Repealing the "One Gaijin Per Heya" Rule

[Peterao]

Not that this will ever happen in my lifetime, but how do you think that Ozumo would change if, effective immediately, the one foreigner per heya restriction were lifted? Would the floodgates open to the point where the majority of all rikishi would be foreigners, or would the heya willingly keep the clamps down on bringing in new foreigners to their stables?

[Raishu]

Very interesting question indeed.

I assume that would depend on every individual heya's policy. Some might recruit many foreigners (maybe Oshima beya with Kyokutenho as Oshima oyakata) others would probably focus on future Japanese rikishi.

Tough question... (Laughing...)

[Jonosuke]

Since it's unlikely to happen I think there is not too much sense speculating what will happen.

More interesting question is though, let's say in two years time, what would be the makeup of foreign born rikishi.

As I looked at Moti's Foreign rikishi board, there isn't really promising under 23 year old Mongolian rikishi anymore in the lower three divisions. Would "Europeans" take over their slots in Makuuchi ? Is there a future ozeki or yokozuna candidate in the current Mongolian group? Ama is the closest now and the most likely but who else?

It also appears that the interest to Mongolian recruits subsided in both sides now, so who will take up their slot once the current Mongolians retire. Do we get more from Russia or Ukraine for instance or from China?

Where would likely be the new recruit come from? I probably think the first place oyakata will look is the world sumo tournament but the participants there looked to be too old for Ozumo as they have that 23 year old cutoff rule.

I kind of think it's interesting more to guess who will fill up the foreign rule slot as the current rikishi retire in the next several years.

[Peterao]

Is Hawaii still off limits? The time seems ripe for someone of Orora's girth and a tad more agility to make his move.

[Jonosuke]

They surely don't need Orora's girth. In case you have not noticed he has been struggling in Sandanme the last time I checked.

[Nanami]

Is Hawaii still off limits? The time seems ripe for someone of Orora's girth and a tad more agility to make his move.

Why was/is Hawaii off limits? :-)

[Sasanishiki]

Hawaii was never off limits. What happened (as I understand it) was there was a decision made within the Kyokai to cool off recruiting foreigners. What that meant was the influx of Hawaiians was halted and the supply never quite took off again. When foreign recruits were allowed agian there was a limit of one per heya (unless the foreigners were already in ozumo) and so there were not as many places available as before. I think some of the impetus in Hawaii cooled due to the break and the connections via people like John Jacques and the Hawaiians already in ozumo or who had previously been there were far weaker than when lots of young Hawaiians were coming into ozumo. At the same time you get the rise in Mongolians because it is easier to scout, they usually come in with some wrestling background, and there were the Oshima group of mongolians who showed they could adjust (and who also had connections in terms of suggesting who from Mongolia might be scouted. We also cannot overlook the concept that they were less conspicuous foreigners than the larger, more foreign looking Hawaiians.

The drop off in hawaiians in ozumo has also influenced the drop off in amateur sumo in Hawaii. Whereas the American team in the early Sumo World Championships usually had at least one Hawaiian, it has been 3-4 years since they last had one.

The oyakata have since looked to where the strongest (both figuratively and actually) might come from so they get the most bang for their one foreigner; this has meant Eastern Europe. I also think the growing recognition of sumo in these countries, often via amateur sumo, has made some of these recruits better prepared when they enter, and also has convinced oyakata that they might have many of the tools necessary for success in ozumo. Certainly the larger bodies that they have (like the Hawaiians before them) gives them an advantage in the lower ranks against their younger, smaller mainly japanese opponents. This would mean that an oyakata would look at a big Russian (let's say) and think he has a really good chance to become a sekitori and therefore the investment is worth it economically. Look at what happens with the college athletes coming in as a similar example. Even if they start at the bottom of the banzuke, they are older, have better developed bodies and have more grounding in sumo skills than the 15 year old Japanese recruits. Again, the chances of getting a sekitori out of this type of recruit is higher and thus financially a better move.

To add to Jonosuke's post, I think the oyakata might be interested in some of the younger athletes at the Sumo World Champs, but they are also probably interested in the ones at Junior World Champs as they are definitely the right age.

My thoughts on what would happen if the one per heya limit was dropped is that most oyakata would recruit many more foreigners. As long as the funding to the heya for numbers of deshi and the quality of them (according to rank) remains the same, for the business owner that is the oyakata, it makes sense to have more foreigners. Some will remain wary and probably prefer Japanese recruits, but, for the reasons I gave above (and the past experiences of having quite a lot of Hawaiians and Mongolians in the sport), it makes greater economic sense to have these athletes, taking them in at a slightly advanced age (but still under 23) to give you a shot of having many sekitori.

[Nanami]

Hawaii was never off limits. What happened (as I understand it) was ....

Thank you! (Sign of disapproval...)

[Peterao]

They surely don't need Orora's girth. In case you have not noticed he has been struggling in Sandanme the last time I checked.

I believe he was 5-2 last basho. But perhaps I should have worded "a tad more agility" a little stronger to make my point. Couldn't Konishiki run a 40 meter dash in under 5 seconds during his peak?

Edited May 30, 2008 by Peterao

[Jakusotsu]

Couldn't Konishiki run a 40 meter dash in under 5 seconds during his peak?

Only because half of him was already there before he even started.