掲示板 Forums - sumo, 大相撲

Looks like there won't be a come back for Yokozuna Hoshoryu this tournament.

He has pulled out of the tournament due to elbow injury.

I'm not sure what Ura's plan was there. If it had worked it probably would have seemed brilliant, but it didn't so it just seems bizarre.

With the May basho coming up, I'm hoping this thread continues... getting really pumped up for what's coming! Hoshoryu making a (hopefully safe) comeback, Onosato and Aonishiki showing if they can ride on the wave of last tournament's success - and I'm still a little sad about Takayasu not quiiiiite making it... again.

Who's watching?

Half way through the 夏場所:

Notably strong performances:

- Onosato (my bet for tournament winner), Hakuoho, Aonishiki, Wakatakakage

Other results:

-Yokozuna Hoshoryu has recovered from his injury, and despite a shaky start is putting in a good performance

-Despite the strong performance from Takayasu (Papayasu) last tournament, he's struggling in this one

-Ura's not doing very well either, but has had a pretty tough card

I watched some of it, but not all of it. I think I'd describe it as more a series of performances/demonstrations than a sumo tournament. It can be enjoyable, but I much prefer the real deal.

Ura was doing his favorite move, the 伝え反り. (I think, one day they'll just call it "the Ura".)

And, before we know it, it's time for the 春場所(はるばしょ)​! The previous one ended rather sadly, with quite a few injuries and both yokozuna nowhere near their top form. Aonishiki was impressive (with Atamifuji an admirable contender), but it makes one wonder how it would have turned out if Onosato and Hoshoryou had been their usual selves.

Now, two days into this basho, we have two withdrawals from injuries and one complete sit-out (I was stunned when the NHK presenter said Midorifuji is recovering from cardiac arrest, but it turned out to be a mistranslation - not 心停止, but 心不全, heart failure, less serious by comparison). Plus Abi wincing in pain, Tamawashi tripping over his own feet, Sadanoumi making a so-far unconvincing return... On the bright side, we have newcomers to 幕内(まくうち)​ who are showing great hope, Takanosho is looking really spry, Hiradoumi is out to get 'em, and Ura is... suspiciously normal?

Curious about everyone's outlook and expectations for this basho!

Oh yes, the Man in Pink has built himself a personal brand. I saw a little interview with him where he said, if he hadn't become a rikishi, he'd have liked to be a teacher. Imagine him in front of a class of primary schoolers, they'd have adored him. And his hobby is juggling.

Popularity alone will only get him so far, though, as his January basho result has shown. He had remarkably tough matches from the very beginning, and I wondered if it wasn't the Federation's way of telling him "go hard or go home".

Speaking of henkas, the one Wakamotoharu pulled on Aonishiki on day 1 had me on the edge of my seat. But sumo's blue-eyed boy was on the right foot, literally too. Can't imagine the pressure on him.

Well, there are many opinions on it. They're still frowned upon, and a rikishi who resorts to henka too often may get a warning, if I'm not mistaken. Sumo is about moving forward and standing strong against your opponent, and henka can be seen as a not-very-honourable failure to do that.

On the other hand, sumo is not only about that, in my opinion. I'm trying to think of what would happen if henka wasn't allowed at all: since the tachiai very often decides the outcome, rikishi would just charge savagely into each other (well, not that they don't anyway). It would be almost all about who's bulkier and has more muscle strength. It sort of evokes the image people have of sumo when they've never seen a match and know almost nothing about it: "oh, it's a bunch of really fat, mostly naked, lumbering people ramming into each other".

Besides, it's not like henka is a secret weapon that leaves the opponent no chance, as we've seen just the other day and as this fascinating old match shows (let's see if YT links work...):

Hakuho vs. Asashoryu – not the current ones though

I may be biased because, being a badger, I'm more of a fan of giant slayers and dynamic sumo (and, full disclosure, I can't bring myself to like Konishiki's style). But there are ways not to fall for a henka, and they require great presence, mobility and quick thinking. The opponent can suddenly jump sideways mid-match too.

So, TL;DR version: while widespread use of it wouldn't do sumo any favour, I think it adds complexity to the sport. Besides, it gives a fighting chance to those who couldn't take a full tachiai in that particular encounter, either because of an injury or because of the simple math of mass x force. It's not exactly easy to do, either!

I apologise for the long post, as a newbie I get so excited when I get to chat about sumo.

P.S.: Also, jinx... Abi, too, is officially out – because of his back, poor thing. What's wrong with this tournament?