Pre-Hatsu training news

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Asashoryu has started training hard. 10 bouts against Asasekiryu winning 8. He isn't in best shape yet but intends to intensify his training now to be ready for Hatsu basho. He had a 7 day break in training and felt fatigue and such feelings but is now fresher.

Takanohana doesn't do keiko on the dohyo. He just says "Knee is ok". Shiko, suriashi and teppo are his main training habits once again. He has gained 1kg and weighs 150kg now. He was not in bad mood and socialized with kids and posed for camera.

Kotomitsuki's left elbow is better. He intends to do de-geiko before Hatsu basho.

Kaio announced his predicted kyujo at the official weigh-in. Arm needs more time to heal. He has trained lately but not bouts.

At the weigh-in biggest weight-gainers were Akinoshima and Tochinohana! AKinoshima is now chubbier than ever (perhaps) as his weight increased 9kg to 158kg! Tochinohana's 9kg weight increase took him to 157kg. Musashimaru, Asashoryu and Chiyotaikai were absent. Asashoryu's reason for absence wasn't mentioned.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/dec/o20021225_40.htm

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/kiji/2002/12/26/06.html

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/kiji/2002/12/26/07.html

http://www.sanspo.com/morespo/top/more2002...2002122606.html

http://www.sanspo.com/morespo/top/more2002...2002122607.html

Mitoizumi has bald look nowadays.

[Manekineko 200]

Mitoizumi has bald look nowadays.

Can you point us to the appropriate picture?

I'm a great Mitoizumi fan...

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Takanowaka, Wakanosato and Kotomitsuki started their usual pre-basho training together. Takanowaka who weighs 152kg (his all-time high) and wishes to keep on adding power had 20 bouts winning 12 showing good condition already.

Kasugao had 30 bouts with lower ranked rikishi of his own heya yesterday and wishes to train at Oshima-beya sekitori in the upcoming days. Electric car commuting very early in the morning is part of his schedule too heh.

Takanohana and his stablemaster hum the same familiar tune.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/dec/o20021226_30.htm

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/kiji/2002/12/27/07.html

I am not 100% sure about this article so some Japanese competent person could correct me if I am talking BS (not bench sumo).

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/kiji/2002/12/27/06.html

Tochiazuma trained for 30 minutes with MIyabiyama, Buyuzan, Wakanoyama, Iwakiyama and Dejima winning 20 out of 25 bouts. His intention is to gain stamina.

Then there is talk about Asashoryu too but not in context of training bouts I think? Azuma feels responsebility to stop Asashoryu? Now that Kaio, Taikai and Maru are out for sure...

Oh! Newsflash!

Asashoryu injured!

Left knee is injured somehow. Also shoulder is evidently bothering him. Dark clouds hover, treatment is given, yokozuna hunting is at stake. Here is the article:

http://www.sanspo.com/morespo/top/more2002...2002122802.html

Mitoizumi bald:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/dec/o20021222_90.htm

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Asashoryu did win all his training bouts on 27th against Toki, Takamisakari and others and only after practise had pain and ice treatment on his left knee. Doesn't sound very serious in this article

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/kiji/2002/12/28/03.html

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Takanohana initiated in training bouts for the first time in over three months. He had 31 training bouts against makushita rikishi few days ago. The question is whether his knee stays in uninflammated condition prior to Hatsu basho. If everything goes well he might participate in sekitori training at Soken where spotlights are folcused on Asashoryu and Takanohana. He intends to train home and return to more extensive keiko on 2nd of January.

Tochiazuma has been training at Musashigawa-beya since 26th day and has completed 115 training bouts against Miyabiyama, Dejima, Buyuzan, Wakanoyama and Iwakiyama. He is pursuing another shot at yokozuna promotion in 2003 and is concentrating on gaining stamina. This last training day he had 30 bouts against Miyabiyama and others winning 26. He says he has reached the the state of fatique now and will rest for couple of days before launching hard training again.

Musoyama didn't take part in training bouts with sekitori but is reasonably confident that there is enough time to train hard with sekitori. His left shoulder is fine and in training against below makushita rikishi on 28th day no insecurity concerning shoulder was witnessed. He intends to start hard sekitori training on 2nd day of year 2003.

Musashimaru came to flow some sweat too for the first time since his wrist operation.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/dec/o20021228_30.htm

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/dec/o20021229_40.htm

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/dec/o20021230_50.htm

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/kiji/2002/12/31/06.html

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Gokenzan and Akinoshima did keiko yesterday while Takanohana didn't pay any attention to dohyo action but remained sidelined performing impressive enough shiko. Takanohana's New Year's time had been joyfully inflammation free. Takanonami was absent due to painful achilles tendons. Hopefully not as bad as his ankle problems were...

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/jan/o20030102_80.htm

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/kiji/2003/01/03/07.html

[Manekineko 200]

Mitoizumi bald:

Wow! That's certainly bald!

Thank you for this and all your training news!

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Takanohana resumed training with sekitori. 20 bouts against chubbied up Akinoshima winning all 20 bouts. Taka showed good movement and beat Akinoshima 18 times with yorikiri, once with left shitatenage and once with right uwatenage. Still indecisiveness in throwing attempts was witnessed due to sekitori-rust evidently. After working out with Akinoshima he did some butsugari-geiko with Takanonami. Oyakata said the power has improved in the leg and muscles have grown. Akinoshima smiled wrylyly saying he himself is in good shape but yokozuna is yokozuna.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/jan/o20030104_10.htm

http://www.sanspo.com/morespo/top/more2003...2003010501.html

Asashoryu overwhelmed Toki and others in post-cold training session couple of days ago. With still croaky voice Asashoryu participated in 21 training bouts. He had been suffering from cold since the New Year's eve.

There was a rare report from Kasugano-beya training on ML. Tochinonada, Tochinohana, Tochisakae, Jumonji, Yotsukasa and Oginishiki participated in intense training session. Tochinonada dominated the bunch while Tochinohana was rather feeble losing a lot. Jumonji worked hard and Yotsukasa wasn't bad. Oginishiki had a lot of training bouts at the first part of the session and then rested for the last 30 minutes.

[Yubiquitoyama 4]

Well, I suppose the focus on the Hatsu basho will primarily be Asashoryu's potential Yokozuna promotion and in second place, the possible return (again...) of yokozuna Takanohana. I'm pleased to see that he is back on the training dohyo kicking some senior citizen ass, and I can just hope it is a sign he intends to start. He only has a week to get that ring rust off him, but if he actually goes full out to do it, he could be another possible spoiler to Asashoryu's Yokozuna promotion (although I believe Tochiazuma is right when feeling he is the one who has the work cut out for him to stop the mongolian menace... (for Asashoryu fans out there, no offence meant, it's just that it sounds so good, and neither Kyokutenho nor Kyokushuzan makes even close to as good a candidate as Asashoryu to have that moniker... ;-) ).

But (and now I actually get to the point of this post...) I am particularly interested in seeing how Akinoshima does. I see it as a positive sign both that he has gained weight (as far as I have seen, the normal cycle for veterans is that they gain weight gradually the last few years of their career, to finally start losing it again when on the last legs, possibly at the same time as their determination and will to continue starts to fade) and that he makes comments such as the one about him being in good shape (despite Taka being yokozuna and all...). He's feisty enough to stay in Makunouchi as long as he is determined enough, and those are signs saying he isn't done yet... I hope I'm right...

Hearing Tochinonada dominate the other Kasugano-beya rikishi also sounds promising, seeing as he has been far from impressive the last few basho. Hopefully that will make him more confident, and will make him finally cruise through the lower-Maegashira mire in a way which many of us have waited for him to do several basho by now. He's not very spectacular, but often a surprisingly good rikishi, which it's time for him to show once again. He isn't THAT old...

Thanks Mikko for your postings of what's up in keiko btw.

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Hearing Tochinonada dominate the other Kasugano-beya rikishi also sounds promising, seeing as he has been far from impressive the last few basho. Hopefully that will make him more confident, and will make him finally cruise through the lower-Maegashira mire in a way which many of us have waited for him to do several basho by now. He's not very spectacular, but often a surprisingly good rikishi, which it's time for him to show once again. He isn't THAT old...

If I am not mistaken Tochinonada has a sort of a reputation of being quite on-off rikishi. He has incredible strength when his game is on but he is awkwardly weak and unstable on his bad days (making him very frustrating sumo game pick btw!). There have been news in the past that Nada's oyakata said to him prior to basho that "it is good if you can get 3 wins, so bad you are in training now" and then he has shown exceptional sumo against ozeki/yokozuna few days later during honbasho.

Even in last basho when he has had bad overall results, he still has had fleeting moments of that feared "strong Nada". Good example was his win over Asashoryu in Kyushu. Speaking of which, I can't believe Asashoryu would have any problems tuning up for his bouts against Tochinonada since they have an even and ferocious history in their mutual bouts. I really doubt sanyaku rikishi underestimate Nada since they know how good he is when he has a good day. I think there is a saying in heavy-weight boxing which states that anything can happen even with one lucky shot as in that level the punches are often so hard that one good blow can be decisive regardless of the flow of the match prior to that. In reference to Nada, he can suddenly make that "one huge punch" even after losing 3 times in a row in unfit fashion. That is why I seem irrational sometimes when rooting and looking forward to Nada's bouts even when 95% of people see his opponent as "sure" winner....

[Yubiquitoyama 4]

Speaking of which, I can't believe Asashoryu would have any problems tuning up for his bouts against Tochinonada since they have an even and ferocious history in their mutual bouts. I really doubt sanyaku rikishi underestimate Nada since they know how good he is when he has a good day. I think there is a saying in heavy-weight boxing which states that anything can happen even with one lucky shot as in that level the punches are often so hard that one good blow can be decisive regardless of the flow of the match prior to that. In reference to Nada, he can suddenly make that "one huge punch" even after losing 3 times in a row in unfit fashion. That is why I seem irrational sometimes when rooting and looking forward to Nada's bouts even when 95% of people see his opponent as "sure" winner....

Well, I don't really agree on that, but I suppose it would be quite boring if everyone thought the same all the time... I really think that the mindset of a rikishi meeting Nada often is different than when meeting some other joijin, even if they have no rational reason to have that, given earlier performances. Every rikishi knows they can lose against anyone, the same way we sumo game players know it. Unfortunately that kind of knowledge is not necessarily enough to actually get the mindset needed at one specific occasion... Tochinonada doesn't seem the rikishi to instill fear in his opponents even when actually winning a lot of matches, and even less so during the basho he loses most of his matches. From the fear of meeting Musashimaru down to the lesser fear to go against say Wakakosho, there reasonably is an hierarchical structure of how a rikishi reacts against one particular opponent. Of course it differs, but I think that at average, Tochinonada is rather on the underestimated side (while some might be overestimated) the same way he is often underestimated by sumo game players. I don't say that the difference is huge (I assume pretty much every rikishi have a basic amount of mental preparedness regardless of the opponent), but I definitely think it's there, even if the rikishi don't even realize it fully themselves. The mind is hard to fully control, even when frenetically trying to tell it something... ("Even Daizen can beat me, even Daizen can beat me, even Daizen can beat me... But... he's so old... and has lost 11 out of 13... and I have won everything... and...")...  ;-)

[Kintamayama 45,093]

It is rather futile, I have found, to argue with Makoto Kaikitsune about ANYTHING regarding Tochinonada. He wears blinders like horses do when going around in circles.

Same with KaioU by the way..

still, he does bring us a plethora of information, so we may as well hear him out..

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

I knew people would disagree ;-)

Well, no access to rikishis' mind but some understanding of sport psychology I claim to have and most annoying opponent in any sport is one against whom you "should" win because of whatever reasons but who is VERY capable of beating you at any point in time. Maybe some rikishi (sanyaku) consider him just that and mentally slap themselves all around when gathering spirit and intensive feelings prior to their match-up against Nada.

Nada is the only rikishi whom I have seen beating Kaio twice (with precise timing) when Kaio has had right uwate. He has also tried tsuridashi on Maru and has performed the most incredible escape from the brink of tawara against Akebono...so Moti is right in this sense: I am biased towards Nada but that doesn't ecclipse the logic in me concerning Nada so that is where Moti is wrong  :-Q

Same with KaioU by the way..

Disinformation!

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Asashoryu prepares for his big basho by training hard and watching martial arts related programs. 23 vigorous training bouts against sekitori of his stable winning 20 and losing 3.

Smiling Takanohana is said to do better in keiko than before Aki basho. Who knows if that is really so. In any case 11 bouts against Takanonami and Akinoshima alternating opponent after every bout. He won all 11. Soken participation isn't promised yet. Participation in Hatsu basho is possible. Based on the tune of the reports, probability must be well over 50% now.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/jan/o20030105_30.htm

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/kiji/2003/01/06/06.html

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/0106/0106_09.htm

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Very briefly before going to bed:

Asashoryu will get married in April. Mongolian woman is pregnant.

Chiyotaikai and his oyakata ponder over whether to participate. Keiko could now be possible, time running short though.

Azuma was in hospital diahorrea related. Didn't eat much. Now ok.

Taka might take part in Soken.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/jan/o20030107_30.htm

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Takanohana conducted in keiko denial manner At Soken to the disappoinment and annoyance of Watanabe and other council members. Yet Takanohana will participate in honbasho. Maybe Taka wants to remain "unbeaten" and therefor avoids keiko sessions where he would get beaten, even consecutively. In his post-Kyushu training he has only lost once to makushita rikishi. 31 bouts against Akinoshima and Takanonami without losses so he may cherish the feeling of entering Hatsu basho in "unbeaten" condition. In honbasho he can concentrate on one bout per day without any fear for consequtive losses on some training session. We shall see how his condition truly is.

Asashoryu's Soken was successful. 19 bouts against Miyabiyama, Dejima, Aminishiki, Takamisakari, Wakanosato and others and incredible 17 wins! His 2 losses came in bouts against Aminishiki who is in great shape too.

Chiyotaikai was adamantly determined to get sufficient preparation prior to Hatsu basho but time ran out and he was forced to remain sidelined and come back with full spirit and triceps muscle condition in Haru.

Takanowaka's work ethics is equal to Asashoryu's. In the media shadow he has diligently gone through very hard training after Kyushu basho and is at least equal in training against Wakanosato and Kotomitsuki now! 152kg of body weight combined with throughal honing up skills and building confidence makes him the most interesting ozeki-candidate of present. He hopes to gain ground for ozeki promotion in Haru.

Musoyama was said to have worked hard at Soken but evidently he didn't face Asashoryu. At least no reports of their mutual bouts were given.

Tochiazuma was out of Soken due to cold. Kaio and Maru were absent naturally too.

Takamisakari has worked out regularly at Takasago-beya so he must have pretty decent knee condition.

Miyabiyama had a bit taped up shoulder at Soken so his shoulder problems persist.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/jan/o20030108_30.htm

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/sports/jan/o20030108_40.htm

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/kiji/2003/01/09/01.html

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/kiji/2003/01/09/02.html

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/others/flash/20030109210913.html

http://www.sanspo.com/morespo/sumo/sumo.html

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/0110/0110_14.htm

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/0110/0110_13.htm