"Off With the Beard"

[kaiguma 0]

And on a slightly tangent topic, what happens if Wakanoho is forced to cut his hair? Would that jeopardize his rikishi status? I mean, he's bound to be sekitori any basho now. Wouldn't the Japanese consolate have to intervene in this case??? (In a state of confusion...)

[Yubiquitoyama 4]

And on a slightly tangent topic, what happens if Wakanoho is forced to cut his hair? Would that jeopardize his rikishi status? I mean, he's bound to be sekitori any basho now. Wouldn't the Japanese consolate have to intervene in this case??? (In a state of confusion...)

I strongly doubt the Kyokai (even through the right diplomatic channels) can influence the russian army in stopping Wakanoho from cutting his hair. If he has to cut his hair it'll take some time for him to grow a mage, but that's it. Of course he won't have to quit sumo more than someone who would have to cut his hair for medical reasons.

[Shibouyama 1]

I'm sorry. I've apparently missed something. Why would Wakanoho have to cut his hair?

Edit: If he doesn't have to join the Russian army, why would he have to cut his hair?

Edited October 23, 2006 by Shibouyama

[sumolady 0]

Thank you for the very good laugh on this generally laughable subject.

Interviewer: "Well, it seems that Kokkai has struck again with his not-so-secret weapon, higesashi (the beard poke).

IMO they made him shave for purely aesthetic reasons, not because the beard gave him any extra advantage.

Too funny. (In a state of confusion...)

I'll line up behind the aesthetic reason argument, though. There's just nothing sillier looking than that much beard on the bottom of a head that has a bun on top. Even John Belushi wouldn't go there (for those of you who remember John Belushi)(if that's anybody... :-D )

Angie

[Mark Buckton 1]

And on a slightly tangent topic, what happens if Wakanoho is forced to cut his hair? Would that jeopardize his rikishi status? I mean, he's bound to be sekitori any basho now. Wouldn't the Japanese consolate have to intervene in this case??? (In a state of confusion...)

I strongly doubt the Kyokai (even through the right diplomatic channels) can influence the russian army in stopping Wakanoho from cutting his hair. If he has to cut his hair it'll take some time for him to grow a mage, but that's it. Of course he won't have to quit sumo more than someone who would have to cut his hair for medical reasons.

he is back tomorrow (or was it today?) so we'll see.

[kaiguma 0]

There's just nothing sillier looking than that much beard on the bottom of a head that has a bun on top. Even John Belushi wouldn't go there

Are you sure?

And to bring it all full circle, if you do a google image search on 'Bluto', you get more pics of Belushi than you do of Popeye's arch-nemesis. The reason: Belushi's character in Animal House is John 'Bluto' Blutarsky.

He's a little stubbly, but not quite like Brutus or Bluto.

Edited October 24, 2006 by kaiguma

[Andreas 0]

Fingernails are the obvious example of why they should exert this kind of control when necessary. Fingernails can cut you.

Methinks you may not have tried sumo. My fingernails are cut to the bone since I started sumo. Any bit of length at all and they can be lifted off when gripping the mawashi.

I second that. I once made the mistake of going to judo course (in judo you have to grip your opponents jacket) without cutting my nails first, and after a little bit of randori the tips of my nails started to come off... fortunately they had nail cutters (engl?) at the dojo so I could cut my nails and continue.

[Kaihayaiha 0]

I feel a lot of sympathy towards anyone who has to sacrifice a decent beard for his or her career (Nodding yes...)

[Takanorappa 97]

I feel a lot of sympathy towards anyone who has to sacrifice a decent beard for his or her career (Nodding yes...)

Just like when Johnny Damon went to the Yankees...

[_the_mind_ 0]

Having a weapon on your face does not make for a fair belt fight. Period.

an extreme exaggeration. for some of us who grow facial hair like his its freaking annoying to spend a hour a day shaving just so its nice and pretty for people who want to complain about it, and yes it burns your face to shave all the time with that kind of facial hair. i sincerely doubt his beard is giving him any advantage on the dohyo. fyi having a beard doesnt mean you dont wash. the people likening it to bad hygiene is just retarded

[sumofan 6]

"Where's Popeye??"

(Nodding yes...) (Applauding...) :-S

(Laughing...) (Laughing...) (Laughing...)

:-D :-D :-D

[sumofan 6]

Having a weapon on your face does not make for a fair belt fight. Period.

an extreme exaggeration. for some of us who grow facial hair like his its freaking annoying to spend a hour a day shaving just so its nice and pretty for people who want to complain about it, and yes it burns your face to shave all the time with that kind of facial hair. i sincerely doubt his beard is giving him any advantage on the dohyo. fyi having a beard doesnt mean you dont wash. the people likening it to bad hygiene is just retarded

An hour? Wouldn't 5 minutes be more accurate?

Even if you shave twice a day, that makes it 10 minutes.

But what do I know of it. If I shave twice a week, I don't even have a shadow on my cheeks.

[_the_mind_ 0]

An hour? Wouldn't 5 minutes be more accurate?

Even if you shave twice a day, that makes it 10 minutes.

But what do I know of it. If I shave twice a week, I don't even have a shadow on my cheeks.

when you have sensitive skin you do not want to shave everyday because it takes days for the burn to go away(after-shave doesnt help). that burn is terrible to the touch, especially for someone like him who rubs his face on guys all day in practice. as such you tend to get in the habbit of not shaving every day to avoid such. just not part of the morning routine. then when you finally do have to shave(maybe one time every two weeks or less) there is so much hair over your whole face that it literally takes an hour to get a close shave (i go with the grain, then against the grain to get a close cut). this of course is not with an electric razor. ....judgeing by kokkai's statement about his own sensitive skin i suspect he and i have a simular situtation in this reguard. so its either be in massive pain every day by shaveing everyday, or shave once every 10-14 days or so and have it take a hour when you do it and only feel that burn for a few days(usually 2, the day of and the day after)......as a side note, when you get hot and sweaty(like sitting out in the sun) it hurts ALOT more then normal after you shave. ....most of the dudes i know who grow alot of facial hair have simular issues.

its still silly to say facial hair is a weapon

Edited October 26, 2006 by _the_mind_

[Fay 1,677]

It burns when he shaves it :'-( , poor Kokkai.

Hey, these guys are slapping others in the face, they get slapped, they throw each other from the dohyo ..... but they are pansys while shaving???

Perhaps Kokkai is just too lazy to do it every day and besides he looks better unshaved (In jonokuchi...)

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

This post is dedicated to Kokkai and all you fans who are itching to get a decent, smooth, pain-free shave...

Via Shaveblog, the March 23, 2006 entry:

The Perfect Shave. Featured in the NY Times, on MSNBC, the Today Show, and now Sumo Forum!

Ever since prehistoric man first scraped a seashell across his cheek so prehistoric woman would let him dance cheek-to-cheek, shaving has been a part of the male experience. But even with today's high-tech razors, lots of men still get nicks, cuts, and razor burn. That's why the latest trend in male grooming, "wetshaving", promises a better shave by going back to the old school.

The perfect shave is what all men strive for every morning when they bring their razor up their chin -- an effortless shave that's baby smooth, and without any of the usual skin irritation, redness, and that burning sensation most guys seem to feel is par for the course when it comes to shaving.

Why do so many guys find this so hard to achieve? Because proper shaving has become a lost art. Shaving is one of those glorious male traditions that used to be passed down from father to son, but somewhere along the line, when shaving became more about cheap, disposable razors than a nice, precision-made metal tool in your hand, it became a brainless routine to rush through in the morning without even thinking about it.

A disposable or cartridge razor dragged across a layer of foam or gel on your dry cheeks is a step backward from the past, not an improvement. Now that men of all ages are paying more attention to their appearance, it's no wonder that the hottest trend right now in male grooming is a return to the traditional wet shave. And those who try it are shocked to discover that the "old-fashioned" method of shaving they thought went out with the Hula Hoop is actually the best quality shave they can get.

Wetshaving is just what the term implies -- keeping your face wet with plenty of hot water before and during the entire shave. In fact, you should always shave after a hot shower, not before (if you need to shave without taking a shower, try washing your face with hot water for a few minutes). Believe it or not, but your whiskers are tougher than the edge of a razor blade, and shaving "dry", or mostly dry as with the vast majority of shaving creams, foams, and gels on the market, means you're literally tugging on each and every hair on your face instead of neatly slicing it at the skin's surface and moving on without irritating your skin.

With a layer of hot water between your skin and the lather, the blade skims the surface instead of dragging on it, which is the main cause of irritation, redness, and "shave bumps". Most men are astonished the first time they have a proper wet shave, because the razor no longer pulls, tugs, and otherwise fights the whiskers -- it just glides over your skin leaving a clean path in its wake.

Read on!

Edited October 26, 2006 by Otokonoyama

[Manekineko 200]

This last post reminded me of a folk-anecdote from Bosnia. I probably mixed up the towns, but never mind... It's set in time of wet shaving, a century or two past.

A young country-lad from Mostar came to Sarajevo, the capital, and was appropriately awed and reluctant to show it. He needed a shave and so he went to a barber. The barber, familiar with humanity as such trades are, soon saw right through the insecure young man, and started to bait him:

- So you are from Mostar, eh?

- Yes!

- I hear you Mostar boys are so tough, you shave without soap and water!

Now the lad was embarrased to ask for water and soap himself, and bravely allowed the barber to shave him dry. After a minute or so of scraping torture he finally whined:

- Sir, please shave me with cold water and a bit of soap, 'cause I don't live in Mostar but a couple of miles away!

[Shibouyama 1]

This last post reminded me of a folk-anecdote from Bosnia. I probably mixed up the towns, but never mind... It's set in time of wet shaving, a century or two past.

A young country-lad from Mostar came to Sarajevo, the capital, and was appropriately awed and reluctant to show it. He needed a shave and so he went to a barber. The barber, familiar with humanity as such trades are, soon saw right through the insecure young man, and started to bait him:

- So you are from Mostar, eh?

- Yes!

- I hear you Mostar boys are so tough, you shave without soap and water!

Now the lad was embarrased to ask for water and soap himself, and bravely allowed the barber to shave him dry. After a minute or so of scraping torture he finally whined:

- Sir, please shave me with cold water and a bit of soap, 'cause I don't live in Mostar but a couple of miles away!

Very cute story. Thanks.

(In jonokuchi...) :-D ;-)

[_the_mind_ 0]

i go with the grain, then against the grain to get a close cut

realistic chance of picking someone up.

that is deffinately one of the times ...... (In jonokuchi...)

[sumofan 6]

Fingernails are the obvious example of why they should exert this kind of control when necessary. Fingernails can cut you.

Methinks you may not have tried sumo. My fingernails are cut to the bone since I started sumo. Any bit of length at all and they can be lifted off when gripping the mawashi.

Didn't you quit Sumo when you broke your elbow?

Or did you start again after revalidation?

[Fujisan 533]

I'm 40 years of age and I still couldn't grow a beard if I wanted to.

I just get directionless stubble.

[Naganoyama 5,911]

i go with the grain, then against the grain to get a close cut

I recommend only going against the grain when attending dress balls or when you feel you have a realistic chance of picking someone up.

...

But how do you know when you have a realistic chance of picking someone up?

You should bottle it and sell it on E-bay.,

(Laughing...)

[Ossetian Yokozuna 1]

"Iiie, ogaeheo totonoese, kudasai".