Kaikitsune Makoto

Jinx doesn´t exist. It is as void of all sense and logic as wishing a stranger nice day. Nobody gives a Kotoshoho´s big toe about some stranger´s rest of the day. I am sure there are very limited amount of cashiers who honestly wish some customers to have a nice day/evening/Christmas/mid summer fest/marriage etc. It is enough to just greet or nod. Don´t wish anything. Wakaikari made an impression last basho with his mobility, tactical and technical skills but also seemed to be physically often overwhelmed, Amazingly while he is continuing his excellence in sumo skill but this time is much better resisting brute force too. Rather surprising change actually. He can hold his own much better than last basho in this sense, Rare to see such difference between consecutive bashos. He is an asset.

Onosato in immensely strong. One of the strongest I have ever seen physically. He can do both yotsu and oshi. Still some dumb losses and erratic crap but physically so formidable that if these "beginner" mistakes go away it is very difficult to beat him. When he gets in a strong tachi-ai nobody can really match that. Takerufuji is a bit of an enigma. He "shouldn`t" be that strong as he often is. Somehow can generate explosive power and optimize his attacks and he is always in full attack mode. Quite interesting to see how far he can actually go. Tomorrow it is all about who succeeds in getting into that attack mode. Kinbozan will not withstand Takerufuji´s full attack if Takerufuji is able to launch that but if it goes vice versa Takerufuji most likely loses unless does some hataki stuff and Kinbozan falls for it.

Kotozakura doesn¨t appear that debilitated by any truly meaningful injury. Not saying that still can´t be the case though. He is just Tappara there now. Not a sum of his attributes and out of tune., Today was sturdy power sumo.

Best Shodai. When he does this kind of sumo he is a match to anyone when it comes to pure strength. Problem is that he does not do this kind of sumo that much but he showed what he is when he is out there to really destroy and not his decadent 50% capacity version.

Looked like a fracture more than ligament damage for Kitanowaka today.

Is there any information why Asanowaka has become a weak rikishi? He is not generating power and he was good. He is not good anymore. He is weak. Bizarre really. He is young too.

Unless postoperative recovery processes of newly reconstructed ACLs have somehow changed in recent years 6 months should be the time needed for the reconstructed ACL to be strong so in Asanoyama's case that would be around the end of January. Quite logical he intends to return in Haru basho. Flexibility seems quite good already. There are examples of athletes in risky sports having reinjury reasonably soon (perhaps the most prominent example was original Ronaldo) but plenty of athlete whose knee never was a problem after surgery. In sumo there can be tremendous pressure on ACL in defensive situations as both the victim and attacker can generate massive power. I am sure reconstructed ACL would be timid and stressed out on the dohyo if it had a mind of his own. Female athletes often get new ACL injury because it is dangerous to be a woman's ACL much the same way it is dangerous to be woman's liver when primary biliary cholagitis is searching for another new liver to reside at. ACL injury risk and PBC are some of the many dangerous aspects of being a woman.

Great work sir, I appreciate this so much is makes my gastrocolic reflex do some extra peristalsis off-duty, luckily only mild waves. These are full of nostalgia, memories, sadness of a kind and just great way to follow them. I am sure millions of forum visitors share my view and only a baby handful who don¨t. Even Dairaido...such a beast with aggressive sumo. I had forgotten him but promise to never forget him again as long as brain is not bad. Thank you for your effort. Yoshiazuma! Oh my..he is still active and still tall I bet..

Chiyonokuni left everything on the dohyo. Even when it was rather risky and desperate he always did his sumo to the end. Of course he was one of the most injury ridden rikishi and without injuries he would have made bigger impact for sure (duh..). His style may have looked erratic, wild and somehow uncontrolled but it was his sumo and he was good at such rowdy and ineloquest rampage. No doubt he was difficult to face as you always knew he is going to be aggressive and if he was able to stay offensive, it was painful sumo indeed against him. He was one of my favourite rikishi due to his strange style and unlimited fighting spirit. I am sure he went kyujo only when he really needed to or when some oyakata or janitor locked him in secure toilet or hid his mawashi. I am not a fan of dumb injury worsening hanging in there sumo when rest is needed but in any case he made a huge impression and was underappreciated rikishi. May he rest in peace now in non-mortal manner and if ever otsukaresama deshita is valid expression, in Chiyonokuni's case it surely is. Also he was more skillful than most think.

Takakeishou is doing mostly pain killer swallowing I think. MItoryu will be in makuuchi in 2021. Oho's mole has been looked at already by thousands of people including you so I doubt more people needed to stare at his mole. Leave him and his mole alone. Kotoshohohouhou is complete mystery. Yutakayama looked very good today and has gained his strength back but it is not enough in makuuchi. Shouhouzan's support group, fan group, dad, mom and crazy always drunk friend will find those scissors, I am sure he does not have to find those himself.

Day 8 comments: KIribayama's left shoulder had salt residual before tachi-ai and it was dropping in small chunks like ice bergs sometimes behave and people watch in awe and post those on youtube. It was a beautiful and artistic moment. Probably sprinkled some salt there as injury had been there and this custom is common in sumo. His shoulder seemed fine after the bout against Takarafuji which he lost because Takarafuji was young and strong and Kisenosato Arashio oyakata (who is enthusiastic and envigorating human as commentator) was impressed and exhaled fumes of joy joy and respect.

Shimanoumi put on a display how to be Shimanoumi. He maintained his balance and low stance even when on his toes at one point against Tochinoshin who tried many times to shake him off. Just brilliant example how well he can stay intimately close to dohyo surface no matter what. This is simple but effective Shimanoumi sumo. Dashinage move at the end after Tochinoshin's chongake (! if I saw correctly, didn't see slow motion) attempt was the icing of the sumo cake. Ura holds his own well in makuuchi. He continues to do brave sumo not holding back and seemingly trusts his knees now. Tsurugisho is good against small rikishi but was totally outsumoed by Ura's attack today. Great sumo. Well earned 4-3. Kiribayama is good at migiyotsu and was able to smother Aoiyama's attack, establish good left hand outside, then get his head against Aoiyama's chest and finished with nice uwatenage. Looked pleased with himself and deserved that joy joy feeling. Great sumo. Ishiura also has lower back problems but does quite decent sumo this basho. Today shift aside against Kaisei was sharp.

Nishikido should not be given the microphone anymore. He is not able to do such things anymore. Hasn¨t been able to do that in some time. Shouldn't be put in the spotlight to show everyone his cognitive problems. I am sure he doesn't appreciate this role.

Some random comments day 7 makushita and juryo Fujiazuma was in makuuchi since Nagoya 2011 until Haru 2014 except for one juryo basho. He even had 5 straight 8-7 in makuuchi then. If you remember his sumo well, you know sumo. It is quite easy to remember since it has always been the same kind of simple sumo. Push. He moved back to juryo in 5/14 after kyujo in 3/14 and had juryo yusho in 03/15 (12-3), came back to makuuchi for one basho with bad 3-12 result. Then he went away, no joy. Makushita called him in 11/16 and he went there. One juryo visit in 03/17 before longer stint in makushita. He managed to return to juryo in 7/20 and even had short rejuvenation doing really spirited and even strong sumo starting with 3-0 before fading and finishing with 6-9. Aki basho lost to covid and in 11/20 he continued his 25 bout losing streak losing first all 15 bouts in juryo, followed by 0-6 in makushita in 1/21 before beating another 0-6 rikishi. Feeble sumo in 03/21 and 5/21 and today at Ms32 he actually got hidariyotsu but was sukuinaged at the edge by Kototsubasa. Fujiazuma was considered a bit talented when he started his career. He has definitely done “jibun no sumo” all his life. No change. I don’t remember ever seeing rikishi like Shishi (size wise) doing the kind of sumo where his head is not visible for so long. Buried his head somewhere in Hokutenkai’s chest or under armpit, had a nice grip but was still quite handily thrown by Mongolian Hokutenkai with uwatenage and didn’t look that strong earlier in the bout either. 1-3 but still chance for kachi koshi but seems to be well matched at this level now. Tokisakae had clear tactics getting inside and working from there against Hokuseiho. Morozashi he got but still Hokuseiho manages these well with his reach and this time even broke the morozashi. Every single bout can be described the same way concerning this particular stance. Hokuseiho is strong enough to handle rikishi like Tokisakae whose power is not enough. Juryo debut in Aki will definitely be a big test for him. Shiba is getting close to juryo promotion finally. He has been on the verge many times. Now good oshi battle with shin-juryo Kotokuzan and beat him fairly. 3-1 at Ms2 losing only to Hokuseiho on day 1. Abi did really strong sumo absorbing Daishoyama’s charge, reached for the belt and showed difference In power swinging him out. Abi does really sharp sumo now, even better than before his absence. Of course he is still only in juryo but has easy time there for now. Don’t give Yago your mawashi or if you do, give it off the dohyo as a gift. Otherwise Yago is strong. Mitoryu with his problematic back is strong but no agile. Slow reaction to Daishoho’s shift and was turning like a cargo ship. Bad sumo and 5-2. Kotoshoho vs Sadanoumi had a nice uwatenage vs shitatenage finish in the first bout resulting in torinaoshi In the rematch Kotosho went for oshi but was sidestepped slighty and finished his bout in his typical knees spread on all fours-manner. This is his speciality when losing like this. Kind of like Takanosho’s speciality is to lose a lot by stumbling on the ground, no matter what his opponent really does (so it seems). Enho’s body has seen a lot of awkward positions in sumo. Durability tests one after another. Not just the position his body is in but the fact that it is combined with often tremendous pressure makes his sumo look quite dangerous. He has had his share of injuries but could have had much more. Today he was again in desperate position against Wakamotoharu losing the nage battle but hung on until the end. Even looked like it was 50-50 who touched down first. Hakuyozan has ACL injury. Don’t know how bad but ACL often snaps altogether when it does. The way his knee buckled looked like that and the way he didn’t put any weight on it at first kind of refers to bad injury. Then again when I had my ACL fully ruptured, I walked away without much of a limp right after the loud snapping sound so it doesn¨t really matter. Yutakayama beat Tohakuryu very easily. I doubt these lower back tapings really do any good. Maybe it gives some sensation of less unpredictable back pain.

Indeed. His sumo is still quite "bad" in many ways. He is not nearly strong enough to succeed in upper juryo level sumo if he stays that upright. It is not just the staying upright but also the way he absorbs opponent's attack. It seems to be enough at his current level of opposition but strong oshi rikishi will beat him and stronger yotsu will be able to keep him upright and then he really needs power to win. He is also a bit clumsy with his long limbs. Of course he always will have higher centre of gravity but surely needs to learn to press down more in order to succeed as sekitori well. Much depends on how well he can increase his horse power in the upcoming years. He isn¨'t as strong as Kotooshu was at that point and Kotooshu was much more techically devoloped. One of the most interesting rikishi for sure.