You’re speechless with excitement and I can tell you’ve been eagerly awaiting this weekend for 8 weeks........and it's here at last !!...... the September Basho starts today. Closing bouts of Day 1 live on NHK World now. Tanoshi
15th and final day of the July Basho now live on NHK, culminating with the Bout of the Century, the Clash of Mongolian Titans: HAKUHO V TERUNOFUJI Both overcoming injury and both 14-0 in this tournament. The bout will be the first Championship decider between undefeated Rikishi for 9 years.
HAKUHO, 36 year old, 44 times Champion and Yokozuna, among the greatest Rikishi ever to strut the Dojo, returning from essentially a year away with injury
TERUNOFUJI, already assured promotion to Yokozuna, going for his 5th title. He will make history by being the first Rikishi ever to have fallen down the rankings (as a result of injury) as low as the second lowest division (Jonidan) before a Phoenix-like rise to the pinnacle.
すばらしい! I went to a day of the Sumo tournament in Tokyo in 2014. Was expecting to give it a few hours and leave but ended up there for the whole day. It's an incredible spectacle. Sadly i don't have NHK. 😕
Try this geezer (Chris Sumo) on YouTube @Friend Or Defoe Day by day analysis and good stuff between the tournaments. Very knowledgeable and entertaining.
Went to see sumo wrestling in Tokyo a couple of years ago. Had really no clue what was going on and my wife & I were the only westerners there, but I have to say that the wrestlers themselves are incredible specimens of human beings.
That was a bit ominous seeing Terunofuji carrying his right shoulder awkwardly afterwards - he's overcome terrible knee injuries in his amazing return to the top and it would be so disappointing if he'd been done serious shoulder damage. May only be for a short while but would be great to see a few Basho with both Hakuho and Terunofuji battling them out as Yokozuna. Next Basho starts 12 Sept. Bring it on!!
What's with all the slapping at the start as well, I didn't realise that was allowed, as any previous Sumo I have seen has just been straight up big boys shoving eachother
What's with all the slapping at the start as well, I didn't realise that was allowed, as any previous Sumo I have seen has just been straight up big boys shoving eachother
Do you mean slapping each other? That's just another form of attack. I don't think I've seen a forearm smash before, though. All the stamping, clapping, salt throwing at the start is ritual.
Terunofuji I'd guess is from the same stable as Chiyonofuji, the great champion from the time C4 used to have it on.
What's with all the slapping at the start as well, I didn't realise that was allowed, as any previous Sumo I have seen has just been straight up big boys shoving eachother
Do you mean slapping each other? That's just another form of attack. I don't think I've seen a forearm smash before, though. All the stamping, clapping, salt throwing at the start is ritual.
Terunofuji I'd guess is from the same stable as Chiyonofuji, the great champion from the time C4 used to have it on.
Yeah I get the ritual stuff at the start, I just didn't realise they could try and beat the stuffing out of eachother as well as shove eachother about
Went to see sumo wrestling in Tokyo a couple of years ago. Had really no clue what was going on and my wife & I were the only westerners there, but I have to say that the wrestlers themselves are incredible specimens of human beings.
They have free English guides which were very useful!
Ok, so why did the one on the right have to wait for the other one to put his left hand down?
Seems like one on the left had the advantage from the start as he launched as soon as his left hand touched the ground
Anyone?
Part of the mind games/face off. Could say the one on the right at the advantage as he was in position ready to go.
The top division has two stops before beginning, the one before a single stop and the other divisions go straight away. There's a time limit on how long they have before they can go which has been reducing over the centuries, pretty sure during the Edo period there was no time limit!
There was a famous Croatian Rikishi who got to the rank of Maegashira (4 below Yokozuna)
Went to see sumo wrestling in Tokyo a couple of years ago. Had really no clue what was going on and my wife & I were the only westerners there, but I have to say that the wrestlers themselves are incredible specimens of human beings.
They have free English guides which were very useful!
Ok, so why did the one on the right have to wait for the other one to put his left hand down?
Seems like one on the left had the advantage from the start as he launched as soon as his left hand touched the ground
Anyone?
Part of the mind games/face off. Could say the one on the right at the advantage as he was in position ready to go.
The top division has two stops before beginning, the one before a single stop and the other divisions go straight away. There's a time limit on how long they have before they can go which has been reducing over the centuries, pretty sure during the Edo period there was no time limit!
There was a famous Croatian Rikishi who got to the rank of Maegashira (4 below Yokozuna)
Great footage and some brilliant throws by Takanoyama, thanks for posting that @Friend Or Defoe Right now there’s Georgian (formerly made it to Ozeki), a Bulgarian and a Brazilian in the ranks of the Maegashira. Becoming very cosmopolitan and only 3 of the last 10 Yokozuna have been Japanese. 5 Mongolians, a Samoan and the first non-Japanese to make it, the great Hawaiian Rikishi Akebono. As Takanoyama showed, skill often trumps weight which is probably where the Mongolians excel. There’s a terrific young one, Hoshoryu, rising rapidly right now that’s one of lighter ones that uses some brilliant moves. Hopefully you may see him in November.
Akebono also had a shoot (real) sump match at wrestlemania, defeating big show in seconds.
Just checked and there is a tournament in Japan whilst i'm (hopefully) there, completely unplanned!
If you go and there's anything like a programme in English (unlikely I know), it would be great if you could pick one up for me - obviously I'd give you the money and if you get to The Valley buy you a pint.
I was very fortunate to see it 2 nights running at the Albert Hall in 1991. It was absolutely brilliant - first night getting pissed with clients of our bank (one of the sponsors) in a box and another with Mrs Molloy and her mother in the ringside seats. The ma-in-law got many a frisson of excitement that one of em' might land in her lap. I was sorting hoping it might be the humungous Hawaiian, Konishki ("The Dump Truck") - the big lad front row left hand side
すばらしい! I went to a day of the Sumo tournament in Tokyo in 2014. Was expecting to give it a few hours and leave but ended up there for the whole day. It's an incredible spectacle. Sadly i don't have NHK. 😕
Same here but went back in the 90s. Ticket was about £30.00 + lunch (bento box) was included.
I’m thinning my book collection so this is up for grabs. First edition from 1973, a bit of browning at the top of the dust cover, a pencilled price on the first (blank) page. This condition would be £40-£50 on the web as far as I can see, £25 plus postage (or meet outside The Valley on a match day) to anyone of you sumo-philes.
Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMANOt2Jw88
Longer (slightly cheesy) explanation of its tradition
https://www.reddit.com/r/Documentaries/comments/8pvnnl/grand_sumo_the_beauty_of_tradition_2003_a_look/
Tanoshinde kudosai
the September Basho starts today.
Closing bouts of Day 1 live on NHK World now.
Tanoshi
HAKUHO V TERUNOFUJI
Both overcoming injury and both 14-0 in this tournament. The bout will be the first Championship decider between undefeated Rikishi for 9 years.
Be there or be square.
12th undefeated Championship.
FANTASTIC.
Day by day analysis and good stuff between the tournaments.
Very knowledgeable and entertaining.
https://youtu.be/v5k7gMi6nKk
Hakuho (14-0) v Terunofuji (14-0)
Enjoy!!
May only be for a short while but would be great to see a few Basho with both Hakuho and Terunofuji battling them out as Yokozuna.
Next Basho starts 12 Sept. Bring it on!!
Terunofuji I'd guess is from the same stable as Chiyonofuji, the great champion from the time C4 used to have it on.
Right now there’s Georgian (formerly made it to Ozeki), a Bulgarian and a Brazilian in the ranks of the Maegashira.
Becoming very cosmopolitan and only 3 of the last 10 Yokozuna have been Japanese. 5 Mongolians, a Samoan and the first non-Japanese to make it, the great Hawaiian Rikishi Akebono.
As Takanoyama showed, skill often trumps weight which is probably where the Mongolians excel.
There’s a terrific young one, Hoshoryu, rising rapidly right now that’s one of lighter ones that uses some brilliant moves.
Hopefully you may see him in November.
Just checked and there is a tournament in Japan whilst i'm (hopefully) there, completely unplanned!
The ma-in-law got many a frisson of excitement that one of em' might land in her lap. I was sorting hoping it might be the humungous Hawaiian, Konishki ("The Dump Truck") - the big lad front row left hand side
This is him when retired.
Happy days.