Bart Sez: "Ouch!"

[Otokonoyama]

So, does anyone know what the state of sports medicine is in Japan? Because I hope Bart gets to a sports medicine specialist ASAP. Doing so might save his career. Now all he has to do is talk the old men in charge into letting him get proper treatment and staying off the dohyo as long as necessary (usually 6-12 months).

There are fine sports medicine specialists in Japan. I lived in a relatively small city by Japanese standards (~400,000), and found a very good practitioner who had experience working with Japanese Olympic atheletes, and spoke English quite well. His clinic was large and modern, and he seemed current on the latest trends in sports medicine. Did wonders for my knee after my jogging routine trashed a previous water-skiing injury. Sadly, the bulk of his business was rehab for the elderly. That's the way many clinics are going. Whether or not sumotori and the NSK make use of the available medical talent is another question.

[Shomishuu]

Given his Oyakata's comment, I wonder if it's always the rikishi who insist on ignoring their injuries and fighting on, or if they have strong pressure from the heya.

Here is a 'telling' quote from Kitanoumi Rijicho, made during an interview appearing in the Daily Yomiuri Online on Jan 7, 2007:

"Since taking over as chairman, I have worked to improve the quality of sumo on the dohyo. Though we still have a long way to go, our efforts have borne fruit. For example, the instant we did away with the old system to compensate injured rikishi, there was a decrease in the number of rikishi sitting out. That made us wonder what the compensation was for. Part of being a rikishi is regularly training. If they sit out, the fans won't come."

[sumofan]

Given his Oyakata's comment, I wonder if it's always the rikishi who insist on ignoring their injuries and fighting on, or if they have strong pressure from the heya.

Here is a 'telling' quote from Kitanoumi Rijicho, made during an interview appearing in the Daily Yomiuri Online on Jan 7, 2007:

"Since taking over as chairman, I have worked to improve the quality of sumo on the dohyo. Though we still have a long way to go, our efforts have borne fruit. For example, the instant we did away with the old system to compensate injured rikishi, there was a decrease in the number of rikishi sitting out. That made us wonder what the compensation was for. Part of being a rikishi is regularly training. If they sit out, the fans won't come."

Sadly, this is the double edged knife of sumo.

It is about being tough, strong and sucking it up.

Toughing it out with a serious injury is a surefire way to ruin a career.

If Bart doesn't get surgery with a realistic rehabilitation, his career is as good as over.

I think that his oyakata should have kept him from rising so rapidly.

Until makuuchi, he was able to overpower his opponents with power and momentum, despite shoddy technique.

This lack of technique is costing him dearly now.

(I am not worthy...) (Wearing a paperbag...) (Clapping wildly...)

[Shakuyaku]

Until makuuchi, he was able to overpower his opponents with power and momentum, despite shoddy technique.

This lack of technique is costing him dearly now.

;-) :-( :-(

Hear hear

[bonobo]

Here is a 'telling' quote from Kitanoumi Rijicho, made during an interview appearing in the Daily Yomiuri Online on Jan 7, 2007:

"Since taking over as chairman, I have worked to improve the quality of sumo on the dohyo. ... For example, the instant we did away with the old system to compensate injured rikishi, there was a decrease in the number of rikishi sitting out. ..."

Now this may be a bit off-topic, but I don't really see how forcing injured rikishi to dohyo before the injuries have healed improves the quality of sumo on the dohyo. I would claim that the opposite is true. Just think of sumo (still injured) Kotooshu has shown during last few bashos. He has been criticized a lot lately and I don't think it's because of having too much quality in his sumo.

And to get back to topic:

In Estonian televison's telephone interview Bart said, that if a 22-year old's knee can't hold a man, it have to be cut off. Some rough words followed this saying. He also said that he will be back in Osaka, but said that the knee needs a total repairing before coming back.

That's basically what he said. The quote would be something like "Well, if a 22-year old's knee can't hold a man then, dammit, it has to be cut off. But (the injury) has to be treated properly and it (the knee) will hold."

He also said that the injury is not as serious as feared and that he hopes to compete in Osaka. In other news he said that he'll be back in (light) training in 2-3 weeks.

[kaiguma]

He also said that the injury is not as serious as feared and that he hopes to compete in Osaka. In other news he said that he'll be back in (light) training in 2-3 weeks.

Hmmm ... if I were to look at the glass 1/3 full ...

Maybe he is right to listen to his own body.

When I injured the interior (?) ligament of my knee it did not require surgery and I did not do my rehab seriously enough. Being in a full isolation brace for 6 months, my right leg atrophied like crazy and each time I took off the brace I would have a reccuring injury. At first it was from everyday activities, later I was overtaxing it when I thought I had healed well enough. Each time I reinjured it though, it didn't hurt as bad as the first time, though it looked horrible to people watching and it was impossible to put any weight on it for 2 or 3 days. And then voila, just like new: 4 or 5 days later I would be running again.

Apparently these re-injuries can happen quite easily because the ligament has been stretched and has not had enough time to regain its taughtness. But, the more this happens, it is more likely that it may never return to its original form.

Myself, I don't walk with a limp, but I am on a voluntary ban from any semi-contact sport, and long-distance running is discouraged (I am not worthy...)

[Shomishuu]

He also said that the injury is not as serious as feared and that he hopes to compete in Osaka. In other news he said that he'll be back in (light) training in 2-3 weeks.

Hmmm ... if I were to look at the glass 1/3 full ...

Maybe he is right to listen to his own body.

When I injured the interior (?) ligament of my knee it did not require surgery and I did not do my rehab seriously enough. Being in a full isolation brace for 6 months, my right leg atrophied like crazy and each time I took off the brace I would have a reccuring injury. At first it was from everyday activities, later I was overtaxing it when I thought I had healed well enough. Each time I reinjured it though, it didn't hurt as bad as the first time, though it looked horrible to people watching and it was impossible to put any weight on it for 2 or 3 days. And then voila, just like new: 4 or 5 days later I would be running again.

Apparently these re-injuries can happen quite easily because the ligament has been stretched and has not had enough time to regain its taughtness. But, the more this happens, it is more likely that it may never return to its original form.

Myself, I don't walk with a limp, but I am on a voluntary ban from any semi-contact sport, and long-distance running is discouraged (I am not worthy...)

Heard all of that! I'm living with the result of trusting an incompetent orthopaedic doc instead of listening to my own body. Four years ago I partially tore an achilles tendon. It took a week to get in to see this guy but he said this was quite common...just wear a walking boot for two weeks and then take it off and I'd be good to go. Apparently he forgot to check my date of birth: 1939 (I do look my age BTW). Anyway I took the boot off in two weeks and ventured forth. It hurt more and more each day and finally after three more months of meetings with this guy and another doc, I was sick of round after round of having the boot off and on and pain pills, etc. The calf in my injured leg looked like a broomstick. No one ever said anything about rehab. Finally I fired them all and sought a referral to another doc who took one look and said "Oh my God." He replaced the boot with crutches and sent me to two months of rehab, and after another six months or so I could walk normally. By not rehabing right away and trying to get back to normal too quickly, what I had done was to tear another ligament that wasn't even injured - something called a posterior tibial fibular thingy or something. My achilles is fine now but that posterior thing still hurts and my calf is still somewhat atrophied. Yes, listening to your body is a very good thing....like sumo.