Hakuho's dohyo iri

[James H 0]

Just watched Hakuho's dohyo iri (In a state of confusion...) - I have to admit - for the first time this basho. Is it just me or is it significantly more "forceful" than it used to be? His shiko in particular seemed intent on crushing the dohyo... Or am I just reading too much into it?

Edited May 13, 2009 by James H

[D-chan 2]

I noticed that, too. Very intense.

[Treblemaker 254]

And, according to anything I've read about the shiko, that's exactly the way it's supposed to be. I saw an old video on Youtube with a years-past yokozuna (can't recall who it was) whose dohyo iri was very forcefull and aggresive. The "stomp" you see most rikishi doing these days wouldn't harm an insect, much less "scare demons", as was its original intention.

On the other hand, I suppose the yokozuna doesn't want to go too far. No sense dislocating your knee in the middle of this important ceremony.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

It seems like a natural progression to me. He was initially not used to wearing the tsuna, how it affected his balance and movement, and was probably focusing on getting the steps and movements correct. Now that he has had sufficient practice, he doesn't have to think about it so much, and moves more smoothly and naturally. It is easier to add power under those circumstances...

Edited May 14, 2009 by Otokonoyama

[James H 0]

It seems like a natural progression to me. He was initially not used to wearing the tsuna, how it affected his balance and movement, and was probably focusing on getting the steps and movements correct. Now that he has had sufficient practice, he doesn't have to think about it so much, and moves more smoothly and naturally. It is easier to add power under those circumstances...

That's the thing though - to me, it doesn't look "smooth". When he goes into his shiko in the center of the ring, he leans over the knee, stops, bends it very deliberately, stops, lifts other leg and then stamps. Then he repeats with the opposite leg. The stopping and the deliberate bending of the knee when all his weight is on it breaks up the smoothness of the movement.

Getting a bit trainspotter-like here B-) and it really doesn't seem important either way. There's no question he is in control of the motion, and that he is doing it in this way for a reason. But it doesn't seem natural and smooth, it seems a bit stop-starty and deliberate. (stop-starty is a technical term, btw).

Before last tournament, Ozumo magazine mentioned how he was studying Futabayama and learning about his tachiai - maybe this is another part of that development.

For your information, below is the article in question (apologies for going off topic)

OZUMO / Hakuho looks to strike back with an old master's secrets

By Eisuke Obuchi

Don't get mad, get even. After his dramatic playoff loss to fellow yokozuna Asashoryu at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, Hakuho didn't sit around moping about the Emperor's Cup that slipped through his fingers. The words of support showered on him at a party five days after that defeat stoked the fire in his belly.

"Lots of people told me it was a pity how the playoff turned out. That gave me the resolve to give it everything I've got at the Spring basho," he said of the tournament that begins Sunday in Osaka.

If anything, his loss at the New Year tournament taught Hakuho that no victory is assured. He had looked rock-solid during the basho's opening days, and had the fans roaring with delight on Day 9 when he sent Estonian giant Baruto to the dirt after a bout that lasted more than a minute.

The next day, however, Harumafuji upset the apple cart.

The newly promoted ozeki had a 3-3 record against Hakuho in 2008, but had struggled early on in January with four straight defeats. He was still in trouble at 3-6 when he faced a seemingly irrepressible Hakuho. But in sumo, it's not over until it's over.

After tamely giving up a front-belt grip, Hakuho tried to shrug off his opponent but only became entangled in a left-arm belt grip, which Harumafuji iced with an attempted leg grip that failed but put him in position to walk the yokozuna over the bales.

Although Hakuho seemed unruffled, saying he would refocus for the next bout, the defeat would have a huge bearing on how the tournament panned out.

Hakuho got back in the groove over the next four days, and comfortably dispatched Asashoryu in their regulation bout on the final day. It left both yokozuna with 14-1 records and set up a winner-take-all showdown.

The momentum seemed to be in Hakuho's favor. But, just like in his bout with Harumafuji, the yokozuna seemed to lose his killer instinct when it mattered.

Although he initially got through Asa's defenses, Hakuho was unable to capitalize on his right arm position and found himself easily shunted out to a defeat. It shattered his quest to win four straight basho for the first time and stopped him from becoming the first yokozuna performing the Shiranui-style ring ceremony to win 10 Emperor's Cups.

"I wanted to go out hard," Hakuho said in the dressing room as Asa lapped up the applause during his victory interview. "Maybe I was a bit tense. I've some things to work on."

The titles weren't the only thing Hakuho was forced to forego; the yokozuna's plans to hold his wedding depended on his lifting the Emperor's Cup. Although he registered his marriage in February 2007, the birth of his first child and the rigmarole of yokozuna promotion had delayed arranging a ceremony. Before the tournament, Hakuho admitted that "winning one more tournament [to get to double figures] would be the prefect prelude" for the wedding.

Although that aspiration is on hold for now, Hakuho hopes a new tachiai will help remedy the shortcomings that tripped him up in January. He is studying a technique known as the "gonosen" tachiai that, the story goes, legendary yokozuna Futabayama was the first to master.

The premise of gonosen is that even if your opponent blasts out of the blocks first, you get the advantage through better body position and lightning reflexes--a technique for grabbing the initiative that involves almost reading the opponent's mind to predict where he will strike.

Hakuho divulged he had been tinkering with the gonosen technique during an interview after a one-day tournament on Feb. 8, which he won after defeating ozeki Kotooshu in the final.

"I have been getting some tips from someone," he said. "Getting the timing right is very tricky, but I thought today would be a good day to try it out."

Hakuho often watches DVDs of Taiho, Futabayama--who won 69 straight bouts--and other great yokozuna to analyze their techniques. The secrets of the gonosen tachiai cannot be learned from just watching others, but the effort expended trying to achieve such a difficult technique will serve Hakuho well.

From March 2009 issue

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Interesting article James.

The "gonosen" bit is interesting. I'm guessing it comes from this sort of martial arts concept:

go-no-sen: reactive timing

sen-no-sen (or sen-sen-no-sen): pre-emptive timing

go-no-sen-no-sen: interceptive timing.

[James H 0]

go-no-sen: reactive timing

sen-no-sen (or sen-sen-no-sen): pre-emptive timing

go-no-sen-no-sen: interceptive timing.

Wish you'd been around when we trying to work out what the hell it meant and how to translate it B-)

It is interesting though - the idea that Hakuho is taking sumo-do to a new level appeals to our idea that a yokozuna is head and shoulders above the rest - not just technique, but whole approach.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

I think it would be written 後の先 in Japanese. There is also an unofficial kata in judo with that name go-no-sen-no-kata. IIRC it is intended for countering throws and such. It sounds like Hakuho is practicing taichai where things don't go his way. He gets beat at tachiai...what should/could he do to counter or take away his opponent's advantage.

Edited May 15, 2009 by Otokonoyama