YDC Soken-Aki 2008

[Kintamayama 45,527]

The YDC soken was held today. Asashouryuu and Hakuhou had 10 bouts each, but they are not in good shape, as they have just started serious training a few days ago. Rohou was absent. New sanyaku Baruto was looking good and beat Hakuhou twice. The Ozeki camp was "slow", meaning they mostly stood around thinking, but Ama and Kisenosato were looking very good.

[Kintamayama 45,527]

"We're before a basho so I was training without taking any unnecessary risks" , said Asashouryuu after his mediocre morning of muted movement. He had 10 bouts.. He started off by losing to Kisenosato by yorikiri. "I am not getting better (injury-cure wise). I am very concerned, so I am not doing any 'big' sumo.. ", he added.

Hakuhou wasn't doing any better. he lost two straight bouts by yorikiri to Baruto. "I'm still tired from my travel ordeals during the Mongolian jungyo. I'm a bit slow moving. I will be training at my own pace until the basho starts", he explained. "To uphold my Yokozuna rank, I will do my best to be involved in the yusho race till the very end!", he vowed. The sumo world is troubled with all the stuff going on outside the dohyo, so Hakuhou will try to do his best in the dohyo.

[paolo 0]

I understand that Hakuho and Asashoryu are not in good shape, but also the others should have started training only some days ago, after Mongolian yusho, so there should still be an edge in favour of the two yokozuna (who, after all, have "won" the yusho...). Or am i missing something ?

About Asashoryu's injuries: is there an official diagnosis about what the problems are ? I am always amazed to see that the only things that we know most of the times about such injuries is someting like: "the elbow hurts", "the ankle hurts" and so on. Do they go to a real doctor, do they get advice about how to cure , instead of going for months to water springs and putting a band-aid around the point and praying and hoping that the problem disappears by itself ? Professional soccer players here in Italy are followed by the best specialists of everything...

[Peeter 15]

Yes, we want injurie tester, an NOW! (Applauding...) and testing all rikishis in the sumo world! :-O (Cold...) (Going kyujo...) (Being ill...) etc

[paolo 0]

Trying to be clearer. Four months ago there was a basho. Asashoryu appeared to have troubles with an ankle, and he could not compete at his top level. Two months ago there was a basho. Asashoryu appeared to have the same problem with the same ankle, to which he added other troubles with an elbow, and he could not compete at his top level. Now four months have gone by with problem 1 and two months with problem 2, and the troubles seem to be still there. For the third basho in a row one of the two best players in a sport will not be able to compete at his top level, due to OLD injuries, not new ones. The two injuries must be severe ones. A sportsman whatever would have gone to dozens of specialists and followed hundreds of pieces of advice. Has Asashoryu done anything really serious to heal more than bandaging, visiting water springs, speaking, making a book of pictures, waiting for miracles and so on ? That is what I find particularly strange. I recall Musashimaru not being able to receive adequate cures for his wrist...

[Peeter 15]

Dear Paolo, our Baruto is fighting with his injurie for 2 years ( 2006 Aki ), and we never heared much more from healing - acupuncture & heating only. Japanese medicine must be top in the world! :-O

Edited September 5, 2008 by Peeter

[kotoeikoku 0]

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me will add to this, but one of the problems with treating injuries, even chronic ones, is that any rikishi less than Ozeki cannot miss a basho for healing without dropping ranks. I would guess (I don't know of course) that Makuuchi rikishi do get proper injury diagnosis, but the problem is if the recommended treatment is surgery followed by months of recovery time it is simply not an option. All their hard work in making sekitori would be wasted.

One might say that since Yokozuna can't lose their rank why don't they go ahead, get the surgery, recover, and come back? My guess would be that as Asashoryu has had a lot of negative press attention, taking time off may well lead to calls for his retirement (for 'unyokozuna-like behaviour' or something) too loud to ignore.

[Peeter 15]

Look Kintamayamas toolbar's site http://www.arkanda.net/sumo/yokozuna-statistics.htm#68, and you see, that precentage of not completed bashos is one of the lowest for Asashoryu! Go Asa! :-O (Going kyujo...)

Edited September 5, 2008 by Peeter

[Kintamayama 45,527]

Kitanoumi-the only one focused at the soken??:

Guard: "Nice suit.."

Kitanoumi: "I still need to test the fabric at another shop to be 1000% sure!"

"Breathe the other way, please":

Edited September 5, 2008 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 45,527]

Ama was looking good. "Today, all of us had great fun and great, intense keiko. I'm just doing my own sumo on the dohyo!", he proclaimed. The other Sekiwake Toyonoshima was injured in a bout against Kisenosato -right leg. He left early, but a bit later said. "The pain subsided as time went by. I'm OK!!"

Edited September 5, 2008 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 45,527]

Hakuhou and Bigfoot with Ms. Uchidate in the background:

Edited September 6, 2008 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 45,527]

More details from the Soken. It was a strange soken-the atmosphere was gloomy and things did not proceed as usual. Asashouryuu, being injured, decided to do moshiai with low ranked Maegashira like Dejima and Masatsukasa. When he attempted to take on joi Kisenosato, he lost. He was 9-1 in the end after taking it easy. Hakuhou took Asa's lead and took it easy too. He was 8-2, losing twice to Baruto. Usually, a soken ends with a Yokozuna doing moshiai. This time, both Yokozuna left the dohyo around 9:35 and pretty much stood around. After the Yokozuna, came the lethargic Ozeki, who looked even worse. The moshiai ended with Goueidou and Tochiouzan of all people at around 10:30, meaning the Yokozuna left the dohyo 40 minutes before the end. The only rikishi receiving honorable mention were Ama, Kisenosato and Kakizoe.

The article said his left elbow was heavily bandaged..:

[Kintamayama 45,527]

Kitanoumi reminds me of:

This guy:

Edited September 6, 2008 by Kintamayama

[Asashosakari 19,661]

This guy:

Hey, I used him as an avatar years ago! Boy, I sure am tempted now...

[Kintamayama 45,527]

And my other favorite woman: