Yumitori-shiki rikishi news

[Akinomaki 39,933]

A task for lower ranked rikishi is the yumitori-shiki. 2 are in charge of it, in case something happens. Usually rikishi from the heya of a yokozuna do this, since the dance was originally that of a winning yokozuna.
The main performer now is Satonofuji, from Harumafuji's heya, who did it for 3 years so far.
New to the task since the Fujisawa jungyo on the 9th is Kasugaryu, not from the heya but a tsukebito of Hakuho. He replaces heya-mate Mizuguchi.
All parts of the ceremony have a meaning: holding the bow in the middle and cutting through the air to purify the air, the gesture to dig into the dohyo to purify the soil from evil spirits. The shiko stamping in the end to solidify the dohyo again, that had been digged up.
Satonofuji about the movements, laughingly: "It's simple" - but actually it seems it's not, especially not for someone new to it: Kasugaryu was nervous, there was some confusion as he appeared in the hana-michi too early and other things: "I made a mistake!".
He had a try also in Kawasaki and Machida and: "I want to practice it also at the next jungyo"
http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/column/sumo/news/1635357.html
training on the asphalt outside


video of his 2nd try

On 14.4.2016 at 19:10, Akinomaki said:

Kawasaki
local Kasugayama-beya's Kasugaryu did the yumitori-shiki

Edited April 21, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Dapeng 232]

There was a curse about the yumitori: the rikishi who does yumitori would never be promoted to sekitori. This curse was broken some years ago.

[Nantonoyama 247]

There was a curse about the yumitori: the rikishi who does yumitori would never be promoted to sekitori. This curse was broken some years ago.

If I remeember well, the rikishi who broke the curse was Oga

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=247

[Akinomaki 39,933]

Tomoefuji is an earlier and more successful example

The list of all about 40-50(double entries, without Kasugaryu yet), with 8 who made it to sekitori: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BC%93%E5%8F%96%E5%BC%8F#.E5.BC.93.E5.8F.96.E3.82.8A.E5.8A.9B.E5.A3.AB

quite a good percentage

The curse thus is: a yumi-tori rikishi won't make it to ozeki - or if you see a big rank difference towards komusubi: to sekiwake

and: doing the yumitori-shiki doesn't really improve the chance of getting to sekitori

Edited April 22, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Orion 431]

Tomoefuji is an earlier and more successful example

The list of all about 40-50(double entries, without Kasugaryu yet), with 8 who made it to sekitori: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BC%93%E5%8F%96%E5%BC%8F#.E5.BC.93.E5.8F.96.E3.82.8A.E5.8A.9B.E5.A3.AB

quite a good percentage

The curse thus is: a yumi-tori rikishi won't make it to ozeki - or if you see a big rank difference towards komusubi: to sekiwake

and: doing the yumitori-shiki doesn't really improve the chance of getting to sekitori

And of course (did anybody mention this?) the yumitori-shiki man waits in the middle at the back until the final winner is declared, then he goes around to that side and gets up on the winner's side.

Orion

[Dapeng 232]

There was a curse about the yumitori: the rikishi who does yumitori would never be promoted to sekitori. This curse was broken some years ago.

If I remeember well, the rikishi who broke the curse was Oga

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=247

Sure. Newspapers reported his promotion and claimed that he broke the curse "yumitorishiki man unable reaching jurio".

[Washuyama 635]

And of course (did anybody mention this?) the yumitori-shiki man waits in the middle at the back until the final winner is declared, then he goes around to that side and gets up on the winner's side.

Orion

THIS is why I love this Forum... I've been an avid fan of sumo for over 40 years and I still find myself learning something new almost weekly! (I am not worthy...)

[Akinomaki 39,933]

Kasugaryu was nervous, there was some confusion as he appeared in the hana-michi too early and other things: "I made a mistake!".

Instead of waiting who'd be declared the winner, he surely was already standing ready on Hakuho's side.

If that were to happen at a honbasho, one who knows the rule might say "The bout was fixed".

Edited April 24, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Kishinoyama 582]

Kasugaryu was nervous, there was some confusion as he appeared in the hana-michi too early and other things: "I made a mistake!".

Instead of waiting who'd be declared the winner, he surely was already standing ready on Hakuho's side.

If that were to happen at a honbasho, one who knows the rule might say "The bout was fixed".

That is going to happen anyway. ;-)

[Akinomaki 39,933]

Satonofuji did judo from 4th grade to high school. The father of a classmate introduced him to (not yet) Isegahama-oyakata (Asahifuji) and he entered the then Ajigawa-beya as Asatofuji. Small, but with his excellent counter-sumo (6 utchari, 14! izori, 7 tasukizori, 2 ippon-zeoi) he made it to makushita for one basho. Later he dropped the leading Ajigawa A from his shikona and inserted a katakana "no" to meet the new Isegahama format. With the yokozuna promotion of Harumafuji 4 years ago, the oyakata sent him to do the yumitori-shiki. Though usually rikishi change after 1-3 years, he's still THE bow performer at the main basho, and at his home jungyo basho in Takasaki (he's from adjacent Yoshioka-town) he got quite some oh!s from the spectators for his twirling.

Satonofuji turned 40 at this his home jungyo and in recent years has lost stamina and muscle power, having him drop to jonidan frequently. But he wants to continue this task: "The bow-twirling ceremony comes with the responsibility to conclude the day. I want to continue to do it and also want to fight at the torikumi with all my power to avoid losing to the young rikishi." http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK4K73TQK4KUHNB00S.html

On 16.4.2017 at 13:36, Akinomaki said:

o the intai of Hokutoryu made him the 6th oldest active rikishi. http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2017/04/16/kiji/20170416s00005000077000c.html

On 22.4.2016 at 13:56, Akinomaki said:

New to the task since the Fujisawa jungyo on the 9th is Kasugaryu, not from the heya but a tsukebito of Hakuho. He replaces heya-mate Mizuguchi.

Satonofuji about the movements, laughingly: "It's simple"

Soon there should be one from Tagonoura (or another from Kisenosato's side) joining the yumitori team - I don't remember any mentioned for Kakuryu.

Edited April 21, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Yubinhaad 11,573]

1 hour ago, Akinomaki said:

Soon there should be one from Tagonoura (or another from Kisenosato's side) joining the yumitori team

In Kashiwa yesterday it was performed by Sadogatake-beya's Kotootori, from the same ichimon, seen here rehearsing:

Edited April 21, 2017 by Yubinhaad

[Akinomaki 39,933]

Kotootori performed the yumitori-shiki at the Tottori jungyo-basho on the 26th. In the video he first waits in the back, comes in with the bow, puts it down for the yobidashi and goes to sit at the shomen dohyo side during the shikiri of the final bout, to step up onto the dohyo from the winner side afterwards. The yobidashi brings the bow to the tate-gyoji, who hands it to the performer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWsDN4qCJ5c

Edited October 28, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Kintamayama 44,470]

Yumitorishiki-man? You gotta be kidding. It's the yumitorikishi. Come on.

Edited October 28, 2017 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 44,470]

On 4/21/2017 at 16:35, Yubinhaad said:

In Kashiwa yesterday it was performed by Sadogatake-beya's Kotootori, from the same ichimon, seen here rehearsing:

 

Me explaining to him how to do it:

 

[Gurowake 3,942]

How many of those Kotoo(u)shu(u) shirts are there?  Do most Ozeki have mass-produced shirts bearing their shikona like that?

[Kintamayama 44,470]

8 hours ago, Gurowake said:

How many of those Kotoo(u)shu(u) shirts are there?  Do most Ozeki have mass-produced shirts bearing their shikona like that?

You can usually buy one at the KKan. That's where I got it back then. IIRC, all O/Ys had their teeshirts.

[Akinomaki 39,933]

8 hours ago, Gurowake said:

How many of those Kotoo(u)shu(u) shirts are there?  Do most Ozeki have mass-produced shirts bearing their shikona like that?

For yokozuna and ozeki these simple types with just the shikona are on sale in the kokugikan - I got one of the Kotooshu ones Natsu 3 years ago - after he retired, but they still had some - now they are no longer on sale there. They are also the cheapest rikishi t-shirts, black on white or gold on black and only in 2 sizes

Edited October 31, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,933]

I see that now also Endo and Ichinojo are available, you can order them on the kokugikan shop site, no need to go to the kokugikan

http://shop.kokugikan.jp/?pid=101711042

 

Edited October 31, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,933]

I now realize that I don't have the same t-shirt like I thought I had - I have the one with his final shikona writing: with 洲 for shuu, not the initial 州 that he still used when he became ozeki http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=2830&l=j

The old type must be quite rare now

Edited October 31, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Kintamayama 44,470]

1 minute ago, Akinomaki said:

I now realize that I don't have the same t-shirt like I thought I had - I have the one with his final shikona writing: with 洲 for shuu, not the initial 州 that he still used when he became ozeki http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=2830&l=j

The old type must be quite rare now

You mean the one I'm wearing in the picture? Rare?

[Akinomaki 39,933]

9 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

You mean the one I'm wearing in the picture? Rare?

Yes, it likely was on sale for only one year, while the one I have was on sale 7 years or more - and there was no sumo boom in the old days

Edited October 31, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,933]

On 3/5/2018 at 20:20, Akinomaki said:

At the Umekita basho, Kotootori was the yumitori-shiki performer, with the kesho mawashi which Kotoeko had used that day at the dohyo-iri, and an oicho-mage, while all sekitori performed with simply a chon-mage - only Goeido had an oicho prepared

another video of the yumitori-shiki https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3dTfz6bLQk

In earlier posts here, Kotootori and Kasugaryu are shown as performers at the jungyo. It was planned that the usual hon-basho performer Satonofuji would do it a last time this basho, but the switch to Kasugaryu as the new regular was brought forward in a hurry.

On 3/9/2018 at 15:45, Yubinhaad said:

It seems Nakagawa-beya's Kasugaryu will perform the yumitori-shiki this basho, taking over from Satonofuji. Kasugaryu has twirled the bow at jungyo events before but this will be his honbasho debut.

At the age of 33 years and 9 months, Kasugaryu will be the the third-oldest rikishi to become yumitori-shiki performer in the modern era. Satonofuji was the oldest, beginning his reign at 35 years and 8 months.

Kasugaryu only did this at the 2 jungyo in Kawasaki so far, where his now Nakagawa-beya is located

On 3/12/2018 at 11:49, Akinomaki said:

the first final bow twirling ceremony at a main basho for Kasugaryu

o

The custom is, that a tsukebito of a yokozuna performs this, Satonofuji was one of Harumafuji of course

On 4/22/2016 at 13:56, Akinomaki said:

New to the task since the Fujisawa jungyo on the 9th is Kasugaryu, not from the heya but a tsukebito of Hakuho. He replaces heya-mate Mizuguchi.

So likely Kotootori is a tsukebito of Kisenosato - I still haven't heard of a tsukebito of Kakuryu preparing for this, but he may well turn out to be the last yokozuna standing, so one of his may be start practicing soon.

 

Kasuguryu was of course quite nervous, having to start this task without proper preparation. After day 1: "My head went blank." On day 2 he felt the urge to go to the toilet just before the final bout, where he already has to sit at the dohyo. He hesitated if he should go or endure it, but there was also that kesho-mawashi he's not used to and he got admonished by a sewa-nin to endure. After day 3: "The slow rising is still a problem, but a lot of people give me advice and I'm grateful for that." http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/column/sumo/news/201803140000198.html

with the tozai-kai kesho mawashi for Osaka, Shikimori Kandayu is the gyoji, yobidashi Jiro

[yutarotanaka 104]

I did notice the new bow twirler to be a bit twitchy and anxious at the background of the sumo coverage when he's at ringside getting ready for his performance for the first few days. Scratching here and there, looking for the nearest exit and he has this look on his face that plainly says "What the hell did I get myself into". It's quite a daunting task especially when everyone is focused on you. The last bow twirler was really cool, calm and collected when he performs the bow twirling and it's kind of overwhelming I'd imagine to live up to your predecessor's badass-ness. He'd refine his technique eventually.

[Churaumi 728]

So, did they change since Isegahamabeya has no yokozuna, or was it just time?

Edited August 10, 2018 by Churaumi
Autocorrect is less helpful than you’d think.

[Benihana 1,905]

I'll miss his style and his fabulous eyebrows.