Kotonosato

It doesn't matter how bad your sumo is, you can still make it to sanyaku with more wins than losses. The only thing that Hakurozan has discovered so far is that despite henka, he cannot make it to sanyaku.

"I like that" is kind of a strange thing to say about a clearly nonsumo-like maneuver. I assume the reporters had said 'とんだ', and he thought they said he 'flew'.

That's an interesting signature line. Is it really true? If so I wonder would acknowledging one's own supremacy be sufficient? :-P And would you be fired immediately if they found out you were an atheist?

That's a good point. I don't actually know how the moderation works, but maybe in this case, it would have been better to place a "See also Has sumo changed?" message, rather than merging the two threads.

Ah, that makes sense. I was beginning to think you had some kind of evil powers!

I'm just curious.... This thread began before the basho started. Was there really something "inauspicious" about the mawashi then? Or can you edit the thread name after it's already started?

I think you're just not used to seeing two healthy yokozuna up there at the same time. I've been following sumo for about 8 or 9 years, but the bashos in which more than one yokozuna have been able to compete at the same time has been unbelievably low during this period. I think over the next couple of years, after seeing many really exciting last matches and playoffs on Day 15, we'll get used to it. In fact, we'll wonder how we ever stayed interested in sumo during the recent dark ages.

Asashosakari, I think you are being a bit too hard on Musoyama. (This is going back quite a few posts, but I didn't see anyone coming to Muso's rescue, so I thought I'd jump in.) I'm not a huge Musoyama fan either, but please don't compare him to this loser, Oshu. Musoyama was not a great ozeki, by any means, but he (almost?) never felt the need to resort to henka. Certainly not when he was healthy. Later, he would suffer from one injury after another. Despite the benefits of the kosho system, it became clear he would never be able to compete at the level (or with the strength, skill, etc, etc, etc) of someone like Kaio. But that certainly doesn't put him in the same category with a half-ass like Oshu.

I can't tell if you're joking or not. In any case, that was just about the worst sumo one could possibly see at a honbasho. In other words, it simply was NOT sumo.

Thanks for this post, Hananotaka. I think it's one of the best analyses of the connections between tachiai rules and the technique/state of the art of sumo I've read. (Sign of approval...) I'd like to hear others' opinions too, of course.

Great list, Asashosakari. You kind of hinted at this one, but I'd add the reforms after the fall of the shogunate. I'm sure the sumo world thought long and hard about whether they should continue wearing topknots when the rest of society was forbidden to do so. I'm sure the government debated it as well, before finally agreeing to let sumo continue this way. Another debatable issue, although really only taken seriously by foreigners, is whether to allow women on the dohyo. I think the average Japanese doesn't really care. And the kyokai only offered lip service to the idea by conducting a very unscientific survey about the issue. A related issue (from a long LONG time ago) was whether to allow women to even watch the matches. Similarly, sumo officials must have given a lot of thought to whether they should open tournaments to the public, that is, to make it into a spectator sport at all. Beofre that it was merely an exhibition for emperors.

I think it's ok for fans to over-analyze. I just hope Mitsuki doesn't start too. Right now he's on fire! I'd say he has never been this consistently good at any point in his career. In the past there are so many cases where he would display this kind of sumo, but only on every second day. This basho, he's staying focused and should be able to go the distance with class. I think we'll have a new Ozeki in September! (Sign of approval...)

Have a great day, Jonosuke. And thanks very much for all the great posts over the years, both here and on the SML.

Poor old Shimo was thrown like a rag doll on Day 1. He looked more like Shimokotori (霜小鳥).

SFM's list of gakusei rikishi should be pretty comprehensive. Thanks for the link. I count about 80 active graduates. Two Nationals is a very small percentage indeed. Now can anyone tell me about the distribution of sumo clubs is at Japanese universities? Are National schools less likely to have sumo clubs at all?

I see. So how many college grads are there all together in ozumo and what percentage of them are from National schools?

Yes but colleges like Nichi-Dai are private. National university graduates usually tend to go on and become pillars of society rather than pillars of muscle. I see. So what schools did Ojiichan and Massmedia go to?

Is this really the case? I thought there were dozens of college grads in sumo now. Do you mean that this is the first time that graduates from 国立大学 have faced each other in ozumo.

I guess the rest of the heya will continue as usual?

Unbelievable.... I knew fresh recruits was hazed and beaten with sticks and things, but to burn someone with a cigarette is just.... B-) Tragic. Actually, we had a minor outbreak of cigarette burns at a junior high school where I used to work. The "bad" boys were doing it to themselves! They thought it was cool to see who could endure the most pain. Somehow, I think the situation here is a bit different. This kid suffered enough pain already.

Wouldn't the Burj Dubai become both the tallest building and the tallest free-standing structure? All "buildings" ought to be qualifying as free-standing structures, after all. (The relevant Wikipedia article also states as much.) Actually, I don't know if that's true. I understood that the Guiness Book separated towers from buildings this way. A building has stuff, people, etc. in it all the way to the top. A tower (or free-standing structure) only had important stuff at the top and an elevator to get you to it. Are there any Mcwhirters on the list who can confirm this?

Didn't you also say that cats and dogs could figure it out? You must have very intelligent pets.

This is a mildly interesting topic (in an off-topic kind of way). I think you're talking about three different records. I grew up in Toronto where the CN Tower was completed in 1976. It's 553 m tall and was called the "tallest free-standing structure" in the world. I had never heard of the antenna in Poland, I assume because it was not free-standing (or standing at all at this point). Anyway, Sumida's tower will replace the CN Tower as the tallest "free-standing structure", while the building in Dubai will become the "tallest building".

Sorry. It looks like you're right. Any changes to the rule are probably still a long way away.