A Tale of Two Yokozuna: Triumph of the Ewoks

[madorosumaru 7]

Theｙ were the mighty mites. Both wrestled most of their careers at around 100 kg or less and despite their diminutive size showed awesome strength and mastery of technique to topple much larger opponents. Their exploits on the dohyo delighted and fascinated the people of post-war Japan, who desperately yearned for underdog heroes, and together they fashioned a Golden Age of Sumo called the "Tochi-Waka Era."

Tochinishiki was a few years older and joined Ozumo almost eight years earlier than Wakanohana. He was already sanyaku level when Waka made makuuchi and was always ahead of him on the banzuke. In reality, they only shared a bit over two years as fellow yokozuna. Still, their names would forever be linked together in sumo annals because of their formidable presence on the dohyo and the epic battles they fought against each other.

There are countless stories in the Tochinishiki lore. He was so tiny at the time he joined that he stuffed himself with rice and drank quarts of water prior to his shindeshi test. He then jumped on the scales to move the needle past the required limit. His oyakata at first didn't have much hope for him, but the young man worked diligently and surprised his shisho at every banzuke level. Kasugano Oyakata was so impressed that he made Tochi his personal tsukebito, taking him everywhere and teaching him everything about sumo. As a little guy, Tochi relied on technique. He was also tenacious as heck and earned the nickname of "Mamushi," a copperhead-like viper which was feared because it would never let go once it had sunk its fangs in a victim.

By the time he reached sanyaku, he had gained fame as a "Master of Technique" and his display of sumo skills was likened to a "Waza Expo." During his makuuchi career, he was said to have used virtually all the kimarite "in the book." In fact, it was due to Tochi that the Kyokai established an official list of kimarite. During one stretch, he captured the Gino-Sho five basho in a row. People would say, "The Technique Award exists for the sake of Tochinishiki."

However, there were detractors who claimed that he was "too active" on the dohyo for a high-ranking rikishi--too much unnecessary movement. In response to the criticism, Tochi gained around 40 kg after becoming yokozuna and changed his style of sumo. He was no longer the waza wizard but became a practitioner of oshi and yori--in short, "Yokozuna Zumo."

In the seven basho before his intai in 1960, Tochi had a record of 95-10 with 3 yusho and four jun-yusho. In Haru 1960, he was defeated in a historic confrontation against fellow yokozuna Wakanohana when they met on senshuraku with both undefeated to that point. Still, when he lost the first two bouts of the next basho, Tochi decided to call it quits at the age of 35. Such was the importance of pride and dignity to top rikishi in those days.

Wakanohana was also small but he was immensely strong. His family had lost its apple orchard when he was young and he was pressed into service as a laborer at the docks to help provide for the family. There he developed his incredible balance and lower body strength by carrying heavy loads of cargo on the gangplank.

He was 18 when he was discovered after topplig a number of touring rikishi during a jungyo. His parents vehemently opposed his joining but relented only after Waka promised that he would return home if he did not make sekitori in three years.

Once he joined, Waka was molded by the notoriously fierce keiko of the Nishonoseki Ichimon. Rikidozan, later of puro-resu fame, once "pampered" him to the extent that Waka couldn't get off the ground. Riki was still kicking at him so the young man, fearing for his life, bit the ani-deshi in the shin. Legend has it that Rikidozan wore his trademark full-length black tights as a pro wrestler because of the scar from that tenacious bite.

Hard worker that he was, he moved up the banzuke quickly and made juryo in two and half years, beating the deadline he set for himself earlier with his parents. Unlike Tochi who was a waza specialist, Waka was known for his awesome kimarite, especially the dramatic yobi-modoshi, which wasn't the product of upper-body strength as much as it was of the aforementioned powerful lower body. Waka would slam larger rikishi into the dirt using that technique, drawing oohs and aahs from the crowd. Because of his preternatural strength, the media called him "The Unnatural." He was also known as "The Wolf," long before another little guy made that sobriquet famous.

After Aki Basho 1955 when he had a 10-4-1 record, he was promoted to ozeki along with Matsunobori. He had only 28 wins plus two draws in the three basho preceding the promotion but he had also displayed some amazing sumo, including an unforgettable bout against Yokozuna Chiyonoyama which lasted a mind-boggling 17 minutes and 15 seconds. The bout had several mizu-iri and torinaoshi after a two-bout break but still ended without a victor.

Tochi and Waka had many monumental battles. In their second encounter, the bout went into mizu-iri and nibango torinaoshi. That bout left a lasting image, captured by dohyo-side camera, of an exhausted Tochinishiki with his hair hanging down to his shoulders after it got untied during the frantic skirmish. From about the time Waka was promoted to yokozuna in 1958 to the middle of 1960 when Tochi retired, there were a total of 15 basho, during which Waka won 7 yusho and Tochi 4. Whichever of the two won the championship, the other was usually his closest challenger.

There is a famous story about the final days of Wakanohana. He was so proud that he refused to be thrown onto the dohyo, preferring to step out of the ring when he was in danger. In January 1962, Sekiwake Tochinoumi, yet another little guy who later became yokozuna, unleashed a series of waza in quick succession which resulted in Waka falling in the middle of the dohyo. The kimarite was announced as "kekaeshi" though it could also have been called a "ketaguri." After the bout, the yokozuna said sadly, "I'm done if I let that happen." In the following basho, he lost on shonichi and never appeared on the dohyo again as an active rikishi.

Both Tochi and Waka served as rijicho after their intai. As Kasugano Rijicho, Tochi was responsible for the building of Ryogoku Kokugikan. Waka, as Futagoyama, succeeded him. Rijicho traditionally have come from large, influential ichimon like Dewanoumi and Tokitsukaze. For someone from a small heya in the lesser Nishonoseki Ichimon to take the top spot showed how much respect he commanded.

Edited December 5, 2009 by madorosumaru

[Toonoryu 1]

Thanks so much for those stories (I am not worthy...)

[madorosumaru 7]

Tochi and Waka had many monumental battles. In their second encounter, the bout went into mizu-iri and nibango torinaoshi. That bout left a lasting image, captured by dohyo-side camera, of an exhausted Tochinishiki with his hair hanging down to his shoulders after it got untied during the frantic skirmish.

It's said he used a straw from the tawara to tie it up.

That's correct. The bout continued for a while with Tochi's hair untied. When there was finally a pause in the action, the gyyoji halted the bout and Tochi went down to dohyo-shita to retie his mage. There is a famous picture of Tochi standing dohyo-side with loose hair, looking very much like a warrior out of a Kurosawa samurai film after a long, tough, battle.

[Kaji 1]

Tochi and Waka had many monumental battles. In their second encounter, the bout went into mizu-iri and nibango torinaoshi. That bout left a lasting image, captured by dohyo-side camera, of an exhausted Tochinishiki with his hair hanging down to his shoulders after it got untied during the frantic skirmish.

It's said he used a straw from the tawara to tie it up.

That's correct. The bout continued for a while with Tochi's hair untied. When there was finally a pause in the action, the gyyoji halted the bout and Tochi went down to dohyo-shita to retie his mage. There is a famous picture of Tochi standing dohyo-side with loose hair, looking very much like a warrior out of a Kurosawa samurai film after a long, tough, battle.

Could have been this fight?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_kQZQtSP2k

[Kuroyama 715]

Tochi and Waka had many monumental battles. In their second encounter, the bout went into mizu-iri and nibango torinaoshi. That bout left a lasting image, captured by dohyo-side camera, of an exhausted Tochinishiki with his hair hanging down to his shoulders after it got untied during the frantic skirmish.

It's said he used a straw from the tawara to tie it up.

That's correct. The bout continued for a while with Tochi's hair untied. When there was finally a pause in the action, the gyyoji halted the bout and Tochi went down to dohyo-shita to retie his mage. There is a famous picture of Tochi standing dohyo-side with loose hair, looking very much like a warrior out of a Kurosawa samurai film after a long, tough, battle.

Could have been this fight?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_kQZQtSP2k

Amazing. I'd have thought the film was being played too fast, except the gyoji was moving normally. Do we ever see that kind of energy put into a bout anymore?

[Shibata-gumi 1]

Domo arigato for the stories! THey are truly appreciative from youngsumo fans like myself. Keep them coming!