athelitextreme

I stumbled onto a site with historical Sumo information. I found the following points surprising: "In the old days, some wrestlers were homosexual prostitutes... A bloody version of sumo was briefly popular." Were some Sumo wrestlers really gay-for-pay? Is it common knowledge or obscure? What rules were different in the bloody version of Sumo from modern Sumo? http://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat21/sub138/item756.html

@Kaminariyuki I'm intrigued by the bloody version of Sumo. I wish to learn how it was practiced. The reference to some Rikishi being homosexual prostitutes is interesting and it reminded that years ago while I was in Japan, someone who had briefly lived in a Sumo-beya, mentioned that a couple of the lower ranking Rikishi had been gay-for-pay.

Maybe I'm simply viewing it from a perspective that's not biased. Once again, I want nothing more than for Sumo to flourish and be a dominant sport internationally, but I'm not one to turn a blind eye to reality. Sure, some information is outdated, but it only means that the issue has long been trending, because it certainly hasn't improved. I'm not here to ruffle feathers, as I have no dog in the fight, so if some forum members wish to live in their reality, delusional or not, it's their prerogative.

Alright, I recently read there were more gaijins than Sumo-beyas. The numbers show there are 39 foreign-born Rikishi in 43 stables, so this was erroneous, but maybe it's dropped because the number of stables has dropped and it doesn't change the outlook. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_non-Japanese_sumo_wrestlers

I recall many years ago when baseball having surpassed Sumo in popularity was news. Now soccer is in the conversation, which doesn't bode well. There was supposed to be a limit of one gaijin per Sumo-beya. Not only has that number been surpassed, but there are fewer stables too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sumo_stables

Many followers and fans of Sumo are in denial of the challenges the sport faces. Claiming that birds are chirping and flowers are blooming isn't helping and hopefully by the time they read the writing on the wall it won't be too late. I love the sport and acknowledging and overcoming the hurdles is the only way to secure its future growth and success.

You're describing the individuals who enter Sumo and stick to it, not those who left or never joined at all. It's fine if people wish to wear blinders, but there are news stories after news stories that describe how the aforementioned generations are building no security for themselves and instead are relying on their parents and/or society. Interestingly, I recall an amateur Sumo wrestler from the Netherlands, who whined that he didn't attempt to join the professional ranks because of the tough lifestyle it would require. Search it online, the comments can easily be found. Generation Alpha was included, because I mentioned that the generations "are increasingly slackers", as it seems to be getting worse as time marches. As Asojima stated, this thread seems to headed nowhere, so I won't respond to anymore comments on this subject. If some people feel everything is roses and sunshine, and youths are clamoring to enter the heyas, more power to them. I genuinely wish it to be true.

Everyone can interpret the information as they wish. I have no dog in the fight, so I hope you're right, for the sake of Sumo. I wish nothing more than for it to thrive and attract fresh recruits willing to make the necessary sacrifices. It will only happen if the NSK recognizes and addresses the challenges, even if they're not of their making.

I was revising my comment as were you posting. I believe that it having been over several years instead of a couple days only makes the situation worse.

Yes, that is part of it, under the section Lack of New Talent in Sumo. Now that I reread it and my memory is refreshed, I see that it wasn't a period of a weekend, but several years instead. My comment about Sumo relying more and more on foreign wrestlers, is from a different article which provided current numbers. Thank you!

Of course, I'm familiar with Boyz II Men. You mentioned Heart, so I figured there's another song with the same title of which I'm unaware.

I recently read an article about the decline of Japanese youths willing to enter Sumo, so the sport is increasingly needing to rely on foreigners to survive. It described a weekend event that was held for youths aspiring to become Rikishi. On the first day, only two youths showed up and on the second day, there were none. I searched for the article, to post the link for reference, but I can't seem to find it. I'll continue searching though, as I read many Sumo related articles that day, so it's a matter of finding in which article it was written.

1. You can choose to believe me or not. 2. I'm not familiar with "End of the Road" by Heart.

Actually, I'm not a Boomer. I'm Generation X, the last of the boys to men.

I believe that while the NSK should make some considerations in the interest of their survival, Millennials, Generation Z and now Generation Alpha are increasingly slackers and whiners. Sumo is more than a sport, it's a spiritual journey that an initiate undertakes, and recent generations don't have the fortitude to endure the lows in order to achieve the highs.

Thank you!

Judging by the millions of dollars that some known criminal athletes are payed in Western sports, I question who has the better system.

It has been expressed to people in conversation, yours truly included.

I believe that by now, someone entering Sumo and his parents, are well aware of the lifestyle involved and the required strict adherence. I competed in football and wrestled in the 275-pound class in high school. Unfortunately, I didn't discover Sumo until my mid-twenties. After experiencing the amateur Dohyō, had I found it sooner, I certainly would have traveled to Japan to attempt to join a Heya and endure whatever was required to be successful. Is the NSK perfect? Of course not, but there are good and bad experiences in many avenues of life.

It's frustrating that in Sumo, incidents by individuals are considered a stain on the sport. In other sports, coaches and athletes commit much more serious offenses and crimes, but it's always about the individual(s) involved and not a reflection of the sport.

I just discovered this thread. Thank you for posting it.

I realize the post is quite old, but for anyone else who comes along, be safe and purchase the Japanese mawashi. http://www.e-sanpuku.co.jp/sumo/ring_en.html

I realize this is an extremely old post, but is there still Amasumo in Thailand? https://www.simandan.com/balance-flexibility-strength-sumo-in-thailand/

What's the Oregon club to which you're referring? I'm in Oregon and haven't heard of a club here. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It should be mentioned that Homarenishiki failed due to emotional weakness not physical inability. I have first hand knowledge of him whining that he was treated roughly, teased, humiliated, blah blah blah. He is not the first nor the last foreigner to have such an experience and others prevailed. When the subject is broached, Brodik claims he will return to Japan to assault his former bullies - of course it'll never happen. It's a shame that he didn't fight back by winning and rising through the ranks.