Ozeki Preparations - March 2010

[Kintamayama 45,526]

Ozeki KaioU held a press conference celebrating his 100th basho in Makuuchi. "I say to myself that I have finally reached that 100 basho landmark. I have a sense of achievement.. Last year at this point I was thinking a lot that I'd make it to 100 if I survived the year. It was my objective. I wonder how long I will continue doing sumo. I guess I better start to think about my "next" life.. Still, it's not over yet. I'll concentrate on clearing one basho at a time, without setting any long-term objectives..", he explained.

U:

Edited March 2, 2010 by Kintamayama

[Gusoyama 104]

So he fully admits he's in survival mode, with no expectations to do anything other than make it to the next basho. Good to know.

[Asashosakari 19,654]

Am I the only one who did a double-take at Kaio's admission that he considers the 100 makuuchi basho an achievement (and previously an objective to strive for), after the makuuchi wins record was always brushed off as not all that important? Athletes...

[Fay 1,677]

Am I the only one who did a double-take at Kaio's admission that he considers the 100 makuuchi basho an achievement (and previously an objective to strive for), after the makuuchi wins record was always brushed off as not all that important? Athletes...

All the time we asked him he said, oh is that true ...., 100 makuuchi basho ....., I didn't know it could be sooo much ...., well I didn't even think about it ... it's not so important ...all said with a big grin on the face

[Gusoyama 104]

If you think about it, that's the ONLY reason he's gotta be sticking around, for the records. Why punish your body for 2 weeks if you know you aren't relevant? Maybe the salary, but at this point in his life, he's gotta be pretty comfortable financially.

[Flohru 176]

So he fully admits he's in survival mode, with no expectations to do anything other than make it to the next basho. Good to know.

Well, I guess that just shows that he is reasonable, because anything else would be completely unrealistic given his age and health, wouldn't it? I rather appreciate a comment like that than him telling the public that he is aiming for Yokozuna during the next two years.

If you think about it, that's the ONLY reason he's gotta be sticking around, for the records. Why punish your body for 2 weeks if you know you aren't relevant? Maybe the salary, but at this point in his life, he's gotta be pretty comfortable financially.

Uhm, Kaio is the highest ranked Japanese rikishi next basho, he is fighting against the best rikishi in the world, hundreds of fans are out there cheering for him every day, what exactly do you mean with Kaio being not relevant?? Agreed, he is not going to fight for a Yusho or a Yokozuna promotion anymore, but if Kaio is "not relevant" in your opinion than I really don't know who is out of the hundreds of rikishi except those competing for top-divison honours?

And well, if you think about it, last basho Kaio was quite relevant for the outcome of the Makuuchi division when he defeated Hakuho on Day 13...

[Sokkenaiyama 81]

And well, if you think about it, last basho Kaio was quite relevant for the outcome of the Makuuchi division when he defeated Hakuho on Day 13...

Yeah, at least it looks good on paper.

[Andreas 0]

I mentally dubbed Kaio "the yokozuna of hearts" since he is the great old man of the current active rikishi... if it was possible, Id make him "yokozuna h.c." after his retirement.

[Doitsuyama 1,192]

Kaio is the highest ranked Japanese rikishi next basho

This got me wondering who was the last highest ranked Japanese rikishi older than Kaio now. I set the following rule for that task: The rikishi must be highest ranked Japanese (of course) and the last day of appearance is counting (usually senshuraku, but no-shows and fusenpai doesn't count).

Kaio is the oldest in more than 78 years and I found only three rikishi older than Kaio since 1909 with a surprising leader:

1) Onosato, 39 years 6 months in 1931.10 (Ozeki like Kaio)

2) Tachiyama, 39 years 5 months in 1917.01 (this guy had amazingly few losses even at advanced age)

3) Hitachiyama, 39 years 0 months in 1913.01

4) Kaio, 37 years 8 months in 2010.03 (if he appears on day 11 or later)

5) Haguroyama, 37 years 7 months in 1952.05

6) Minanogawa, 37 years 6 months in 1941.05

7) Nishinoumi, 36 years 6 months in 1927.05

8) Yoshibayama, 36 years 3 months in 1956.05

[Asashosakari 19,654]

a surprising leader

And he only quit due to the Shunjuen incident, although perhaps he wasn't going to be the highest-ranked Japanese rikishi again anyway. His Wikipedia article paints him as a highly popular and respected character, BTW. (Nice picture on the DB, too.)

[shumitto 418]

Tomozuna Beya website:

"Message to fans from overseas

......

With your support, I will be still more motivated to succeed as a sumo wrestler and become a Yokozuna (top rank).

I am determined to do my utmost!"

But in the Japanese version there is no such imbecility.

[Fay 1,677]

Tomozuna Beya website:

"Message to fans from overseas

......

With your support, I will be still more motivated to succeed as a sumo wrestler and become a Yokozuna (top rank).

I am determined to do my utmost!"

But in the Japanese version there is no such imbecility.

It's more imbecile to appoint such a statement as imbecility.

[shumitto 418]

"Another thing that makes people stupid is they don

[Sokkenaiyama 81]

That almost sounds like an apology.

[Fay 1,677]

That almost sounds like an apology.

Yes I guess it is (Chucking salt...).

[shumitto 418]

I should be clear here so as to avoid any more confusions. Brief collocations are not enough

"With your support, I will be still more motivated to succeed as a sumo wrestler and become a Yokozuna (top rank)."

Who is this amphigory meant to convince ?

1. A novice ? deceiving, though it would not survive a second look at whatever site. It cannot be this.

2. anyone else ? well, anyone else would think this was written by someone withdrawn from the actual world, someone who would say Michael Jordan will be MVP next season, Romario will be top goalscorer in the next WC (no, not that fixture for you know what) ... and who would be this person if not a mentally impaired human being (now being politically correct) ?

And if it is not meant to convince, it is simply overpraise ? foooooooolish anyway.

The Japanese version doesn't have it, why the English one should ?

Edited March 4, 2010 by shumitto

[Fay 1,677]

I should be clear here so as to avoid any more confusions. Brief collocations are not enough

"With your support, I will be still more motivated to succeed as a sumo wrestler and become a Yokozuna (top rank)."

Who is this amphigory meant to convince ?

1. A novice ? deceiving, though it would not survive a second look at whatever site. It cannot be this.

2. anyone else ? well, anyone else would think this was written by someone withdrawn from the actual world, someone who would say Michael Jordan will be MVP next season, Romario will be top goalscorer in the next WC (no, not that fixture for you know what) ... and who would be this person if not a mentally impaired human being (now being politically correct) ?

And if it is not meant to convince, it is simply overpraise ? foooooooolish anyway.

The Japanese version doesn't have it, why the English one should ?

Perhaps I should enlighten you a bit as I'm responsible for the Tomozuna website with the authorization of Tomozuna Beya. When we started, Tomozuna Beya suggested some greeting words from the Ozeki and the Oyakata to demonstrate that they also care for their foreign fans. That's why you don't find it in the japanese version.

What else do you expect Kaio to say? That he isn't motivated to do sumo and succeed in the basho and he only is there for the money? That he doesn't aim for Yokozuna anymore. If his aim is realistic or not, it's still his wish to achieve it.

A bit more respect for what Kaio's done and achieved wouldn't be such a tall order or?

Edited March 4, 2010 by Fay

[shumitto 418]

Well, I was going to rectify the "imbecile" because it is not an apropriate way to refer to the one who wrote that when I bumped into your reply.

I understand your burst of anger and fully acknowledge my responsibility for that, however, you could have called it impolite and rude, but dragging it the way you did just prompted me to keep it going.

Although this has been the most visited topic awhile, I'm sorry for the visitors who have seen this.

Discussions in this forum tend to be polite and I will not be the one to turn it otherwise.

[HenryK 38]

Perhaps I should enlighten you a bit as I'm responsible for the Tomozuna website with the authorization of Tomozuna Beya.

Ach daher weht der Wind! (Chucking salt...) :-) (Applauding...)

[Kintamayama 45,526]

Harumafuji went for degeiko to Tokitsukaze beya today- 18 bouts ,no results given, only that he was 4-4 against Kakuryuu and was seen being pushed back a lot. "Not there yet. My tachi-ai is lacking. I'll be improving it gradually with keiko," he said. Asked about Asashouryuu : "No comment".

[Kintamayama 45,526]

What else do you expect Kaio to say? That he isn't motivated to do sumo and succeed in the basho and he only is there for the money? That he doesn't aim for Yokozuna anymore. If his aim is realistic or not, it's still his wish to achieve it.

One small question- Did he actually say that? And if he did, why is it not true for the Japanese version as well? I don't see any problem with an active Ozeki saying he wants to become Yokozuna, even if he's 50 years old and fighting on one leg. I am curious as to why it's OK for only one part of his fans to read.

Edited March 5, 2010 by Kintamayama

[Treblemaker 254]

What else do you expect Kaio to say? That he isn't motivated to do sumo and succeed in the basho and he only is there for the money? That he doesn't aim for Yokozuna anymore. If his aim is realistic or not, it's still his wish to achieve it.

One small question- Did he actually say that? And if he did, why is it not true for the Japanese version as well? I don't see any problem with an active Ozeki saying he wants to become Yokozuna, even if he's 50 years old and fighting on one leg. I am curious as to why it's OK for only one part of his fans to read.

Why is everyone bumping and grinding over what is, after all, a simple publicity statement? What else can Kaio say? He's done it all, won a tournament, become an Ozeki, has records under his belt, still has the energy and skill to continue long after most of his contemporaries have retired, and is almost old enough to remember Kennedy being shot.

The only thing he hasn't done is become a Yok. To make a statement like he has isn't a sign of senility. And there's always an outside chance that, while he's still active and has that destructive armbar move in his arsenal, he might put a couple of significant bashos together and be considered for promotion.

Don't forget... (as I pointed out in the other group) the landscape at the top is very different now that Asa and Taikai are gone and new people are on the rise. It looked much different last time Asa didn't start a basho. All the obligatory 13-14 Asa wins have to go somewhere. Hak has shown he has exploitable cracks in his armour, and HF, Osh and Baruto will be beating each other up. There is a window (granted, a very slim, longshot one) for Kaio to string a couple of very good basho together and out of respect and admiration for his efforts, don't think he won't be considered for the next level. Granted, his track record of 8-7's doesn't show very well, but if he starts getting 10-5's, or an occasional 11-4, who knows? I don't think he's anywhere near finished, barring injury. Might be just the surprise, happy ending to the story that everyone feels good about.

[Washuyama 641]

I have to agree with the trebled one here. Although there's a difference in age... I keep thinking back to the likes of Mienoumi and/or Kotozakura wo made Yokozuna late. (Mienoumi was only 31, but looked older and was one of the older rikishi in Makuuchi at the time). Agreed it's almost certain not to happen, but you never say never..

[Fay 1,677]

What else do you expect Kaio to say? That he isn't motivated to do sumo and succeed in the basho and he only is there for the money? That he doesn't aim for Yokozuna anymore. If his aim is realistic or not, it's still his wish to achieve it.

One small question- Did he actually say that? And if he did, why is it not true for the Japanese version as well? I don't see any problem with an active Ozeki saying he wants to become Yokozuna, even if he's 50 years old and fighting on one leg. I am curious as to why it's OK for only one part of his fans to read.

There simply is no such thing as a general greeting and statement to the fans on the japanese site, as well as no message from the Oyakata. So when we started, 3/4 years ago, the heya and we asked him to say some greeting words to the foreign fans.

The japanese Kaio fans I know take it for granted that he still has this aim, although they might not expect his wish to come true. He also has other media in Japan to communicate with his fans and he made and makes this statement on every senshuraku party.

[Kintamayama 45,526]

Harumafuji and Kotooushuu were at the Tatsunami Ichimon rengo keiko, together with Hakuhou. They were 4-7 in their combined efforts against him. Harumafuji had 17 bouts in all, while Osh had 14. "I had great keiko with various people.. I hope I get more opportunities like this!", said Kotooushuu.