Draws in sumo

[Tsubame]

I do need some clarification from more informed sumo fans. It is about draws as a result from a sumo fight. When you see older banzukes and/or results of bashos you can see relativety often draws. In our cherishable database I can find three different types of draws:

• azukari (last appearance Aki 1951*)
• hikiwake (last appearance Aki 1974*)
• itamiwake (last appearance Aki 1958*)

Can someone explain the difference between these three types of draws?

Why are the latter two of them marked with a "d" and the azukari with an "a"?

At least the last two appeared in the modern six hon-basho era, but why do they not appear today anymore? Are there any (more modern) rules who forbid draws as a normal result? Today it seems that they will always order a tori-naoshi after a fight without a clear winner. But in past times there were also tori-naoshis held and still the (re)match could have ended with a draw. Are there any plausible explanations why today no fight will end with a draw?

And as two (not so serious) bonus questions: Why do all draws extinct in autumn? And what is the connection to Kyukutenho, who was born exact in the same month as the very last draw happend 40 years ago?

* only refering to make-uchi and juryo (got always a timeout message when searching all divisions)

Edited May 14, 2014 by Tsubame

[Hokkaiko]

you can find something about it in the German Sumoforum.

[Asameshimae]

Azukari was somewhat like a draw - it was too close to call who had won a bout so they called it as such, which results-wise is a draw, no clear winner.

Hikiwake literally means *tie* in Japanese, not just sumo, hence the *d* I assume. From what I have read, I have assumed this was when a match went on for some time but neither rikishi managed to knock the other down or out, so a draw was called.

As you mentioned, both of these situations are now resolved by rematches, though I am sure *too close too call* happens a lot less since instant replay.

I had never heard of itamiwake. Itami means hurt or injury, so I would assume one rikishi was hurt without actually losing a bout and it was called off in the middle? Or?

Edited May 14, 2014 by Asanomeshi

[Kintamayama]

Lynn Matsuoka.

[Asashosakari]

It's also (sort of) covered in the glossary. :-) In short:

azukari = bout was concluded normally, but the outcome was considered too close to call (by the shimpan)

hikiwake = bout was ended as a draw because it went on too long and the rikishi were too exhausted to continue

itamiwake = one or both rikishi got injured in the bout and were unable to continue (typically meaning an inability to take part in a scheduled torinaoshi)

There was one more type of draw, actually: mushōbu = bout was concluded normally, but the outcome was considered too close to call by the gyoji and he elected to not render a decision. (It's marked as "o" on the DB, e.g. here.) That practice was abolished in the 1860s in the Tokyo organization and afterwards "too close to call" decisions were limited to being made by the shimpan only, i.e. as an overrule on the gyoji's decision. That, in turn, became obsolete when the possibility of a torinaoshi was introduced (in 1928-ish, IIRC). The story of the 1951 azukari can be found on the Wikipedia articles on Azumafuji and Yoshibayama; it has little to do with the formalized azukari outcomes from before 1928. (I assume something similar happened in 1941.)

As for the others, hikiwake has been obsoleted by the practice of interrupting a long bout for a mizu-iri break to be followed by either continuation or restart of the bout, and the itamiwake scenario now simply results in a fusenpai loss for the rikishi who is unable to compete in the rematch. (There's plenty of stuff about the latter on the forum, just do a search for "itamiwake".) I'm not sure if there was ever actually an itamiwake case where both rikishi were too injured to continue.

Edited May 14, 2014 by Asashosakari

[Swami]

Azukari was somewhat like a draw - it was too close to call who had won a bout so they called it as such, which results-wise is a draw, no clear winner.

Hikiwake literally means *tie* in Japanese, not just sumo, hence the *d* I assume. From what I have read, I have assumed this was when a match went on for some time but neither rikishi managed to knock the other down or out, so a draw was called.

As you mentioned, both of these situations are now resolved by rematches, though I am sure *too close too call* happens a lot less since instant replay.

I had never heard of itamiwake. Itami means hurt or injury, so I would assume one rikishi was hurt without actually losing a bout and it was called off in the middle? Or?

I remember itamiwake being mentioned during March 1987 when then Kasugano Rijicho suggested that Hokutenyu should have invoked this ruling (after being injured when Konishiki fell on him) rather than going ahead with the rematch.

Swami

[yorikiried by fate]

I suggest moving this thread instantly to the Sumo Information section, as the most essential information about a historically interesting topic has been given on one page in a very concise way.

[Asashosakari]

One more aspect that should probably be mentioned is that it's often said that azukari (and presumably also mushobu before) were frequently cop-out decisions, i.e. face-saving measures when the rikishi with the higher profile or the more important benefectors had lost the bout but it was close enough to pretend that it was a draw. As Ozumo went through its mid/late 1800s shift from largely ceremonial to mostly meritocratic on the dohyo, that set the process in motion for draws to become less and less important.

[shimodahito]

I am awed by the sumo stuff I learn on this forum!