Could Asashoryu become the best of all time?

[Doitsuyama]

Easy answer: No suicide at all. The term "suicidal" is a laugher here because Asashoryu easily could live without Sumo now given the immense popularity of other fighting sports in Japan. And the Kyokai as easily could live without Asashoryu. The Kyokai certainly is MUCH bigger than a single Yokozuna as it has proven in the past. No Yokozuna? So what, they come and go while Sumo is there to stay.

[Xris]

He also refuses to be naturalized, contrary to the rules of becoming a grand champion.

I would not be surprised to see the Kyokai soon make the rule that, in the future, a rikishi must take Japanese nationality BEFORE becoming yokozuna.

[Yoavoshimaru]

What do people think of that potential requirement? Granted, it's just speculation. On one hand, it seems a bit invasive of privacy/individual rights. On the other hand, it's a routine requirement for many government employess at various levels.

[Yubiquitoyama]

What do people think of that potential requirement? Granted, it's just speculation. On one hand, it seems a bit invasive of privacy/individual rights. On the other hand, it's a routine requirement for many government employess at various levels.

Then they would have to require it of every sumotori, not just Yokozunas, so effectively they would ban foreigners from sumo, which, despite all, I don't think will happen any time soon.

Of course, it was quite controversial to make the decision that an oyakata must be Japanese, although that is at least more natural than demanding it of a Yokozuna.

[Naganoyama]

Hmm.. I see your arguments, and they make sense. But which would be more "suicidal" (I'm not happy with the term): for Asashoryu to alienate Takasago-oyakata, or for the NSK to make its only Yokozuna retire?

Sorry for the cavalier use of the word suicidal. It was unsuitable.

I agree that Asashoryu's position in the NSK is safe until a new Yokozuna is in place.

Even after, he will be fine if he can behave in a way more acceptable to those in authority. I hope his personality is never quenched though, because it is part of what makes his sumo so good.

[Takanobaka]

He also refuses to be naturalized, contrary to the rules of becoming a grand champion.

I would not be surprised to see the Kyokai soon make the rule that, in the future, a rikishi must take Japanese nationality BEFORE becoming yokozuna.

That would be difficult as well just because the process itself takes a very long time....this would probably altogether preclude fast risers from making Yokozuna when they rightfully deserve to...

[Oikeassa]

A little grist for the mill--quoting from Ion Howard on the SML. (If you're here, Ion, thanks and feel free to expand for the savvy folks on this forum):

To me Asashoryu is the most important rikishi of the 20th/21st century

because sumo is in a major evolutionary time now with young Japanese people

turning their back on it. Who will fill the void? Sumo is being practiced

in many corners of the globe and his success and panache will attract many

more foreign wannabes to Japan with dreams of triumph and intrigue. Even if

he never acquires Japanese citizenship and eventually leaves the sumo world

himself he will be the magnet that draws them...and if the JSK can't bring

in enough Japanese recruits they'll have to accept them if they want sumo to

survive and save their own jobs. This will be followed by a surge of

Japanese recruits eager to re-establish Japanese pride in sumo, but the

genie won't go back into the bottle and sumo will forever be different.

With Asa to provide the initial inspiration, twenty or thirty years from now

there will be enough Kyokutenhos, Asasekiryus, Kokkais, etc. in the JSK to

change the thinking of sumo's leaders. This diverse group will take sumo in

a completely different direction...don't know what for sure but it'll sure

change. In other words Asashoryu is in a position to not only dominate sumo

but to initiate a complete transformation.

But only if he stays. If he bolts to K-1 or whatever, or gets expelled,

sumo will sink like a rock for some time to come. The zensho made it easier

for him to say the right things but the real test will come when things go

south, and they do go south for the best, some of the time. What's he gonna

do when the going gets tough? This was what Uchidate and Takasago had in

mind and I believe it was the mindset behind Kitanoumi's remark. The

"higher quality" yusho wasn't just about the torikumi.

But I'm still an optimist because he's just 23 and a family guy too and this

bodes well for maturing further. Asa's got the world by the tail and I'm

excited for him and for sumo. I just hope he can hang on.

[EndPost by "lon howard" <itsulon@msn.com>]

[Yubiquitoyama]

A little grist for the mill--quoting from Ion Howard on the SML. (If you're here, Ion, thanks and feel free to expand for the savvy folks on this forum):

To me Asashoryu is the most important rikishi of the 20th/21st century

because sumo is in a major evolutionary time now with young Japanese people

turning their back on it. Who will fill the void?  Sumo is being practiced

in many corners of the globe and his success and panache will attract many

more foreign wannabes to Japan with dreams of triumph and intrigue.  Even if

he never acquires Japanese citizenship and eventually leaves the sumo world

himself he will be the magnet that draws them...and if the JSK can't bring

in enough Japanese recruits they'll have to accept them if they want sumo to

survive and save their own jobs.  This will be followed by a surge of

Japanese recruits eager to re-establish Japanese pride in sumo, but the

genie won't go back into the bottle and sumo will forever be different.

With Asa to provide the initial inspiration, twenty or thirty years from now

there will be enough Kyokutenhos, Asasekiryus, Kokkais, etc. in the JSK to

change the thinking of sumo's leaders. This diverse group will take sumo in

a completely different direction...don't know what for sure but it'll sure

change.  In other words Asashoryu is in a position to not only dominate sumo

but to initiate a complete transformation.

But only if he stays.  If he bolts to K-1 or whatever, or gets expelled,

sumo will sink like a rock for some time to come.  The zensho made it easier

for him to say the right things but the real test will come when things go

south, and they do go south for the best, some of the time.  What's he gonna

do when the going gets tough?  This was what Uchidate and Takasago had in

mind and I believe it was the mindset behind Kitanoumi's remark.  The

"higher quality" yusho wasn't just about the torikumi.

But I'm still an optimist because he's just 23 and a family guy too and this

bodes well for maturing further.  Asa's got the world by the tail and I'm

excited for him and for sumo.  I just hope he can hang on.

[EndPost by "lon howard" ]

I think it's a good post, but nontheless I don't agree... In my opinion the myth of the unchanging sport sumo is often taken too far while in reality many things happen and are brought about continuously and have for a very long time. Many rikishi, oyakata and decisions could be highlighted, Asashoryu probably one of them, but in reality they are only singular events having more or less impact on the world of sumo, without it being easily seen how big an influence each event had. Possibly some obscure and never mentioned rule-change has made the greatest difference in sumo.

As regards to foreigners, I personally think Asashoryu is just one in the row in a movement starting (or at least having one of its starts) with old Maedayama (Takasago) taking Takamiyama to Japan. As for the Mongolians, the mass-migration has been growing because of Asashoryu, but it started with the six Mongolians taken to Japan in 1992, and Kyokushuzans search for new talents a few years later.

Asashoryu's current career is not unlike those of several dominating rikishi of the past, and his being foreigner is not in itself so important in my mind. He's not the only one making mistakes as a yokozuna either, and he's also not the only one emerging in a time of decline for the great sport of sumo, because it has been like this before and worse.

So, in conclusion I'd say there is nothing obviously UNIQUE (as in only him and none other) with Asashoryu, and whether or not he will reign during a period of bigger changes in sumo than ever before remains to be seen. However, this is not a critique of Asashoryu, but rather a reflection on the part of the situation Asashoryu himself can hardly do much to change. He has the potential to be one of the greatest and he starts off a new era in sumo, as several has done before him, and I can only hope that it will be a succesful era, for Asashoryu and for the sport of sumo. I just don't think it will be a unique era.

Edited January 27, 2004 by Yubiquitoyama

[Yoavoshimaru]

I agree with Yubi-zeki that Asashoryu is not completely unique. But I wonder if Asashoyru's role as the sole, foreign, badly behaving yokozuna at a time of unprecendented global communication / exposure is a unique combination. Even 10 years ago, a yokozuna smashing a car mirror probably wouldn't have been heard around the world. Forums like this weren't available....

As an aside, even though I know the NSK and sumo itself would be fine without any yokozuna technically, I think some of the sumo games rely heavily on the existence of at least one yokozuna on the banzuke :-D

[Naganoyama]

As an aside, even though I know the NSK and sumo itself would be fine without any yokozuna technically, ...

Technically there may be no need of a Yokozuna but I assume that the lack of a Yokozuna would affect the takings in the box office.

Sorry to come down to this bottom line. Personally I am much more interested in how the presence of a Yokozuna affects the excitement of the Sumo, but I am trying to think of how the NSK might view it.

[Taka]

Here is an article about his power and "preparation" or how a the lack of it ("preparation") may be beneficial for him.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/index-e.htm

Copy-pasted:

Asashoryu powers up

Seiichiro Takeuchi / Yomiuri Shimbun Sportswriter

Yokozuna Asashoryu expressed satisfaction with his New Year Grand Sumo Tournament performance a day after finishing with a 15-0 record--the first perfect record since former yokozuna Takanohana achieved the feat in the 1996 fall tournament.

"To have your name up there alongside such a great yokozuna is something that would make anyone happy," said the 23-year-old Mongolian at a press conference Monday, one day after the hatsu basho ended.

Meeting reporters at his Takasago stable in Tokyo, Asashoryu said his unstoppable run was in part due to work with weights.

"The strength in my lower back came from the dumbbells among other things," he said, finally showing some trace of fatigue after smashing one opponent after another for 15 straight days.

"With my lower back in good condition, I was able to get a lot of power into my toes. I could attack and take the initiative and that made it possible to achieve a perfect record.

"My next goal is to aim for two straight titles."

Prior to the tournament, Asashoryu was making news for a series of incidents that drew the ire of the Japan Sumo Association, but once the basho began, he turned in a rock-solid performance on the dohyo.

In the past two years, the sumo world has been beset with parity. With the ozeki ranks generating few performances worthy of mention, Asashoryu's rapid development has been remarkable.

Masakatsu Kondo, a professor at Nihon University and a former collegiate yokozuna, has analyzed the young yokozuna's evolution through all his tournaments.

"For someone of his weight, he has an extremely high proportion of muscle," said Kondo of the five-time Emperor's Cup winner, whose training methods have attracted attention.

As a youngster in Mongolia, the yokozuna built up his lower body with weights and even though he is among the lighter wrestlers in sumo's elite makuuchi division at 140 kilograms, Asashoryu doesn't carry any surplus fat.

"As long as he retains enough muscle mass, he will be able to retain his speed and power despite putting in less practice time," said the professor.

Prior to the start of this tournament Asashoryu returned to Mongolia and came down with a cold, casting doubts on his stamina. Yet, the yokozuna was able to maintain the high speed of his attacks right up until the final day.

"The muscle fiber that generates speed often works best when it has sufficient rest," said Kondo.

"So Asashoryu could perform well despite missing some training. Whether it is from knowledge or natural ability, one can not say, but the yokozuna's preparation for the tournament was very efficient."

Edited January 31, 2004 by Taka

[Oikeassa]

Sumo is finding its way into more and more bigger newspapers/websites--often due to Asashoryu's boat-rocking. Here's a piece today from the UK Guardian.

Edited February 12, 2004 by Oikeassa

[MongolPower]

All publicity are good publicity!!! Who would argu that?

[Guest Mongoruzan]

Hi all!

Of course Asashoryu has a great potential and he could be "the greateast" by all criteria (number of bouts won, yusho, etc). But, I think, he overuses his body. He lifted up and dropped Kotomitsuki in January and Hokutoriki in November. Certainly such "exploitation" of his body is a perfect condition for back problems or other injuries.

So, unless he doesn't get an injury, he definitely can outspit Taiho, Chiyonofuji and other "great yokozunas". He is powerful, fast and has an arsenal of Mongolian wrestling techniques.

Besides, I am sure we will "behave" (along the Japanese Sumo Association criteria) from now on... no worries of being kicked out professional sumo.