Ouga

[Kintamayama 44,635]

The Yumitorikishi Ouga (Takasago) won his 5th in Makushita, as we have read, and has a good chance of promotion.. But will he continue twirling the bow when he becomes a Sekitori? According to him, he will. "I'm relieved. I'm glad that after I got my KK, I wasn't nervous at all.. I'd like to do the twirling even if I'm in Juryo. Sitting so close to the dohyo every musubi- no -ichiban is good studying for me.."

He will be the first Sekitori since Haru 1975 (Itakura)to twirl.

Edited March 23, 2006 by Kintamayama

[Jonosuke 28]

But will he continue twirling the bow when he becomes a Sekitori? According to him, he will.

Nah...they'll get someone else. I hear Asashoryu is doing the special training every night (hey, is there a yumitori icon somewhere?)

[Kintamayama 44,635]

But will he continue twirling the bow when he becomes a Sekitori? According to him, he will.

Nah...they'll get someone else. I hear Asashoryu is doing the special training every night (hey, is there a yumitori icon somewhere?)

Actually. Ichinoya has been spotted turning in late every night.

[Kaihayaiha 0]

But will he continue twirling the bow when he becomes a Sekitori? According to him, he will.

Nah...they'll get someone else. I hear Asashoryu is doing the special training every night (hey, is there a yumitori icon somewhere?)

Actually. Ichinoya has been spotted turning in late every night.

i have a serious yumitori question... if the yumitori were to go kyujo with an injury serious enough to prohibit him from performing his yumitori duties is there a backup on hand who could step in on short notice that day?

[Guest Buyouzan]

But will he continue twirling the bow when he becomes a Sekitori? According to him, he will.

Nah...they'll get someone else. I hear Asashoryu is doing the special training every night (hey, is there a yumitori icon somewhere?)

Actually. Ichinoya has been spotted turning in late every night.

Hilarious. speaking of Ichinoya, here's a funny episode from his blog:

http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~wakamatu/

Asahanada, who has been wrestling well with 3 straight wins and had faced a bout that could decide his Kachikoshi on the 7th day, has a little bit of Takamisakari in him. The bout was a very close match near the edge, and the Gyoji had given the win the Asahanada, but there was a Monoii. Asahanada himself had thought the Gyoji had gave the win to his opponent and was waiting below the dohyou during the deliberations. So, when he heard through the loud speakers, "The decision has been reversed..." he immediately shouted very loudly, "YOSHAAA!! (yes!)" and being psyched, he walked up to the dohyo pounding and slapping all over his body and mawashi. And then he squated down for the winner's ritual but....the gyoji had his back towards Asahanada, and his opponent was also squating down. Finally, after seeing that, he became aware of the situation and stepped down from the dohyo. He says he was extremely embarrassed from the incident.

Edited March 24, 2006 by Buyouzan

[Asashosakari 18,958]

i have a serious yumitori question... if the yumitori were to go kyujo with an injury serious enough to prohibit him from performing his yumitori duties is there a backup on hand who could step in on short notice that day?

I have no real answer, but for what it's worth, Oga's predecessor Musashifuji is still an active rikishi, so presumably he could step in if needed. That's mostly a coincidence of history though, of course.

[Naganoyama 5,879]

Has a Yumifuri ever made it to Makuuchi (where he would of course be eligible to be tsuyu-harai/tachi-mochi)?

[aderechelsea 124]

this has been discussed before and examples of a couple of Makuuchi promoted yumifuris were mentioned. Someone even made it to sanyaku ...

i am sure someone who can use the "search" function better than me can dig that up ....

[Asashosakari 18,958]

Your wish is my command.

[aderechelsea 124]

thank you sir ..... someday you should teach me how to put to correct use that damn function.

[Naganoyama 5,879]

Thanks for that. So the next question is:

Did any yumifuri serve as Yokozuna attendant during the dohyo-iri?

[Jakusotsu 5,866]

Did any yumifuri serve as Yokozuna attendant during the dohyo-iri?

No. There's too much danger he'd get confused and twirls the sword.

[Kintamayama 44,635]

Did any yumifuri serve as Yokozuna attendant during the dohyo-iri?

No. There's too much danger he'd get confused and twirls the sword.

Or the Yokozuna.

[Babaryutaikai 1]

I may be wrong, but I thought the yumitori had to come from the Yokozuna's heya.

Also, I spotted Asashoryu running Asahanada through yumitori-style moves a couple of years ago. That would be a hoot. Asahanada is almost as blind as Takamisakari. And his antics on and off the dohyo can be hysterical. For a while, he was doing the Asashoryu-type slapping before tachiai and the Sakari-type psyching while sitting dohyo-side waiting for his match.

[Yubiquitoyama 4]

i have a serious yumitori question... if the yumitori were to go kyujo with an injury serious enough to prohibit him from performing his yumitori duties is there a backup on hand who could step in on short notice that day?

I have no real answer, but for what it's worth, Oga's predecessor Musashifuji is still an active rikishi, so presumably he could step in if needed. That's mostly a coincidence of history though, of course.

I doubt there is any special procedure for this, but rather from case to case.

During 1993 to 1995 there were a few cases where the bow-twirler was replaced mid-basho. From 1992.09 Takamiwaka of Akebono's Azumazeki-beya did the yumitori-shiki. However, several times he was replaced mid-basho for various reasons. The first two times, 1993.01 and 1993.05 Hokutoasahi, a former bow-twirler from Oshima-beya, replaced him despite Asahifuji having been long-since retired.

The next time, in 1994.07, Hokutoasahi (and any other former bow-twirler) was already retired and a replacement was found in Takaminishiki, also from Azumazeki-beya. In 1994.11 was the former replacement Takaminishiki kyujo, and this time a Futagoyama-rikishi (Wakakaze) took over the bow-twirling despite Takanohana not yet having been crowned Yokozuna. I assume the Kyokai simply thought they would need a Futagoyama-rikishi sooner or later in the role, so there was little use in training yet another Azumazeki-rikishi for the job. Takamiwaka did return the following basho though despite Takanohana then having become Yokozuna.

Going further back there are numerous examples of ex-bow-twirlers from heyas with no Yokozunas (at that time) who was brought back when a crisis occurred, so it seems likely the same would apply now, when Musashifuji is still active. However, it would be interesting to know (which I suppose was the original question and which I sadly can't answer) if a stand-by bow-twirler is trained as soon as there are no active replacements or if they simply take an all-nighter with the prospective subject when the issue arises...

EDIT: It might be noteworthy that Itakura who was the last bow-twirler when in Juryo only did one basho worth of yumitori as sekitori and apart from him only two rikishi post-WW2 have done yumitori when sekitori. It seems far from unlikely that Ouga will be replaced next basho or the one after that. Of course, personally I'd hope for Tooyama, but...

Edited March 24, 2006 by Yubiquitoyama

[Jonosuke 28]

I may be wrong, but I thought the yumitori had to come from the Yokozuna's heya.

Obviously you are not wrong. The reason for this is that a yumitori rikishi is performing for yokozuna who is the last rikishi competing. I believe Chiyonofuji even wanted to do it himself and quite good at doing it though I am not sure if he ever did one in public.

We all know about the arrow received by the third last winning rikishi on Senshuraku. Well the last rikishi is supposed to receive the "Yumi" just as you see Ouga receive the Yumi right after the yokozuna bout. Once receiving the Yumi, he is expected to do the ceremony.

There are currently several rikishis who can do the yumitori ceremony besides Ouga and they perform it when he is not available such as in some Jyungyo bashos and other one day exhibition tournaments.

Also when there were times when there was no yokozuna and in that case a yumitori may be from another heya, most likely one of the ozekis.

[madorosumaru 7]

I have no real answer, but for what it's worth, Oga's predecessor Musashifuji is still an active rikishi, so presumably he could step in if needed. . .

Not so. Speak of the devil . . . or is it a matter of putting the hex on him, Musashifuji, just the other day, upon completing his bouts for Haru Basho, retired from sumo after 18 years of active duty.

Musashigawa Blog has pictures of his dampatsushiki. (Nodding yes...) There are before and after photos and one of the mage itself. Musashifuji intends to work at a "chanko shop" in Osaka.

[Jakusotsu 5,866]

What a handsome bloke in the gunmetal suit!

[Peterao 3]

Going through the makushita results on NHK, the announcers made a point to say that Oga wants to continue his yumitori duties.

I for one would like to see him continue on until he wins a musubi no ichiban, and jumps up to do the twirling amidst the flying zabuton celebrating his own victory.

[Asashosakari 18,958]

Perhaps a silly question...which kesho-mawashi will Oga wear for the yumitori in the future, his own or the one he's been using so far?

[Manekineko 200]

Perhaps a silly question...which kesho-mawashi will Oga wear for the yumitori in the future, his own or the one he's been using so far?

I'd think the one he used so far, but have no idea. Anyone know?

[Kishinoyama 582]

What a handsome bloke in the gunmetal suit!

Speaking of the handsome bloke, has their been any discussion on the forum of his future? I mean will Musashimaru stay in sumo or leave like some recent Yokozuna? I did a quick forum search and found no threads talking about his future....... I would really like to see him stay in sumo. ;-)

[Jonosuke 28]

Ouga was born on October 22, 1977 in Nougata City, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. For those familiar with

rikishi' birth places, you may realize it is the same city Ozeki Kaio came from. Actually not only that Ouga is from the same city but he also went the same middle school, Nougata No.2 Middle School.

Indeed Ouga was and still is a big fan of Kaio. He intentionally did not join Kaio's Tomozuna Beya because if he did, he would have no chance of ever facing him on the dohyo, which was his dream. It may mean a great deal to him that he finally became a sekitori while Kaio is still active though it's very unlikely that they would ever face each other in a hon-basho.

Ouga made his dohyo debut at the 1993 Haru Basho using a shikona of Moriyasu, his real family name. His first banzuke basho at the 1993 May Basho he had three wins and four losses at Jonokuchi 41. He was 174 cm tall and weighed only 90 kg (he is now 180 cm tall and weighs 120 kg).

He changed his shikona to Ouga at the 2001 May Basho when he went four wins and three losses. He chose his shikona using two kanjis - "Ou" using the same kanji as his hero, Kaio (the second kanji of Kaio which is

read "Ou") and the second kanji of To-KI (which also can be read "Ga"). Ouga has been Toki's Tsukebito

(though since he became a Yumitori, his tsukebito duty has been considerably reduced).

It is rather interesting that Ouga will be outranking Toki next basho as it's unlikely that Toki will remain in Juryo. Prior to Toki, Ouga also did a Tsukebito duty for Mitoizumi (current Nishikido oyakata who used to be in the same heya as Ouga while active).

Ouga took over the Yumitori duty from Musashigawa Beya's Musashifuji in January 2004 and since then he

has been the sole yumitori performer as he has not missed a single day so currently he has done 210 times. Incidentally Musashifuji retired as of this basho.

Ouga says he'd like to continue performing his Yumitori duty for at least now but my feeling is that Takasago oyakata already has an idea who his next yumitori will be or has short-listed.

Yumitori rikishis rarely make it to sekitori. The last yumitori to do so was Kokonoe Beya's Tomoefuji who did

the duty from September 1989 to May 1990. As he was promoted to Juryo in the 1990 Nagoya Basho, he has never performed the ceremony as a sekitori. Tomoefuji climbed up as high as Komusubi.

The last sekitori to perform the yumitori ceremony was Hanakago Beya's Itakura (later known as Daigo who did it exactly one basho at the 1975 May Basho).

Another Yumitori rikishi, Hidenohana who did it from November 1990 to July 1991 had two Juryo bashos prior to his yumitori duty. He actually won the Juryo Yusho at the 1988 May Basho. Unfortunately he injured his left knee the following basho and fell out of Juryo after the basho.

But he was not easily discouraged and kept going. Going he did. Even after falling down from Makushita, at the 1989 Haru Basho, he won Sandanme Yusho. Not only satisfied with this, incredibly enough after falling to Jonidan, at the 1990 March Basho he won the Jonidan Yusho.

I don't know of any other rikishi possessing such a strange career record. Rikishis usually win yushos as they are climbing up, not down.

Ouga may never face Kaio on the dohyo but if Kaio can stick long enough and Ouga can get up to Makuuchi,

Ouga may even able to step up on the same dohyo at the same time as Kaio during a Makuuchi dohyo-iri.

Edited March 31, 2006 by Jonosuke

[Asashosakari 18,958]

Ouga says he'd like to continue performing his Yumitori duty for at least now but my feeling is that Takasago oyakata already has an idea who his next yumitori will be or has short-listed.

I don't know about that...much like two years ago when Oga seemed to be pretty much the only qualified candidate in Takasago-beya, I don't really see anybody else who fits the usual profile this time, either. Guys with Makushita experience are few and far in between, and the ones who qualify are either too young (Asanotosa, 24), too old (Kimenryu), or too fat (Asahimaru). Even the guys who've only been to high Sandanme are all 25 or younger (and/or too blind for the gig, as Barbara mentioned about Asahanada above). I guess I could see Fukujumaru in the role, seeing as he's turning 26 in August...

Edit: Nah, scratch that, I see Fukujumaru is 205 kg. (Showing respect...)

Edited March 31, 2006 by Asashosakari

[madorosumaru 7]

Perhaps a silly question...which kesho-mawashi will Oga wear for the yumitori in the future, his own or the one he's been using so far?

I'd think the one he used so far, but have no idea. Anyone know?

According to Ichinoya's Takasago page, Oga will continue to use the Kyokai kesho mawashi for the yumitori-shiki.

BTW, Oga's new personal kesho mawashi is quite "unique" (Ichinoya's term). It is going to be a gift from the Okamisan's father, chief executive (kaicho) of the Konomiya chain of supermarkets, and the design will be a manga version of an Oga yumitori-shiki drawn by Yaku Mitsuru, a famous manga artist, essayist and TV commentator.