Bandages

[slt]

The rikishi all wear a bandage around their wrists, which I assume protects them from injury, to some degree.

I know some forum members have had some first-hand sumo experience - how useful is that bandage, how uncomfortable (Kotooshu, for example, seems to remove it as soon as he can after each bout) ? Is it mandatory, or just simple good judgement ?

On the same train of thought, is there a limit to how bandaged a rikishi can climb onto the Dohyo ?

[aderechelsea]

if there is a limit, Dejima must have surpassed it a lot of times.

I have used wrist bandages in the past (during my boxing days) and they should be a "must" for anyone using tsupparis. Without them it would be very easy to turn your wrists in uncomfortable angles ...

as for why Oshu is taking them off right away, i guess they are blocking the smooth blood flow so they must be a bit uncomfortable.

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

Wrist bandages are almost a must for rikishi since the impacts at oshizumo are quite heavy and there aren't many boxers who don't wear wrist bandages either. Naturally wrist bandages gives a lot of extra sturdyness and safety to the wrists. In yotsu-sumo the stress is different but still substantial. Rikishi most likely wear the bandages quite tight so removing them after the bout is quite automatic. Who wears a belt after a deadlift set? Ankle bandages are vital for ligament-challenged and taping them according to injury part makes it much more stable when healing. Knee bandages have lesser effect but can help. What are next to useless are those awkward shoulder tapings that some rikishi use when injured shoulder. Lower back tapings are rather useless too. Many rikishi have suffered dislocations in fingers so like to tape up their fingers.

Many rikishi suffer from evident lateral epicondylitis of elbow ie. tennis elbow. They wear classic upper forearm supports to alleviate stress from forearm extensors.

Of course there are also rikishi who wear bandages as a dream teddy bear thingie ( I don't know what those are called in English..the ones that some kids "need" in order to sleep well..dream toy..) "just in case" and "because I have had this injury there" etc. Mental cane.

[aderechelsea]

Of course there are also rikishi who wear bandages as a dream teddy bear thingie ( I don't know what those are called in English..the ones that some kids "need" in order to sleep well..dream toy..) "just in case" and "because I have had this injury there" etc. Mental cane.

Kaiho used ankle bandages even before he broke his right one. I guess he had something like what you are describing

[Yuriyama Ren]

Of course there are also rikishi who wear bandages as a dream teddy bear thingie ( I don't know what those are called in English..

safety blanket?

[Guest nomo]

I think there were no bandages in 20 years ago...

I wonder why didn't rikisi break their wrists or fingers everyday?

I'll also try to search in Japanese languague :-)

[aderechelsea]

well ... that's not exactly truth.

if you watch old bouts or see old pics there were guys having bandages (really amateurish tied though). It was just not so generalised.

try to take in mind that the power in sumo has increased over the years. The tachi-ais for example are much more brutal now.

if i find some pics i'll post them.

[Guest nomo]

Thank you aderechelsea (Poking the other guy...)

[aderechelsea]

those i could find easily. It's not proof but it is a start. Anyway if i happen to find more i'll be glad to post them.

EDIT: and they are not from the last 20 years ... they are even older

Edited July 22, 2006 by aderechelsea

[slt]

Nice pics, thanks (and of course, thanks to everyone who shared info, as usual).

The wrist bandages seem to be a "new" thing, anyway, I can't spot any of those on the old pics...

[Asojima]

Nice pics, thanks (and of course, thanks to everyone who shared info, as usual).

The wrist bandages seem to be a "new" thing, anyway, I can't spot any of those on the old pics...

The advent of wrist bandages is probably a result of the increased use of tsuppari as a strategic weapon. In the past, yotsu sumo prevailed, and tsuppari was used mostly as a temporary, delaying tactic to prevent an opponent from getting his favorite belt hold or to set an opponent up for the acquisition of a belt hold. It has now become a common primary attack weapon. Pull downs have also become more common, and the defense against a pull down tends to put more twisting pressure on the legs and ankles than does straight forward power sumo. The changes in basic tactics have resulted in more injuries than in the past and in the appearance of more support bandages.

[Jakusotsu]

I'd guess it's Taiho in the 4th picture.

[aderechelsea]

its actually Tokitsuyama (nearest camera) and Tochinishiki ....

Edited July 22, 2006 by aderechelsea

[aderechelsea]

i'll humour you with some wrist bandages too....

and the "Dejima look-alike"

[Ryukaze]

As a former amateur lightweight U.S. (sumo open champ!) I would always use bandages (injured or not.) I would usually wrap it around my wrists and hands even and I noticed when using bandages (athletic tape) it provided more support (my wrist felt stiffer, as though it would take much more to injur it with the tape than without) I would also tape my ankles for the same reason. This doubles in importance if the area is actually injured, as it again provides support (some guys really wrap themselves up tight though, and like Kotooshu, will take it off the instant they don't need it as it can be quite uncomfortable.....) Most guys though on their hands you will only see a band around their wrists or fingers as anything even just a little too much can interfere with your ability to grip your opponents mawashii, on the other hand if you look at chiyotaikai a guy who doesnt bother with his opponents belt his hands look like boxing gloves with all that tape. As for the kyokais rule im not sure, but I seriosuly doubt theres a method or place you could bandage yourself that could be considered so highly advantageous it would be against the rules.) Hope this provides somewhat of an insight.........

[Sasanishiki]

The taping of ankles and wrists is very much like for gymnastics where the taping provides support to joints that are likely to flex and where stiffness is required to an extent.

[kaiguma]

Of course there are also rikishi who wear bandages as a dream teddy bear thingie ( I don't know what those are called in English..

safety blanket?

It's actually a security blanket (think Linus >>>

haha, but I think 'dream teddy bear thingy' is a great adlib!!

I mentioned it as an off-topic in another thread, but did anyone else notice Tamanoshima's elbow brace fly off during a match near the middle/end in Nagoya? If I remember correctly he stopped wearing it after that, which is funny, because he's been relying on it for years! A few basho back (hatsu?) he was desperately trying to hang on at M1 and had his entire right shoulder and upper back taped up and it was so pointless, always getting ragged during the bout and he would grimace and grab his right elbow every time he lost, but almost never if he won . . . and you could see all of the old ladies in the first few rows with these teary-eyed worried faces, practically swooning over his act, mushy stuff really. Of course I still respect his sumo after seeing him clean up in the bottom ranks.

I believe Dejima's taping days were so legendary that he earned the nickname: the Degyptian!!! What a riot (Clapping wildly...)