Preparations of the Y/O- Haru 2025

[Kintamayama 45,495]

Kotozakura the Kadoban has started training- he went to Tokitsukaze beya these last two days, facing Daieishou and Nishikigi. 19-3. Very rare for him to start before the Banzuke announcement. " If I start now, I can keep up my pace before the tournament. Last tournament? There's no point in dragging it out or thinking about it. I'm just preparing for the next tournament.." he said. Yesterday he had 15 bouts, today 22. "Taking it easy bears no fruit. I will be going all out and doing all I can, " he summed.

Edited February 12 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 45,495]

Yokozuna Houshouryuu (get used to it..) trained at home against Meisei and visiting Mitakeumi. 15-1. "I'm done now with the noise and am ready to concentrate on sumo. Training is the most important thing, " he declared. He looked as sharp as ever. "This is good, I think. Something has changed since I became Yokozuna. It could be my imagination, but I think I've been doing this with more confidence. I'm pretty sure I will be quite nervous in my Yokozuna debut basho. Whatever happens, I will go with my sumo till the end. To that end, I shall keep on training," he also said. 

Edited February 14 by Kintamayama

[Jabbamaru 167]

Hoshouryuuu will be a great yokozuna

[Kintamayama 45,495]

Kadoban Ozeki Kotozakura will be competing in Haru for the first time as a kadoban rikishi. Today, he had 21 matches against new Sekiwake Ouhou and Maegashira 1 Wakamotoharu, who came for degeiko.at the Sadogatake lodgings in Matsubara City, Osaka, and won 17 of them. "Even when I lost, I was on the offensive, and I fought well. There's one week left. I think I can do well." In the last tournament, when he was on a Yokozuna run, he had 5 wins and 10 losses, but he emphasized, "It's over now. I have no choice but to look at that experience as a necessary piece of the puzzle and take it in a positive way." Ouhou, who had 12 bouts, did not do as well as he had hoped. "My body was moving well, but I still lost because of my poor footwork at the tachiai. I need to improve from here," he said, tightening his resolve.

Edited March 1 by Kintamayama

[Yamanashi 3,903]

2 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

I need to improve from here," he said, tightening his resolve.

If he has to bow out of the Haru basho due to injuries from an over-tightened resolve, we'll all know who to blame.

[Kintamayama 45,495]

1 hour ago, Yamanashi said:

If he has to bow out of the Haru basho due to injuries from an over-tightened resolve, we'll all know who to blame.

Or a heightened tension.

[Kintamayama 45,495]

The Nishonoseki rengo keiko was held today, which ended with a 15 bout face off between the two Ozeki, which ended with  a 9-6 win by Oonosato.”It was great keiko,” was said. 

Kotosakura, who welcomes the Grand Sumo Spring Venue (the first day of the 9th, Edion Arena Osaka), said, "It's not about winning or losing, but I was able to take sumo while attacking. Well, it's a flow," he said, showing a full-handed expression, said Google Translate, pretty goodly.

Edited March 2 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 45,495]

Ozeki Kotozakura who will be in his first kadoban status this basho, had  19 bouts (13-6 overall) against Sekiwake Daieishou, Sekiwake Ouhou and others who came for degeiko at his heya in Matsubara City, Osaka today. He was pushed out a few times by Maegashira 2 Gounoyama (4-4 against him) who was pushing forward as usual, and there was a scene where he stomped his left foot, which had a supporter wrapped around his knee, on the ring in frustration and swore out loud. ``I don't think about whether (the training content) is good or bad. I just face each day as it comes.'' He seems to be accepting his own condition and intends to face the first day, saying, ``I will prepare and do what I can. I will respond to what I can.'' Last year, he won his first championship at the Kyushu basho with 14 wins, but last basho, when he had his first Yokozuna run, he unexpectedly lost 10. He has experienced both highs and lows in the past two tournaments. and will need to put aside those ups and downs and focus on the preparations with less than a week left, says the reporter.

Edited March 3 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 45,495]

New Yokozuna Houshouryuu trained today with rikishi from other stables for the first time since arriving in Osaka for Haru Basho, at his Tatsunami beya. He had 19 bouts with three makuuchi rikishi, Meisei, Oushouma and Takanoshou, winning 15 of them. He worked up a good sweat, checking his movements with quick attacks and head-on sumo, and commented, "It's as usual. My body could do with a bit more training." He also trained with a support on his right elbow. He revealed that he had hurt himself on the final day of the previous tournament and said, "I think I'm fine." Oushouma made efforts to avoid being caught on the belt, and went 3-5 against Houshouryuu, saying, "I was able to train well, and was happy to be able to borrow his chest.."

Edited March 4 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 45,495]

Houshouryuu went for his first degeiko as a Yokozuna to the  Tokitsukaze Ichimon rengo keiko held at Otowayama beya in Higashi-ku, Sakai City, where he went 9-4 against  Ozeki Oonosato. He looked good, having a total of 20 bouts, and commented, "Oonosato is strong and this was great keiko. I'm feeling good." Houshouryuu, who was taking part in his first degeiko before the tournament, was not aware that Oonosato would be there as well and said, "I was lucky. I wanted to face him, so this was my chance." The match up was even until the middle of the bouts, with Houshouryuu losing to his opponent's de-ashi, but he showed his presence by winning six bouts in a row at the end. He unleashed a powerful right nodowa, and he didn't seem to have any major problems with his right elbow, which was bandaged.

 

[Kintamayama 45,495]

Houshouryuu went to Arashio beya for degeiko, facing the likes of Daieishou, Wakamotoharu, Wakatakakage and Tobizaru. 16 bouts, 15 wins. "I wanted to hit stronger than the others.." he said, going for some low tachiai by pushing and showing excellent belt work. His only loss came in his 14th bout, to Wakatakakage. "I was going for a zensho.. I was lower and though he'd go for a pull down..The elbow? No more problems, just pondering if to wear a bandage or not.." he said later (had one on today). Two days ago he had food poisoning and accordingly, the rushes. "I'm fine now. I ate as usual even though I had diarehoweveryouspell it- I didn't want to lose weight," he divulged.

Edited March 5 by Kintamayama

[Shikona 168]

On 03/03/2025 at 16:04, Kintamayama said:

he stomped his left foot, which had a supporter wrapped around his knee

I know the fans are always impressed by shiko, but isn't this getting a little too up-close and personal?

[RussReimroc 13]

First the elbow, then food poisoning! I hope he's in OK shape for the first day. (sweating)

[Octofuji 368]

18 hours ago, Shikona said:

I know the fans are always impressed by shiko, but isn't this getting a little too up-close and personal?

In my early days of following sumo I was mystified by a tweet from Herouth saying that Hakuho dipped his supporters in tea. 

I'd never heard that term for bandage before, and the only way I could interpret it was that he somehow had little biscuit models of his fans and dunked them in his tea!

[just_some_guy 284]

8 hours ago, Octofuji said:

In my early days of following sumo I was mystified by a tweet from Herouth saying that Hakuho dipped his supporters in tea. 

I'd never heard that term for bandage before, and the only way I could interpret it was that he somehow had little biscuit models of his fans and dunked them in his tea! 

Voodoo snacks.

[Kintamayama 45,495]

In Japanese, it's supporter as well, but pronounced sapoutaaa  ｻﾎﾟｰﾀｰ