Kaiho

[Fay]

As one of my japanese friends just mailed me, Kaiho will stay until senshuraku and then go intai.

[ilovesumo]

Then would you please snap some good bye series.................

oh I will miss him...

[Yubinhaad]

I remember Syd Hoare, the commentator on British Eurosport's sumo coverage, often saying that Kaiho was one of the hardest-working rikishi in terms of keiko. I'm sure I recall him mentioning that he would train on public holidays or any other day when rikishi might normally be excused keiko. I hope Kaiho sticks around as an oyakata, if only to try and impress that work ethic on the next generation of rikishi.

[ilovesumo]

I visited Hakkaku often (reason is obvious (Laughing...) ).

He wasn't working out to death, but as a senior sekitori, that is normal -and, I only saw him after he broke his leg.

I LOVE his intelligent and quick Sumo. He is a good guy who cares for his fellow deshi (never saw him nor heard him beeing too harsh on em) and his fans.

Kinda strange how emotional both, rikishi and fans can become.

Call me stupid, but his jump back to Makuuchi in 2007.......to me, that was a present for his fans who encouraged him to do so. And he thanked us for that encouragement.

You remember when Asa cried at the dohyo, cause of the fan's support moving him to tears?

Kaiho had some of those "weak" moments too. This made him even more likeable.

It's always the whole human being I want to discover, when it comes to support somebody for real. So some rikishi I supportet "lost it", after talking to them in Japan...and some got a bigger space in my heart from that time on- so did Kaiho, in fact, he became my very favorite Rikishi.

How is it for you guys, who are fans for many more years then me, and born some decades earlier?

I am 25 now, became interested in Sumo when I was a kid of 13 years.To me, Sumo had always had a lot to do with looking up to some superior man I thought of being fatherly and a great teacher. So the veterans going intai - that means taking away this factor from me. Now its guys my age or kids much younger then me...from looking up to somebody, I came to crossing my fingers for guys I got to know during my time in Japan or supporting the kids. Something is missing...

As one of these fatherly ones, I really hope he will have his own Heya one day. He has this special something to make a great Oyakata. Would be a pity to let him go.

[shimodahito]

one of my favorites! thank you kaiho!!!!

[kame]

Sad to see him go. So much fighting spirit, some might call his style scrappy but imagine Kaiho in a sumo world where the average weight is 120 kg... He would be a beast.

[Iginishiki]

Yes, we have already known for some time, but nonetheless it's sad to see Kaiho go. I will kinda quote someone from the old days of SML, slightly changing it: put Kaiho's spirit in Kotonowaka's body and you have material worth of yokozuna, put Kotonowaka's spirit into Kaiho's body and you have a makushita rikishi*.

Regards,

Iginishiki

* This wasn't meant to offend Kotonowaka or his fans, which I was one of back in his fighting days (Laughing...)

[Otokonoyama]

I'd suggest caution in posting this sort of info (assuming it is true). Haven't there been rikishi who were forced to retire immediately when their intentions were announced early?

[ilovesumo]

If they did it in JAPANESE.

[Fay]

I'd suggest caution in posting this sort of info (assuming it is true). Haven't there been rikishi who were forced to retire immediately when their intentions were announced early?

I guess I better stop giving some information at all, already the second slap ...

[Jakusotsu]

I guess I better stop giving some information at all, already the second slap ...

Any information is welcome, of course. We're just worried about you getting in trouble by sharing things which were possibly meant to stay private. (Laughing...)

[Asashosakari]

I'd suggest caution in posting this sort of info (assuming it is true). Haven't there been rikishi who were forced to retire immediately when their intentions were announced early?

I'm pretty sure it would have to be leaked directly by somebody who's part of the kakkai, e.g. the case of Konishiki's tsukebito blabbing to the press, for it to lead to repercussions, not random koenkai members or fans (in whatever language).

Edited May 21, 2010 by Asashosakari

[ryafuji]

Any news?

At least he went out with a win.

[Asashosakari]

At least he went out with a win.

And it was a weird combination of current Kaiho (morozashi and couldn't do anything with it) and vintage Kaiho (well, you'll see):

Also, the stream camera operator decided to focus on Kaiho exclusively during the dohyo-iri. His facial expressions are a bit obscured by the low-quality encoding (not to mention Youtube's upscaling of the resolution), but I still found it very interesting:

[Tikozan]

But at Rikishitalk he says: "I felt like I was able to compete well today for such a long time. I know I'd go down for sure next basho but I will still do my best and come back to Juryo"

This looks like he will start next basho.

[Kintamayama]

And it was a weird combination of current Kaiho (morozashi and couldn't do anything with it) and vintage Kaiho (well, you'll see):

I could have told you he would win, if you only had asked.. It was vintage honor, I thought.

[Jonosuke]

But at Rikishitalk he says: "I felt like I was able to compete well today for such a long time. I know I'd go down for sure next basho but I will still do my best and come back to Juryo"

This looks like he will start next basho.

Actually that's what he says to the media, I believe Fay has an inside track on this.

If Kaiho is staying with the Kyokai, he will need to make an arrangement which requires some share swapping and those things involving relationships, friendships as well as monetary concerns will take time.＊

If known, they would normally announce it within a few days after the basho is over to make it within the banzuke re-arranging committee meets but then in this case no Juryo or Makuuchi ranking is involved so he could wait as long as a few days before the next basho opens.

Anyone who has seen him lately knows, he is a far cry from what he was even a few basho ago. It's rather apparent to most that it is the time. But then I have no inside information so my guess is as good as yours but it's just my gut feeling, this was his last basho.

＊It's been generally known that Kaiho will rent Hokutoriki's Tanigawa share for the time being, shipping out Shikishima but we shall see.

Edited May 24, 2010 by Jonosuke

[ilovesumo]

@Asashozakari

I say he was fighting emotions. Just imagine the situation...maybe the last dohyo iri of your life and you never did anything else but Sumo...

I'd love to see him in Nagoya.

He is one of em guys with a strong inner pride. Back in Makushita, this pride would make him shine even more.

[Kintamayama]

Day of the juicy stake. We have seen the last of him.

[Asashosakari]

Day of the juicy stake. We have seen the last of him.

We shall see..