Toe Training

[Kotonosato]

I noticed a children's show on NHK Kyoiku that had a very cute feature with Takanohana Oyakata teaching a little boy about sumo. Perhaps it was part of a series on sumo training techniques.

This particular clip showed the little boy trying to grip the dohyo with his toes. That is, he was basically standing as usual, but with toes pointed directly down as if 'grabbing' the dohyo. I assume that is something that all rikishi try to do. But the the precursor to this was Takanohana teaching the boy how to build toe strength(?) by sitting down with a towel under his feet and then crumpling up the towel by pulling it under his feet one grip at a time. I was just wondering if rikishi actually practice this with a towel. Anybody know?

[Otokonoyama]

Practioners of other martial arts do stretches and exercises focusing on the toes. Seems sumo is similar in this regard.

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

Some yokozuna of the old times had sandals which has dents on the big toe part as they kept training their big toe strength by doing exactly the movement Takanohana was teaching. Big toe is the most important part of a rikishi when related to size (ok, maybe testicles are even more so as they produce the testosterone to enable them to beat women in arm wrestling). Musoyama's lack of sumo was due to big toe injury that never healed. He has big problems with lower back and shoulders but it was the big toe that incapacitated him. It is totally essential to have strong flexing power in the big toe because that is how you drill yourself into the dohyo.

All sumoforum members should also dent their sandals next summer and then you can fight hurricanes and mad cows when they attack. Be well and be always aware of your big toe strength. It if it insufficient, you have to DEEPLY REFLECT ON YOUR ACTIONS and revise them, build the strength and for goodness sake, start living a real true life with strong big toes.