that. Especially the makuuchi ones. Not that I'm complaining, as I wouldn't pay if I didn't think that it was worth it.

And while I may read as a mad man (and when I have booze in me, I can most certainly act like one at times), this wasn't one of those occasions. The madmen were the ones booting a poor defenseless 6'2 (187cm) foreigner after tackling him to the ground for a piece of rope.

A photo for your enjoyment.

(and thanks for the comments on my writing being good -- good or bad is a subjective sort of thing, but it still feels good when someone says you write well. As it's my job to write coherently, I would hope that at least someone finds it decent)

[Hananotaka 8]

I just got back from the Nagoya basho, which contained moments of the good, moments of the bad, and one ugly moment. On Friday the girlfriend and I went in Yukata (which makes a foreigner like me look like a twat, I realize, you can all mock me for it later),

Okay! You must have looked like a twat! :-P

Of course, I'll have the yutaka thing going on Sunday. Oiden, baby, Oiden!

Edit: The yukata thing going, that is. I got the yutaka thing going, too, but I meant to write "yukata"!

His tsukibito saw us and said, "Hey! No yukata today, eh?" Kotooshuu recalled that my girlfriend liked Czech, and then he insulted my footwear. He said that it was great I had worn a yukata, but wearing sandals with it is a no-no. I explained that I can't find geta my size (32cm) at which point he gave us the name of a place in Tokyo that makes them for rikishi and will deliver.

Lion-do? It's just down the street and around the corner from the Kokugikan.

The old man of the group started yelling at me in really rude Nagoya-ben (which doesn't hold a candle to Osaka-ben for rudeness if you ask me), and telling me to give it up.

I don't know about rudeness, but it's hard to match the musicality of a nice flow of Kansai-ben cussing. And I'm a defender of all things Nagoya. (Of course, Nagoya is like a current girlfriend, whereas Kansai is like a first love. Tokyo would be that bitch that did you wrong, but you stuck in the relationship too long anyway...)

The second group, much more friendly than the first, decided to simply Janken over it (which I lost)

Should have just fought them for it. I don't know why it is, but Japanese people kick Westerners' butts when it comes janken...

Edited July 25, 2006 by Hananotaka

[Hananotaka 8]

One of the comments that Kotooshuu made to me was, 腰が低い (koshi ga hikui), which means that I was very, well, for lack of a better word, respectful.

"Humble" is a good one, too.

[SalParadise 0]

Damned thesauruses -- showing up my English. Curse you Webster!

[Fujisan 535]

Blooming norah Sal I thought I was losing my hair :-P

In fact if your hair was a bit longer(Where its growing) we could be twins.

[Bishonohana 0]

And I'm a defender of all things Nagoya. (Of course, Nagoya is like a current girlfriend, whereas Kansai is like a first love. Tokyo would be that bitch that did you wrong, but you stuck in the relationship too long anyway...)

I love your description!! :-P What a great way to decribe your feelings!! It certainly brought a smile to my face!! :-P Pretty cool... :-S

[Hananotaka 8]

Damned thesauruses -- showing up my English. Curse you Webster!

That weren't no thesaurus, my man! That was pure, hard-won Japanese knowledge! :-P

"Koshi ga hikui" has a nuance of lowering oneself in the presence of another person, hence "humble". If I wanted to say someone was "respectful", I'd probably use 丁寧 teinei, or 礼儀正しい reigi tadashii.

OTOH, if Kotooushuu said to your face that you were koshi ga hikui, I'm sure he meant it in the sense of "respectful, considerate". I, myself, wouldn't be inclined to use it as a compliment.

[Hananotaka 8]

And I'm a defender of all things Nagoya. (Of course, Nagoya is like a current girlfriend, whereas Kansai is like a first love. Tokyo would be that bitch that did you wrong, but you stuck in the relationship too long anyway...)

I love your description!! :-P What a great way to decribe your feelings!! It certainly brought a smile to my face!! :-P Pretty cool... :-S

Thank ya. I like it myself. For a while, I used to think about going back to Tokyo ("C'mon, baby, let's give it a try! We can make it work this time!"). Then I went back for a couple days last December, and thought, "Oh yeeeaahhh. This is why I left..."

[SalParadise 0]

To me, Koshi ga hikui means you threw your back out and/or are hunched over like the 70 year-old granmas over here. But then again, my Japanese has always been lacking in, uh, 'finesse.'

Quite frankly, in comparison to Oshu's koshi, anyone else's seems damned hikui. F'ing giant.

And, uh, my hair isn't lost, it's just migrated south with age. I'm hoping it will return, but I think it likes the retirement communities located on my chin, arms, and places below the neck.