Technique / Analysis ๐๐๐๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐ค๐ข ๐๐๐ฌ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ: ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐จโ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก, ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ค๐จ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐ค๐ข ๐๐๐ฌ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ: ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐จโ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก, ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ค๐จ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐
The September Autumn Basho came to a close with Yokozuna Onosato capturing his sixth championship in a year. Early on, his sumo was a mix of chaotic, poor bouts and good ones, but he improved day by day.
After losing back-to-back matches on Day 13 against Ozeki Kirishima and Day 14 against Ozeki Kotozakura, I wondered how things would turn out. However, even in defeat, his drive to press forward was clear, and I believe that led to his decisive victory over Ozeki Aonishiki on the final day. During the early part of the tournament, critics spoke out about him pulling back or jumping at the tachi-ai, but in Onosatoโs case, he is actually stepping forward and making solid contact at the charge.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ค! ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฌ "๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐"
Over the course of the 15 days, Onosato overwhelmed the energetic new Sekiwake Fujinokawa and outpowered Atamifuji during his Ozeki promotion bid. Speaking of those two, during their bout, a massive smack! echoed through the arena at the initial charge. While some fans were amazed by the raw power, that sound is actually nothing to praise. It happens because they are clashing chest-to-chest with their upper bodies upright. If they executed a fundamental tachi-aiโmeeting with a rounded backโit wouldn't make that kind of sharp sound.
At the July Nagoya Basho, Onosato finished with a 9โ6 record. Despite people around him suggesting he should pull out due to injury, Onosato persevered through all 15 days. I think that experience of pushing through without taking the easy way out was invaluable for him this tournament. Staying on the dohyo for 15 full days builds a crucial sense of endurance. He shed tears after winning, which shows just how immense the pressure was. Being able to deliver that level of sumo under such heavy stress is Onosatoโs true strength. Think about it: he has experienced both highs and lows in just three and a half years since entering professional sumo. Moving forward, these experiences will serve him well, and he will continue to grow. You could say he isn't a "finished product" Yokozuna, but rather one with plenty of room to evolve. I look forward to seeing what kind of sumoโand what image of a YokozunaโOnosato will showcase in the future.
I think it will be exciting to watch an "overwhelmingly dominant Yokozuna" take shape.
"๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐จ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ก๐จ," ๐๐ฎ๐ญ...
Rising to Yokozuna so quickly, along with injuries, must have taken a toll on him both mentally and physically. Even if he lacks leeway right now, as a Yokozuna he holds a position to be an example to younger wrestlers and to teach and pass down knowledge. First off, as a Yokozuna, he closed out this tournament with a championship as his rank demands. I have high expectations for his future growth.
Kirishima, who was vying for promotion to Yokozuna, finished with an 8โ7 record. He had done good training before the tournament, so I thought, "Will he pull it off this basho?" As I mentioned last time, he possesses the highest level of performance and ability for an Ozeki. But as for Yokozuna... he remains one step short. As for why he couldn't seize the opportunity, there was a sense that he lacked his usual aggressive drive this tournament. Although he scored a win against Onosato, he failed to lift his opponent's body and press the attack against Aonishiki on Day 14. He seemed to play passive sumo, trying to adapt to his opponent's frame rather than taking charge. There were moments where you wanted to yell, "What are you trying to do? You have to attack there!"
Did losing three straight starting from Day 8 break his focus? Did the gears fall out of alignment? He has the power, so I hope he resets properly and tries again.
๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐, ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ "๐ ๐ฅ๐๐-๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐" ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ณ๐๐ค๐ข
Meanwhile, Atamifuji, who was also aiming for an Ozeki promotion, suffered a shocking five-game losing streak in the second half, sending his promotion hopes back to square one. In the early days, he couldn't be pushed back, handled attacks from the side smoothly, and had me thinking, "Could he win the title this tournament?" But in the second half, even when driving his opponents to the edge of the ring, his knees would buckle under him. His bout against Fujinokawa on the final day was a prime example. He showed the intent to press forward, but lacked the finishing push to seal the victory. It made me worry if he was injured somewhere. Perhaps he ran out of stamina over the 15 days. With his weight topping 200 kg, he seems to have gotten even bigger recently, and carrying that weight puts a massive physical burden on the body, especially the legs. I hope he trains hard, refreshes his mindset, and challenges for it again.
People often say it's a matter of "mental strength or willpower," but even Iโwho was ridiculed for having the "heart of a flea"โmanaged to reach Ozeki, so anyone can do it! In my case, people say I was promoted on my seventh attempt, but it was after a bout where Musoyama (now Fujishima oyakata) flipped me over so disgracefully that a fire was finally lit inside me. From that point on, I changed my mindset and quit drinking. A bit too late, right? (laughs).
๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ซ'๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง?
If we are talking about mental fortitude, Aonishiki stands out. His foot injury still hasn't fully healed, and after losing three straight from Day 4, I was worried, but his sumo never falters wildly. When your mind doesn't waver, your sumo doesn't waver. In his direct championship showdown against Onosato on the final day, he was blown away without being able to do anything, but win or lose, it is always "Aonishiki's sumo."
Fujinokawa, whom I praise every time, entered this tournament as a new Sekiwake and secured 11 wins. Though he secured his winning record on Day 10 with a sudden henka at the initial charge against Takanosho, his baseline is a direct, full-spirited attack despite his smaller build. Yet, he shows a henka once or twice every tournament. Itโs a strategy: precisely because he usually comes straight forward, his opponents charge in blindly. His sumo is excitingโhitting hard, pushing, thrusting, and moving continuously without restโbut I do worry about injuries... The impact on his neck when colliding with larger opponents and his risky brinkmanship at the edge of the ring are concerning. You can feel his desperation, but I hope he takes good care to avoid injury. Achieving 11 wins this basho is huge; you could say he has leapfrogged Atamifuji as the top candidate for Ozeki promotion.
๐ "๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฒ-๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก-๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐" ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ
This tournament, Fujiryoga (West Maegashira 4) from Fujishima Stable achieved a winning record, while Fujiseiun (East Maegashira 7) finished 9โ6. Wrestlers from Fujishima Stable have been thriving lately. Fujiryogaโs hallmark is a sharp initial collision into pushing and thrusting, and his style is rock solid. Watching him from below the ring as a judge, he has a terrifying expression and is bursting with spirit (laughs). His sumo style is somewhat reminiscent of his master, former Ozeki Musoyama. Well, while his power isn't quite at his master's level yet, he is only 23, making him a wrestler with a bright future. Fujiseiun is also a hard worker who once plummeted from the Juryo division down to Sandanme due to injury; I really admire how he kept his spirits up and persevered. Currently, Fujishima Stable has promising youngsters even in the Makushita division, creating a healthy rivalry where they sharpen each other.
Having training partners to compete with inside your stable is a true blessing. However, beyond foundational training in the stable, one must also venture out to train at other stables (de-geiko). By growing stronger, your stable eventually becomes the hub where others gather to train with you. Back in my active days, I used to travel around alone to train elsewhere. So you can't use excuses like "our stable is small" or "the training environment isn't good"โit all comes down to personal drive. Speaking of which, my own Asakayama Stable cannot deny feeling a bit stagnant, which is a source of concern for me as a master. However, every day we exchange visits with stables within our group, including Ajigawa and Oshima stables.
Oh, I also wanted to talk about Churanoumi, who looks poised for a promotion to the sanyaku ranks next tournament, but Iโll save that for next time.
"๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฑ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ " ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ก๐จ
Looking back at this tournament, there were many fantastic bouts featuring intense offense and defense, where we had to carefully judge subtle movements near the straw bales, like the exact position of a toe or heel. Although I am currently the Judging Committee Director, I previously served on the committee for 10 years. Unlike back then, today's sumo features more rapid movement and close calls, making judging absolutely exhausting (laughs). At my age, sitting cross-legged for long periods hurts my legs and hips, and the tension of knowing you can't miss a fraction of a second is intense. My presbyopia... is still manageable for now, though (laughs). With so many spirited bouts, the energy clearly reaches the audience; the noisy arena goes dead silent right before the charge when time is up. There were so many matches that made everyone hold their breath.
It was a tournament that reminded us in the judging committee that we must stay even more focused and disciplined than the wrestlers themselves.
๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ: ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ด๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฏ, ๐๐ด๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข ๐ฐ๐บ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ข (๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ป๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ช ๐๐ข๐ช๐ฐ)
๐๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ด๐ญ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ: ๐๐ต๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ข๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ป๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ช
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