Kyokai puts new rule in writing

[Kintamayama 45,251]

Beginning next basho, cousins will not be allowed to face each other during a honbasho, excluding playoffs. Why now? Shoutenrou is Kouryuu's cousin, and suddenly someone is worried.

[Mark Buckton 1]

why the reference to 'in writing'??

[Kintamayama 45,251]

Because it is now a written rule. There are written rules and unwritten rules, and this one is written as of today. They sometimes do that to rules that are known but not in writing, like the drug thing which isn't written anywhere and is the basis of the Russian brothers' claim.

"Entered in the books" is what it says.

BTW, Kyokutenhou and Makushita Daitenshou are cousins as well. The rule applies to those who were cousins when they entered sumo.

Back in 1960 there was a match between Shikinohana and Hasegawa. A few days later it was established they were related and this bout's result was annulled.

Edited January 30, 2009 by Kintamayama

[Mark Buckton 1]

aahh,

very well. Carry on.

[Asashosakari 19,436]

  Kintamayama said:

Back in 1960 there was a match between Shikinohana and Hasegawa. A few days later it was established they were related and this bout's result was annulled.

A bit differently told on this here forum previously, FWIW.

I thought this was just precautionary, but go figure Shotenro and Koryu just faced each other in Hatsu basho, as well as three times before (one fusen).

[ilovesumo 12]

Bruhaha...

next will be that mongolians are not allowed to face each other? (In jonokuchi...)

What about brothers in law?

[Jonosuke 28]

I think the real problem is not about being codified but to ensure finding out relationships with anyone already active in the Kyokai.

There are cousins and then there are cousins - like how far you stretch the relationship. Just to your parent's sibling?　Let's just say your parents' brothers and sisters kids are definitely out but I do no know families being families, some siblings no longer maintain close relationships. For instance my father had four brothers and sister. Being not in Japan, I have not met a couple of my cousins in ages (since we were kids) so even if I bump into them at a Tokyo subway, I probably won't recognize him or her so I don't even consciously think of them as being my cousin even though they are so I may not even tell others about them.

As the Kyokai office people are as busy as they are, we really cannot expect them to go on a fact finding mission for each recruit especially at Haru Basho so basically they pretty much rely on the recruits and their shisho to tell them of relationship and if they are not forthcoming intentionally or unintentionally, how can anyone enforce such a rule?

[Asafan 0]

What about friendship, then ? Bonds of friendship can be much stronger than family ties....

[Charlemagne 0]

Hmm... how about

"Close friends are not allowed to face each other during regulation"?

Sounds hilarious. :D

Edited January 30, 2009 by Charlemagne

[Chisaiyama 11]

  Asafan said:

What about friendship, then ? Bonds of friendship can be much stronger than family ties....

Fortunately friendship does not preclude Ozumo matchups otherwise we would have been deprived of some truly exciting matchups over the years. Ama and Asashoryu obviously come to mind for instance. And back in the 70's Wajima and Takanohana I who were extremely close friends off the dohyo nonetheless had some absolutely incredible bouts against each other. Always the highlight of most bashos back then.

[Gernobono 467]

  Chisaiyama said:

And back in the 70's Wajima and Takanohana I who were extremely close friends off the dohyo nonetheless had some absolutely incredible bouts against each other. Always the highlight of most bashos back then.

if a bout is really great, i always think it might be staged......a short yorikiri by the winner is much more "real" than some bouts where one lifts the other and vice versa......this looks more like bouts in koens....

[Asafan 0]

Anyway, if there were agreements between friends for bouts, nobody would never know about it for sure.

So this is just endless...

[Asashosakari 19,436]

  Jonosuke said:

There are cousins and then there are cousins - like how far you stretch the relationship. Just to your parent's sibling?

Apparently so. The exact new rule seems to be "no bouts between rikishi who are within four degrees of kinship", so that would stop at first cousins if I'm understanding the whole degree-counting correctly. And a few, more esoteric combinations, but I doubt anybody was ever in position to face their great-uncle (i.e. brother or brother-in-law of a grandparent)...