Featured rikishi - Juzan

[Rijicho]

Juzan!

[Jonosuke]

Juzan Katsuaki (real name: Katsuaki Ishizaki)

Makushita West 7 - Kyushu 2004 (Oshiogawa Beya)

Height: 180 cm Weight: 166 kg

Born: April 8, 1975

From: Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Dohyo debut: March, 1991

Juryo debut: September, 2000

Shikona: Ishizaki - Juzan

Highest rank: Juryo 2

Blood Type: B

Marital Status: single

Nickname: Ishi

Number of Career Wins: 365

Favorite techniques: Oshi, Migi-yotsu, yori

Juzan is another rikishi whose quiet presence is felt on and off the dohyo.

He started taking Judo and Sumo lessons when he was in Grade 3. At middle school, as there was no sumo club, he joined the judo club instead. In his third year he placed the first at an Ibaraki Prefectural Sumo Tournament and later participated in an All Japan Tournament. He has been scouted by many heyas by this time but initially he showed no interest in joining Ozumo and was set to go to a high school after his graduation from the middle school.

In the graduation year, Daishi's father came to see him often to persuade him to join Ozumo. As well he was visited by Oshiogawa oyakata and okamisan who took time to make him feel welcome at the heya and he decided to join their heya.

His shikona Juzan was selected by a priest at the famed Kasama Inari Jinja shrine in his hometown.

His hobby is horse racing.

Edit: I updated the hobby and stats at the beginning.

Edited November 3, 2004 by Jonosuke

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

For some reason Juzan associates with inability to survive in juryo. Yet he has had 7 kachi koshi bashos in juryo to go with those 13 make-koshi. It is mostly those horrendous losing streaks he has become accustomed to in last couple of years or so. He has many basho where he has lost 6 times or more in a row and then the last basho in Aki was very bad one with 1-11 before withdrawing from basho. He is also said to be suffering from intervertabrae disc prolapse.

Juzan has always been a really simple rikishi. Yorikiri, oshidashi, oshitaoshi comprise basically his winning ways. There is strength in his pushes when he is on form.

Losing streaks:

AKi 2004: 8 consecutive bouts

Nagoya 2004: 4 consecutive bouts

Haru 2004: 5 and 6 consecutive bouts

(in Hatsu 2004 he had 5 bout winning streak!)

Kyushu 2003: Lost last 8 bouts

Aki 2003: Started with 5-2 and finished with 2-6

Haru 2003: 7 consecutive bouts

Hatsu 2003: Lost last 6 bouts

Aki 2002: 6 consecutive bouts

Natsu 2002: Started with 7 losses.

So definitely one thing in Juzan's sumo is that it really is bad in streaks. Then he can change the direction by going 7-0 in makushita after 3-12 in juryo!

Juzan is one of the silent basic rikishi whom people don't know much about.

[Susanoo]

In order to find the feature of Torikuchi, it is one person in the rikishi over whom I take pains most.

As a rikishi same type, Daishi and Takamisugi occur to me.

These two rikishis as well as Jyuzan with very few features.

If singing a song and a sumo-jinku are removed, in a form, Torikuchi, and potential capability, it is practically equal three rikishis.

However, in an actual result, there is certainly a difference.

I still think that it of Daishi with an actual result middle in three rikishis' inside is a position according to capability common to three rikishis.

Although I also know the fact that Takamisugi only experienced Sanyaku, I still do not think that he has exceeded other two rikishis by capability.

For Takamisugi, many powerful rikishis of same Heya in Makuuchi those days, he does not have waging war with them naturally, and had received the benefit maximum by that

Jyuzan and Daishi are almost the same in a hometown, Heya, form, and Torikuchi.

The difference of the grade of an injury turned into a difference of an actual result.

It is the feature of Torikuchi of Jyuzan that it is featureless.

I have not depreciated that.

If a way of speaking is changed, although he will not have the point of having excelled specially, either, it is that there is also no especially conspicuous fault.

It is shown that the contents of Sumo of him of May basho this year do not almost have a decline by age to him.

He showed the Sokkou-ｚumo[swift attack sumo] by forcible Tsukioshi or Migizashi after a long time.

Originally, to the rikishi of linear Tsukioshi-ｚumo, dexterous correspondence is possible for him.

To a rikishi with weak pressure, he pushes in at a stretch.

On the contrary, when a waging-war partner's pressure is strong, the ｒｅｖｅｒｓａｌ by Tsukiotoshi of Dohyo-giwa is shown frequently.

However, to the waging-war partner whom exceeds with not power but speed, or footwork also by Oshi-zumo or Yotsu-zumo, he can seldom cope with it.

I think that ｈis keeping the Sumo of Sokkou with Migizash-Kaina-o-kaeshi in mind from now on is bringing about the best result for him.

:-)

[Zentoryu]

Juzan is one of the silent basic rikishi whom people don't know much about.

I've always had a soft spot for Juzan. In every basho I find myself checking his results and hoping that he won. But I couldn't even begin to explain why. (In a state of confusion...)

Maybe its because he is a bit of a mystery. Too good to stay down in Makushita for very long, but not good enough to stay in Juryo for very long either. Your prototypical elevator rikishi I guess. (Whistling...)

[Asashosakari]

Maybe its because he is a bit of a mystery. Too good to stay down in Makushita for very long, but not good enough to stay in Juryo for very long either. Your prototypical elevator rikishi I guess.  (In a state of confusion...)

That could spawn a whole thread on what a "typical" elevator rikishi is like...Juzan's wild swings from double-digit wins to double-digit losses, or Wakakosho-style 6-9, 8-7, 8-7, 7-8, 6-9 type of records. (Whistling...) Depends on the elevator we're talking about, I guess...whether within a division or between them.

At any rate, I hope to see Juzan back in Juryo soon...about a year ago or so, Juryo seemed to be full of heavy, yotsu-oriented guys (Harunoyama, Wakakosho, Juzan, Towanoyama etc.), which made for decent sumo and I found pretty enjoyable to watch, although their unspectacular styles probably aren't everyone's cup of tea. To each their own. (Holiday feeling...)

Edited November 4, 2004 by Asashosakari

[hoshidango]

I don't know, but he always looks lot stronger than actually is. Don't you folks think so?

[Ryukaze]

I find it interesting that a few of these "lil shawty" types lol (i.e. juzan, takekaze, nakao, asanowaka, to name a few..) are able to cut it and make the ranks of Juryu. Not one of my personal favs by any means, just hope the ranks of juryo make way for more "physically of techniquelly impressive" rikishi if ya know what i mean - Ryu

Edited November 8, 2004 by Ryukaze

[Jonosuke]

I find it interesting that a few of these "lil shawty" types lol (i.e. juzan, takekaze, nakao, asanowaka, to name a few..) are able to cut it and make the ranks of Juryu. Not one of my personal favs by any means, just hope the ranks of juryo make way for more "physically of techniquelly impressive" rikishi if ya know what i mean - Ryu

Some amateur tournaments do have weight class like other sports but I hope Ozumo would not go into that direction. What makes it so special is it does not have that weight distinction.

I find it more interesting to watch two opponents of differing size - than watching two giants of equal size. If you watch old video footage of Mainoumi and Konishiki, you will probably agree.

Many people are surprised that Asanowaka has lasted this long as a sekitori as he was never a remarkable student rikishi at Kinki to begin with but along with Kotonowaka, he is one of the longest serving sekitoris now. Obviously his style is not something you write home about it but it has been effective as shown by his longevity.

Personally though I like Takekaze type of sumo as he displays more of traditional style. But remember smaller rikishis give more trouble to big rikishis like Takatoriki did against Akebono.

Just want to put my two yen in to say that small can be beautiful :-(

[Otokonoyama]

I thinks that's one difference between a martial art and a martial sport: martial arts have no weight categories (thus closer to real combat), whereas martial sports do have weight catergories (in the interest of 'fairness'?)...Sumo remains closer to its combat roots :-(

[Kashunowaka]

I don't know if having Juzan as featured rikishi was extremely bad timing or extremely good timing, considering that he retired after Kyushu basho.

[hoshidango]

I don't know if having Juzan as featured rikishi was extremely bad timing or extremely good timing, considering that he retired after Kyushu basho.

!

Sorry to hear that..