The Henka

[nirumaruyama]

I'm not a henka fan. I don't enjoy seeing henkas performed by anyone on the dohyo. I admit to feeling cheated and slightly soiled when watching them. Yet with the new year approaching I have decided to give up this negative attitude towards this now common move, and while I don't leap forth to embrace the henka it's time to adapt myself to its current role.

The reason being is that I compared, on a general level, the stance taken by the authorities in my other favourite sport, football, against that being taken by the authority in sumo. Fans of football have complained for many a season about diving by players to get free-kicks/penalties etc. or faking amputation in order to get an opposing player sent-off. The football authorities have reacted by instructing referees to give out yellow cards to players for such acts as they are not in the spirit of the game. It hasn't necessarily eliminated diving or faking but everyone knows it is against the laws of the game.

Turning my attention to sumo and the general reaction to the henka, a move now common to various degrees in all levels of the top division. Certainly the sumotori who do a henka mutter ashamedly about doing so but carry on regardless. Various oyakata also grumble about it not being sumo. Yet when a henka is performed, the gyoji or ring judges don't leap up and order a restart to the bout or the offending rikishi isn't ordered to forefit the bout. In fact when proper ringside etiquette is not performed, such as a bow, we see rikishi being called back and ordered to do it properly.

This leads me to the conclusion that the henka is currently accepted within the sport as a legitimate move albeit one that is taken in an effort to win the bout rather than perform good sumo. If that's the situation I should accept it as it is and not waste my time or my enjoyment of the sport by getting worked up over it.

Anyone else agree or disagree?

[Sasanishiki]

I like this analysis - very interesting. I suppose it comes down to the difference between rules and norms. While henka is not against the rules it is seen as against the norms of sumo and so is frowned upon. If norms are ignored or stretched to a point that is deemed unacceptable then rules often are created (such as the diving rule in soccer). I wonder to what point the henka will be tolerated before we see rules enforced. I would say that there won't be rules (at least in the strict sense) because the Kyokai prefers to act through guidance. I can see us getting to a point where oyakata and rikishi are summoned to hearings and told to do better sumo as the way the Kyokai will apporach the henka issue if they feel it gets out of hand.

[obinishiki]

Well said. A henka is kind of an anticlimactic experience. But then again it's also necessary

because if it were illegal it would be nearly impossible for small rikishi to survive the tachiai.

Yokozuna and Ozeki shouldn't use it though.

[Asojima]

A henka is sumo's bunt, intentional walk, fake kick, intentionally overthrown pass, net dink, etc, etc. Most competitive sports have one or more legal tactics used to disrupt the normal flow of the game and gain a much needed temporary advantage. They are more often used by the weaker players and seldom used by the strongest players. Most sports purists groan when one of them is used, but they are definitely part of the game. Fans hate them unless they are used by the player they are rooting for. Live with it. :-S

Edited December 17, 2007 by Asojima

[philafuji]

I disagree.

To me henka is a cowardly move and there should be a rule againist it starting now.

[Shomishuu]

Actually, I can't compare henka to anything else in the sporting world. Primarily, this is because the techniques from other sports that it's sometimes equated to are things that are routinely done in practice. While I have occasionally seen reports that so-and-so was seen actually practicing henka, these sightings are extremely rare, and when they do occur, they are almost always accompanied by statements like, "Can you believe the oyakata would stand for that?" There is no stigma attached to bunts, intentional walks and the like...as a matter of fact there is often criticism when a baseball manager FAILS to employ them when convention calls for it. In American football, when a fake kick (either punt or field goal) is used, very often the reaction is something like, "Boy, that took guts!" If it didn't work, they might call it stupid, but that's another story...

Nirumaruyama's path to accepting the henka is much like my own. I used to hate it, hate it, hate it. But then I started paying attention to video from the 1950s to the mid 1980s. Guess what? It was just as prevalent then as it is now, even by ozeki and yokozuna. It's just that after the NSK got the rikishi to start the tachiai from the low crouch (beginning in the 1984 Nagoya basho), the henka became a whole lot more effective because it put a premium on a strong tachiai and also because it made it harder to see what one's opponent was doing. As far as I can tell, the word 'henka' didn't even exist in the sumo world before that time, but when rikishi started falling on their face, they needed a word for it. I've asked before if anyone could find the word in any sumo publication prior to 1984...so far no one has said they could.

Also, because the yokozuna and ozeki prior to 1984 had no qualms about using it, I don't see any difference between small rikishi or larger ones using it. If it's good for one, it's good for everybody, regardless of one's opinion about the move in general. As a factual matter, none of the major henka practitioners today are small guys...Aminishiki used to be a small guy, but not anymore.

Sasanishiki raises a good point...at what point would it get 'bad' enough to start making rules about henka? In my opinion, it would have to get so bad that the NSK believes it's taking butts out of the seats. That's real bad! Interestingly, if it did happen, we may be on the verge of it right now. Wakanoho, at the tender age of 19, appears to have no hesitation in ignoring what his oyakata has to say about his henka action. If he were to zip right up to ozeki while routinely leaping around at the tachiai, all the while ignoring everyone from his oyakata to the Rijicho...well, if that didn't do it, nothing ever would.

Anyway, I'm with Nirumaruyama...despite how bad henka might look...henka has always been a part of sumo and it's always been legal, so why should I let that get in the way of enjoying sumo? No reason I can think of.

[kaiguma]

A henka is sumo's bunt, intentional walk, fake kick, intentionally overthrown pass, net dink, etc, etc. Most competitive sports have one or more legal tactics used to disrupt the normal flow of the game and gain a much needed temporary advantage.

I do not necessarily disagree with you in theory, but I feel that those examples are simply not parallel. The bunt, intentional walk, fake kick, and intentionally overthrown pass are all part of team sports that run the course of at least one hour with hundreds if not thousands of "head-to-head" moments (and much more complex interactions). If intentional walks were so prevalent that they could color the observer's impression of an entire baseball game, you would be sick and tired of it. It would be the most boring game of baseball you've ever seen, and you'd blame that damn pitcher who intentionally walked the first 3 batters on the roster every time they walked up to the plate.

Well, if a sumo bout is over in .5 seconds and the win is by henka (or weak pull-down at the tachi-ai), why shouldn't we have a sour taste in our mouths?

But then, it's important to stay calm about it. Rules against henka? Impossible. Maybe if it reaches such a height of use that everyone is truly sick of it, the tachi-ai will adapt to it and equilibrium will be sought once again. Then we will see less bull-dozing oshizumo and more exciting yotsuzumo with good throws and struggles on the edge of the dohyo. In that case, henka is serving a natural purpose.

Either way, ugly henkas (90%) still makes me want to wretch! :-S

[paolo]

Furthermore, are there are any statistics that show how many times a henka wins and how many times it loses ? Because if the man who performs the henka is pretty sure that doing so he is going to win, the number of henka's will inevitably get bigger. I read that somebody judges a henka a risk, but on the other hand I have seen very seldom the henka performer lose the bout.... and that is very bad ! Are there any numbers ? Thanks

[Washuyama]

Not based on any facts just my impression, it really depends on the rikishi who attempts it... It seems that one who resorts to it fairly often (read Hakurozan) tends not to win by using it as his opponent prepares for its possibility. When a rikishi with normally a hard/fast tachi-ai uses it out of the blue, it tends to work.

Again, just my impression.

[Hananotaka]

Here are some excerpts from past threads about henka that I've participated in...

I'm not anti-henka. If a guy falls for a henka it's his own fault, and I think more blame should be given to the "victims" in these cases. Henka is bad sumo, and if you don't make the guy pay for choosing it, well, maybe you deserve to lose. And small rikishi, injured rikishi, old rikishi, I don't blame them at all for doing it. Yeah, maybe it's not what I want to see, but I understand how difficult and punishing sumo can be, and how they might have to henka just to give themselves a fighting chance, even if it's only to set up the possibility of henka in their opponent's mind.

But sumo is not just sport; it has an aesthetic. That is why the gyoji wear Heian period kimono, why the shimpan wear haori-hakama. It is why the rikishi wear oichou-mage, and perform dohyo-iri. It is why yobidashi announce the rikishi, not just the PA system. It is why we have five minutes of shikiri. Professional sumo has always been about entertaining the folks with impressive displays of strength, not winning at any cost.

If there's a difference between fans and oyakata, it's that the oyakata take a longer view of things than most fans in the Kokugikan. If a rikishi henka's a lot, the oyakata criticize him not just because henka often deprives fans of exciting sumo, but because henka in the long term is bad sumo. Sumo that involves dodging and pulling puts excessive stress on the ankles, and often leads to rikishi having to pull off techniques from a structurally weak position, also leading to injuries. Rikishi train to move forward, that is where their strength is built up, and thus that's how oyakata want them to perform. Tactically, it's just not sound sumo to frequently concede the momentum to the opponent. In the higher ranks fewer rikishi fall for it, so a rikishi that does so is not going to have a great career.

To add-on, I don't hate henka. But I absolutely hate, hate, hate with a white-hot fiery passion of hate and disgust, the all-too frequent result of henka - a match over in literally half a second, with the rikishi hardly touching each other. It's simply not sumo. In such situations I blame the henka'er for forgetting what sumo is all about, and the henka'ee for being so stupid as to fall for it.

And I will say this, if you are a big, strong rikishi facing a smaller rikishi, and the smaller rikishi is revving his engines because he needs all the power he can get to stand a chance against you, and you then henka, then you are no man. Nor are you a woman. You're just a child.

Edited December 18, 2007 by Hananotaka

[Randomitsuki]

Furthermore, are there are any statistics that show how many times a henka wins and how many times it loses ? Because if the man who performs the henka is pretty sure that doing so he is going to win, the number of henka's will inevitably get bigger. I read that somebody judges a henka a risk, but on the other hand I have seen very seldom the henka performer lose the bout.... and that is very bad ! Are there any numbers ? Thanks

Check out Sumo Fan Magazine's Henka Database and follow the link to the basho summary, invented and maintained by Shomishuu. There you can even download the complete henka database indicating the most frequent henka users, the most frequent victims, and the rate of wins taken by rikishi who were doing a henka according to public vote - the winning percentage is around 70% - which is quite a factor.

Edited December 18, 2007 by Randomitsuki

[Mark Buckton]

they don't use it often but if you listen carefully, (to the Japanese commentary) the term henka is used at other times (than just relating to the tachiai).

[Jakusotsu]

they don't use it often but if you listen carefully, (to the Japanese commentary) the term henka is used at other times (than just relating to the tachiai).

That's exactly one of my main concerns with all "henka" debates. When gaijin say "henka", they all know perfectly well what they're talking about, but is it really the original meaning or rather taken badly out of context?

[Mark Buckton]

in terms of using phrases and individual words as they 'should' be used, it is always tricky but one other example that immediately springs to mind is 'shonichi' which does mean the first day of a basho but also means an individual rikishi(s) first win of a basho - - as in XX got his shonichi today (on Day 3 etc).

[Hananotaka]

in terms of using phrases and individual words as they 'should' be used, it is always tricky but one other example that immediately springs to mind is 'shonichi' which does mean the first day of a basho but also means an individual rikishi(s) first win of a basho - - as in XX got his shonichi today (on Day 3 etc).

Specifically, the idiom is shonichi wo dasu 初日を出す (and the intransitive equivalent, shonichi ga deru).

There was a thread or two a while back discussing the word "henka" as used in Japan and in the GSFC (Gaijin Sumo Fan Community), and the differences thereof.

[Takemikazuchi]

To add-on, I don't hate henka. But I absolutely hate, hate, hate with a white-hot fiery passion of hate and disgust, the all-too frequent result of henka - a match over in literally half a second, with the rikishi hardly touching each other. It's simply not sumo. In such situations I blame the henka'er for forgetting what sumo is all about, and the henka'ee for being so stupid as to fall for it.

There would be no sumo left when every time rikishi rises to the ring and has to expect henka from his opponent. And blaming henka'ee for being stupid for not being able to react in 0.5 sec time from tachi-ai to full stop is just dismissive.

In American football, when a fake kick (either punt or field goal) is used, very often the reaction is something like, "Boy, that took guts!"

I would feel much better seeing henka and responding like, "Wow, nice move!" rather than "Wow, not again!" But now it looks like they are sabotaging sumo.

(Clapping wildly...)

[Gusoyama]

I have a sports analogy that I doubt many here will understand due to the failing popularity of the NHL, but henka to me is nearly identical to the neutral zone trap in hockey. It takes away from the game for the fans, it doesn't take a huge amount of skill or talent to use, and those that do use it to its utmost will win quite a lot. A neutral zone trap is used in ice hockey to funnel the the puck over to the sideboards, by playing ultra-conservatively and cutting off passing lanes. It leads to very boring hockey, but was the main reason that the New Jersey Devils won at least one of their Stanley Cups.

So, how did the NHL try to stop it? They did a few things that I like, and a few things that I don't like. First, offensive players had to reinvent their attack scheme, with longer passes, and more finesse play. Second, some silly rules(like the two-line pass) were removed to make it easier to advance the puck. Those I liked. The change I didn't like were the inclusion of "obstruction" penalties, where if you obstruct a player without the puck,(and sometimes with the puck) you get a penalty.

How does this translate to sumo? Well, I think the mindset of rikishi has to change, they have to expect henka from anyone, and maybe not go so blindly forward. Yes, this will mean a huge change for guys like Dejima and Miyabiyama, but I think its necessary. Also, maybe they should get rid of the "2 hands down" rule, and go to a more open tachi-ai, like we have seen in the past. Granted, this opens up the matta can of worms, but again, that necessitates a change in tactics. What I DON'T want to see is a rule where henka leads to a penalty or disqualification. Its too nebulous and like others have said, it takes away a tactic for smaller rikishi.

I don't dislike henka, per se, but I do dislike it from guys who are big enough and shouldn't have to resort to that, like Kotooshu, Roho, etc.

[Asashosakari]

There would be no sumo left when every time rikishi rises to the ring and has to expect henka from his opponent.

Why not? Expecting henka doesn't equal falling for henka. All it would likely do is prompt a return to the more hesitant tachi-ai style from before the 1980s, possibly accompanied by an "official" relaxing of the both-hands-down rule - arguably they've already started to move towards that, compared to e.g. five years ago.

Now, I suspect I'm in the minority in that I actually prefer today's all-out tachi-ai (although I do wish the henka frequency wasn't quite as high), but it would certainly still be sumo, just with slightly different starting parameters.

Edit: Hmm, I might as well strike this post, Gusoyama touched on those same issues a lot better than me. (Clapping wildly...)

Edited December 18, 2007 by Asashosakari

[Shomishuu]

Also, maybe they should get rid of the "2 hands down" rule, and go to a more open tachi-ai, like we have seen in the past.

Unfortunately, the difference between the 'old' tachiai and the present one didn't come about as a result of a rule change, it was due to how the PTB chose to enforce the existing rules. The 'two hands down' rule has always existed, at least in the modern era. It's only that in 1984, they made a big deal of announcing they were going to strictly enforce it. The enduring result of that announcement was the change from the half-standing tachiai to the current crouching tachiai. But the rule still isn't strictly enforced, as we all know. It's only that on occasion, the gyoji will make them start over so as to make it appear that it's being enforced.

So the issue - as it has always been - is one of enforcement, and not really related to the rules.

[Blue_Wolf]

In this forum sumofans talk so much about henka and Asashoryu, huh? What about who has the strongest kotenage, tottari and about those cool kimerate's. And of course also other wrestler's training and their behaviour? (Clapping wildly...)

[Sasanishiki]

Umm, I didn't get the sense that anyone was talking about asashoryu and henka, especially not in this thread. I think most people recognise Asa for being a really good exponent of many throws. I think the rikishi that a lot of people would think of when it comes to henka are some of the other foreign rikishi (but by no means only them), specifically Hakurozan.

[James H]

I liked Sasanishiki's reference to rules and conventions. At the moment, there are rules about the two-handed tachiai, and conventions about henka. The rules about 2-hands down are enforced randomly - both in hon basho and at open practices like the one in front of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council before hon basho. The conventions about henka, when they are expressed, seem to be based on rank.

At last year's hatsu basho YDC practice, Taiho wouldn't let up on Ama about getting his hands down at the tachiai. It didn't seem that Ama was doing much wrong - just trying to get an advantage at the tachiai to make up for his lack of weight. In fact, Roho (who is Taiho's deshi, in a way) was much worse, and of course has a much worse reputation for shenanigans at the tachiai.

My feeling at the time was that bigger things were expected of Ama, so he was being held to a higher standard than Roho. So in this case, the rules were being applied randomly.

The convention about henka is flexible, as many posters have noted. Kotooshu gets a tough time (from Japanese journos as well as foreign fans) because he shouldn't need to use it, and he is an ozeki. The judges said that Hakuho's playoff henka of Asashoryu in March - after Asa had henka'd Chiyotaikai to force the playoff - didn't cost Hakuho in terms of his yokozuna promotion because it wasn't a regulation bout. If he had done it in regulation, there might have been some bitching.

If Hakuho, for the sake of argument, decides that the best way to deal with Asa's return is to become the world's No. 1 henka specialist, the old hinkaku defense would come up and you can bet his shisho would be giving him an earful about it.

Edited December 19, 2007 by James H

[kaiguma]

they don't use it often but if you listen carefully, (to the Japanese commentary) the term henka is used at other times (than just relating to the tachiai).

That's exactly one of my main concerns with all "henka" debates. When gaijin say "henka", they all know perfectly well what they're talking about, but is it really the original meaning or rather taken badly out of context?

Well, it literally translates as "change" as in a "change-up" in baseball. In the context of tachi-ai, this "change" would denote a change from what is expected. Since this is a social expectation, I would liken the unexpected move as a "trick" or a "fake," as in "to fake out." So it's a lot like a matta, only to gain physical advantage rather than a psychological one. Fake or fake out is the closest translation I can come up with.

To put it more simply, this is all a matter of expectations: of the opponent, the Ozumo community as a whole, and the fans and media. The henka is simply a reversal of expectations.

As such, it is rarely* used to describe a sudden shift or movement to the side once the bout is fully in motion. The commentator will normally use 'inashi' or some other phrase to describe shifting or side-stepping. Of course MB surely has better Japanese skills than myself, so I'm sure they say many things that I've missed.

As for an earlier comment, paolo claims he seldom sees a henka result in a loss for the hanka-er . . . . are you serious?! I've seen Roho and Hakurozan screw up so many henka it's not even funny. Really, it's not funny at all, just sad. I would guess Roho's success rate at henka is less than 50% but he doesn't do them all that much. Hakurozan's success rate is probably more like 70% and so we see him try time and time again.

Kotooshu tends to lose when he tries a henka, unless he henkas specifically for advantage on the belt, which is a "grey area" henka anyway. Ama, the erroneously cited "little" rikishi to whom we would give a "henka pass" uses the fakeout quite seldomly, and these days nearly always loses as a result. He seesm to only win when his mind and heart are strong.

*Speaking of Mark Buckton and the henka, I felt quite henka'd following "National Apology Day", when he seemed to imply that he had a confession he needed to get off of his chest. Unless I missed a thread entirely, the apology never happened...maybe it was delivered privately??? I believe the original post may have since been scrubbed completely: Superb henka! (Clapping wildly...)

Don't mind me Mark (Whistling...)

Edited December 19, 2007 by kaiguma

[Asashosakari]

My feeling at the time was that bigger things were expected of Ama, so he was being held to a higher standard than Roho. So in this case, the rules were being applied randomly.

Nitpick: If there's a reason, it's not "randomly".

[Asashosakari]

As for an earlier comment, paolo claims he seldom sees a henka result in a loss for the hanka-er . . . . are you serious?! I've seen Roho and Hakurozan screw up so many henka it's not even funny. Really, it's not funny at all, just sad. I would guess Roho's success rate at henka is less than 50% but he doesn't do them all that much. Hakurozan's success rate is probably more like 70% and so we see him try time and time again.

I think there's a wide-spread habit of only calling it a henka (or at least, to bother mentioning it in any discussions) if the bout is in fact over in .5 seconds with a win for the henka'er. Losses after botched henka seem to get much less attention, as do wins after henka when it takes a bit of time, e.g. henka allowing one guy to get into a very favourable position, but the bout isn't over until they've chased each other through the dohyo for ten seconds ending up in okuridashi or something.

The SFM henka voting doesn't suffer much from that perception problem (I think), but general conversations definitely do, IMO.

Edited December 19, 2007 by Asashosakari