New Egyptian recruit- Oosunaarashi

[Igordemorais 75]

His center of gravity is waaaaaaaaay too high. Weak legs, low flexibility so far. His legs are long too, that's a problem.

[Dr.Radical 16]

I don't know about how his body type lends to sumo, but I do know that he's going to get a rude awakening in juryo. Brute strength can only get you so far. Can't wait until he goes up against someone like Hakuho or Harumafuji. Anyone remember some of those earlier Asashoryu/Baruto matches? Good stuff!

[Jakusotsu 6,049]

His center of gravity is waaaaaaaaay too high. Weak legs, low flexibility so far. His legs are long too, that's a problem.

Ever heard of Akebono?

[Orion 431]

His center of gravity is waaaaaaaaay too high. Weak legs, low flexibility so far. His legs are long too, that's a problem.

Ever heard of Akebono?

Akebono had a stablemaster, Azumazeki (ex-Takamiyama) who himself had longish legs and had to learn to lower his hips and bring down his center of gravity. He paid special attention to this when he was bringing up Akenbono, who once told me it would have taken him a lot longer if he had had a Japanese master.

Orion

[dingo 1,294]

His center of gravity is waaaaaaaaay too high. Weak legs, low flexibility so far. His legs are long too, that's a problem.

Ever heard of Akebono?

Also Kotooshu. He's taaaaall.

And as Baruto showed, brute force can get you to the top of maegashira... Before you get a severe injury that follows you the rest of your career. :(

[krindel 675]

I would guess it all depends on the amount of brute force you can summon. Baruto is super-strong, I don't think Osunaarashi has this level of strength.

And it has to be all-over brute force, so Osunaarashi will definitely need to work on his lower body strength to make it match his upper body if he is to move forward.

[Asashosakari 19,667]

I was going to say, "but Kotooshu was a yotsu-centric rikishi right from the start, so he's not really comparable", but that would have been complete bunk...he had no less than 7 tsukidashi victories in his first three basho. (And only 3 more tsukidashi ever since!) Osunaarashi is "suffering" from the same phenomenon so far - he's been overwhelming his opponents so massively and so quickly that it's hard to discern what his favoured style is ultimately going to be. I don't think it's going to be Baruto-style brute force, though. People who've watched him in keiko probably have a better grasp for now.

In any case, figuring that out is exactly why they have the lower divisions and don't just throw strong-looking guys right into juryo, so it's not like there's any need for concern at the moment.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Asashosakari

[Dr.Radical 16]

His center of gravity is waaaaaaaaay too high. Weak legs, low flexibility so far. His legs are long too, that's a problem.

Ever heard of Akebono?

Also Kotooshu. He's taaaaall.

And as Baruto showed, brute force can get you to the top of maegashira... Before you get a severe injury that follows you the rest of your career. :(

I'm still not quite sure how well Baruto would have done at the top vs. rikishi like Asashoryu or Hakuho. Even before his injury, Asashoryu would manhandle him. I guess part of the problem with rising so fast is that you don't really have time to develop your technique so the possibility of hitting a wall in makuuchi becomes more likely.

[kuroimori 1,634]

His center of gravity is waaaaaaaaay too high. Weak legs, low flexibility so far. His legs are long too, that's a problem.

Ever heard of Akebono?

Also Kotooshu. He's taaaaall.

And as Baruto showed, brute force can get you to the top of maegashira... Before you get a severe injury that follows you the rest of your career. :(

I'm still not quite sure how well Baruto would have done at the top vs. rikishi like Asashoryu or Hakuho. Even before his injury, Asashoryu would manhandle him. I guess part of the problem with rising so fast is that you don't really have time to develop your technique so the possibility of hitting a wall in makuuchi becomes more likely.

Ahem... well Dr. Radical, I don't get the hypothetical thing here - did I miss the first Estonian intai? because he actually DID face both Asashoryu & Hakuho quite a few times and yes, up to now he did not do too well against as his records against Asashoryu & Hakuho clearly show.

I must miss something in your post... right?

Edited September 25, 2012 by kuroimori

[Kintamayama 45,530]

Oosunaarashi has graduated from the sumo training institute today. "I enjoyed every minute of it. Now that I will have more free time I can do more keiko," he declared. According to his shisho Ootake Oyakata, his reading and writing skills leave much to be desired and Dewanoumi Oyakata (in charge of the Institute) asked that the Oyakata help him to continue his studies at the heya. Oosunaarashi has his first "real" loss last basho. "It was regrettable. I want to become stronger," he said. He plans on going for degeiko from the beginning of next week.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Kintamayama

[Dr.Radical 16]

His center of gravity is waaaaaaaaay too high. Weak legs, low flexibility so far. His legs are long too, that's a problem.

Ever heard of Akebono?

Also Kotooshu. He's taaaaall.

And as Baruto showed, brute force can get you to the top of maegashira... Before you get a severe injury that follows you the rest of your career. :(

I'm still not quite sure how well Baruto would have done at the top vs. rikishi like Asashoryu or Hakuho. Even before his injury, Asashoryu would manhandle him. I guess part of the problem with rising so fast is that you don't really have time to develop your technique so the possibility of hitting a wall in makuuchi becomes more likely.

Ahem... well Dr. Radical, I don't get the hypothetical thing here - did I miss the first Estonian intai? because he actually DID face both Asashoryu & Hakuho quite a few times and yes, up to now he did not do too well against as his records against Asashoryu & Hakuho clearly show.

I must miss something in your post... right?

Unless I misunderstood the post, the poster before me was suggesting that had Baruto not been injured, his brute force would have carried him farther. I was simply saying that that would probably not be the case as his pre-injury bouts against Hakuho and Asashoryu showed that his strength was clearly not enough.

[ilovesumo 12]

Dear Forumers,

As you know, Mr. Gadd and me, Verena Hopp, brought Osunaarashi to Japan in 2011. From that time on he fought on his own.

We had help from several other wonderful people, like Mr. Gunning, Nishikido Oyakata, Komatsuryu Dojo, Mr. Hoshi - a friend of mine who wrote the invitation to Japan, Asakusa Smile, ...many many great people.

To me, the whole trip was a great learning experience. No matter how crazy a dream might be, you can reach it by working hard and with the help of others. If you help enough others to get what they want, you will also reach what you want. And - you gotta ignore the Naysayers.

This is what I teach my youngsters now, who study Japanese at Tokyo Riverside School. All foreigners who want to make it in Japan. Cannot even explain what a great work that is...helping young kids to reach their goals is the greatest gift of all. Thank you God.

When Abdelrahman introduced himself and the wish to become a Rikishi in Japan, I just had been back from my field research, writing my M.A. thesis about Contemporary Sumo, made contacts being important until this date...had been the right timing. Now looking back, its almost 4 years ago...how time flies...but what are 4 years? I became a member of this forum in 2002, had been a member of the German forum even earlier. I was a kid of 13, watching Sumo for the first time...Without all the work people who provide information put into this forum, all these hours, so much heart, nothing would have ever been possible. Thank you Forumers, from the bottom of my heart.

Yesterday I wrote an SMS to Otake Oyakata, and handed over a letter to a Rikishi of Nishikido, thanking them. Had been such a great journey so far, and yet it is just the beginning, since we are all still so young. So much more to come.

No more words needed.

Just had been interviewed about it 2 weeks ago...

https://hoploblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/sieben-fragen-an-verena-hopp/

Congratulations Osunaarashi, don't ever forget about the dream. I see you as Yokozuna. No doubt.

Thank you God, thank you all.

Yours,

Verena

....kinda overwhelmed

.

[shumitto 418]

Nice interview.

I liked your comments - in the last paragraph - about foreigners and how Japan could profit more if they were more open to change. But isn't this proposal, despite its universalistic claims, a very European, and as a consequence non-Japanese, way of looking at the other and dealing with the difference ? (I am just throwing out a question that popped up in my mind right now, don't bother to answer it)

Anyway, congratulations on helping Osunaarashi get there.

[ilovesumo 12]

He trained hard and developed, tought by his Oyakata and other Sumo-people. They all did a great job.

I am thankful to everybody and wish him a great future.

Not wanting to go OT.

As people are different, so are their views. We all should also be open to other views and respect each other, this is what I wanted to say. Some views do not work for a particular person, that is reality.

[kawika 123]

i had the pleasure of bumping into him outside Kokugikan yesterday, and was able to stop and congratulate him, he was all smiles!!!!

[ilovesumo 12]

That's him, :-)

Senshuraku party was as him,,, :-) :-) :-)

Edited May 26, 2013 by ilovesumo