October 2004

Kaio Krushes Shoryu's Slam Bid

Junior Division Yusho Winners

   
Kaio Krushes Shoryu’s Slam Bid
Fifth Promotion Chance Upcoming
by “Yukikaze” for SUMO SHIMPO

With all of the sumo world’s attention in 2004 focused on yokozuna-East ASASHORYU and his four-yusho rensho, ozeki #1-East KAIO had been operating ‘under the radar’ the entire year.  He had won the Nagoya 2003 title, only to go make-koshi the following tournament.  He had easily erased the kadoban and moved on to post ozeki-calibre numbers in each subsequent basho.  His 13-2 at Haru 2004 was excellent, but not enough to top SHORYU’s 15-0.  That was his seeming story…close, but no Cup.

Very few people thought that a different story would come out of the Kokugikan at the 2004 Aki Basho.  Tomozuna Beya’s top deshi lost his day 4 contest (uwatenage) to komusubi-West KOTOMITSUKI and day 6 (tsukiotoshi) to maegashira #1-West KOKKAI.  And then the “Human Juicer” proceeded to run the table with nine consecutive wins – including an oshidashi triumph over SHORYU on senshuraku – for a 13-2 record and the fifth yusho of his career.  This means that KAIO will have a fifth chance to break through and get his own tsuna, gohei, attendants and dohyo-iri before his hometown fans in Fukuoka.  If he fails this time, will he get another chance?  Better question:  will he deserve one?  (Historical note:  65th yokozuna Takanohana did not get his promotion until he won his sixth and seventh yusho consecutively in the fall of 1994.)

SHORYU suffered unexpected losses on day 4 (tsukiotoshi) to maegashira #3-West TOCHINONADA and day 5 (oshidashi) to #2-East IWAKIYAMA.  He won his next six to stand at 9-2, still in control of his destiny as of day 11.  But then – for some unknown reason – he “crashed and burned” against the sanyaku, lost his last four torikumi and finished out with an astonishingly-poor (for him) 9-6 record.  Not only has SHORYU’s bid for a sumo “grand slam” gone into the tank – but any chance of besting or tying 55th yokozuna Kitanoumi’s 1978 mark of 82 wins has now been mathematically placed beyond reach for this year (his current win/loss record for 2004 is 65-10).

Of the current members of the ozeki contingent, #1-West CHIYOTAIKAI has the longest string of basho without a kadoban, dating back to Kyushu 2002.  That almost came to an end this basho as Kokonoe’s heyagashira let hiramaku stomp all over him (he lost six torikumi to maegashira), but he managed to best SHORYU and sekiwake-East WAKANOSATO in the last two days to pull out a razor-thin 8-7 and avoid demotion vulnerability yet again.  #2-East MUSOYAMA and #2-West TOCHIAZUMA both imploded, big-time.  MUSO lost his first three matches and six of his first eight before withdrawing on day 9:  his contest record was 2-7-6.  AZUMA won his first two but then withdrew on day 4:  he ended with a 2-2-11.  So two of the four ozeki will be kadoban for Kyushu 2004.  Both of them have managed to hold onto their Kokugikan parking spaces up to this time.  Will this be the last hurrah for either one – or for both?

After some recent marginal efforts, SATO once again made his case for why he should be an ozeki.  His derailing of the “Mongolian Express” was marred by losses to KAIO and TAIKAI, but he still managed to post a promotion-helpful 10-5.  Sekiwake-West MIYABIYAMA started off slowly with four defeats in the first 5 days.  But the moto-ozeki and former college champion showed some of his past power with eight victories in the last 10 torikumi (including his own win over SHORYU) to score a 9-6 and keep receiving sanyaku paychecks for two more months.  Komusubi-East KYOKUTENHO’s stay in the joi-jin ranks turned out to be all too brief.  Oshima Beya’s top-ranked rikishi was able to take down both MUSO and AZUMA before they pulled out, and was 3-1 after day 4.  But the subsequent avalanche was too much for one of the senior members of sumo’s Mongolian bloc:  TENHO finished out at 5-10.  KOTOMITSUKI was never able to win more than two matches in a row, but he didn’t lose more than two in a row either.  He won his senshuraku match to come ‘off the bubble’ and post an 8-7 – a good outing for the ‘killer rank’.  Unfortunately, since both sekiwake went kachi, he will probably still be a komusubi when the November banzuke is released.

TOCHINONADA followed his win over the sole current yokozuna with a strong 11-4 outing, which earned him sole possession of the Shukun-Sho.  Kasugano’s heyagashira shared the jun-yusho and top hiramaku honors with Mongolia’s #10-West KYOKUSHUZAN, who also went 11-4.  Other ‘mentions in despatches’:

#5-West DEJIMA (10-5)
#6-West KAKIZOE (10-5)
#9-East KOTONOWAKA (10-5) (Kanto-Sho)
#11-East JUMONJI (9-6)
#14-East KOTOOSHU (Bulgaria) (9-6)
#15-East ROHO (Russia) (10-5) (Kanto-Sho) (see related article)
#16-West TAKANOTSURU (9-6)

The Gino-Sho was not awarded this basho.  Kinboshi winners were TOCHINONADA (11) and IWAKIYAMA (1)

In the Juryo division, #4-East AMA (Mongolia) and #9-East GOJORO finished the fortnight-plus-one with identical 11-4 postings.  AMA prevailed in the playoff for the yusho.  Other noteworthy performances among the “ten ryo“ contenders:

#1-West KASUGAO (South Korea) (9-6)
#2-West TOKITENKU (Mongolia) (9-6)
#3-West HAGIWARA (9-6)
#5-West KOTOSHOGIKU (9-6)
#9-West KOBO (9-6)
#10-East DAISHODAI (9-6)
#13-East KAIDO (10-5)
#13-West WAKAKIRIN (10-5)

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JUNIOR DIVISION YUSHO WINNERS

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20-Yusho Club:  How Long Did It Take?

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Active Kinboshi Leaders (5+)

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Trent Sabo Triumphs in Europe
by “Yukikaze” for SUMO SHIMPO

California sumotori Trent Sabo’s credentials really do speak for themselves.  He had won the North American Lightweight Division title the last two years, had numerous state and local wins, and had several victories in Openweight competition as well.  He had competed at the international level, coming close but never breaking through to the podium.

That changed at the International Sumo Cup competition held September 4, 2004 in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.  It was here that Sabo (SAY-boe) finally stepped onto the international sumo stage in a big way by taking the Lightweight crown.  It sequenced this way:

First round:  Sabo d. Artur Ciolko (POL)
Second round:  Sabo d. Ian Smith (GBR)
Division final:  Sabo d. Jens Kühne (GER) for the gold medal

One trait Sabo possesses in abundance is the courage to face anybody on the dohyo regardless of size or weight (his performance at the 2003 US Sumo Open against former 64th yokozuna Akebono is a case in point).  His stay in the Open competition was brief – but it took an opening-round loss to heavyweight Alexander Czerwinski (POL) and a repechage loss to middleweight silver medalist Rozum Marcin (POL) to put him on the sidelines.

DUTCH DOHYO DRAMA – Trent Sabo battles against Jens Kühne of Germany at the International Sumo Cup competition in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.  Sabo won the gold medal in the Lightweight Division.  (Photo by anonymous source.)

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So you want to fight the Euros?
by "Tonkatsu" for SUMO SHIMPO

During the past several months there has been a great deal of agonizing by certain individuals over what was going to be the qualifier for next year’s World Games.  One of them had the self-serving idea that it should be a tournament of his.  Another one (who had no chance of qualifying in any case) got his nose bent out of shape when I told him that I didn't care at the moment because I was busy preparing for the recent US Nationals.  The question was resolved at the USSF annual meeting:  the same people who qualified for this year World Sumo Championships in Riesa, Germany would also be the qualifiers for the World Games in 2005 in Duisburg (also in Germany, by the way).

So, what options do people who want to do international sumo have?  The Worlds occur annually (if not canceled) and the World Games are once every four years.  The Worlds allow one entrant per division per country, while the World Games are one men's lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight per continent.  A very small pool in both cases, for sure.

The 2004 United States National Sumo Championships
Report and critique by “Yukikaze” for SUMO SHIMPO

All right - maybe there was a touch of incredible optimism in the air when the US National Sumo Championships were scheduled at the Riviera Hotel on the famous Las Vegas “Strip”.

But what was to be done?  The North American Sumo Championships that were slated for Montreal, Canada had fallen through due to organizer incompetence, government intransigence or (most likely) some of both.  The decision of Dunlop Tires (Canada) to withdraw their sponsorship was a really big blow:  it was that sponsorship that had committed the NASCs to the “Great White North” for a third consecutive year in the first place.  That meant the Nationals HAD TO go on no matter what:  otherwise, the USA would not have sent a team to the World Championships in October.  Fortunately, some late negotiations enabled the United States Sumo Federation to have the venue at a price it could afford to pay – this time.

They may not have been perfect, but the Nationals did proceed in a reasonably-organized manner.  The competitions were well-fought at all weight, gender and age divisions.  They did accomplish their objective:  the selection of a team for the Worlds in October and the World Games next year, both in Germany.  Therefore, this writer is going to put aside any previous reservations on the subject and advocate that the North American Sumo Championships (as currently constituted) be allowed to ‘wither on the vine’.  If other North American countries want to send teams to the World Championships, they can (and should) hold their own qualifying tournaments.

For 2005, the Nationals will work in an entirely different manner than they did in 2004.  The United States Sumo Federation will not tie itself to a combined lodging/venue deal as it did with the Riviera.  Instead, the USSF will only nail down the actual competition venue.  If a selected venue is approved by the Board of Trustees, individuals and teams wishing to compete can then make their own transportation, meal and lodging arrangements in the venue area.

The meeting of those members of the United States Sumo Federation who had gathered in Las Vegas brought about some serious and spirited discussion – and changes both in the Executive Board and the Board of Trustees.

Sensei Yonezuka, who had been the USSF president the last four years, was ‘term-limited’:  he would have to sit out a two-year term before he could serve again in that office.  The results of the Executive Board election were as follows (all elected to two-year terms):

President:  Leonard Thomas (Judo/Karate Center, Cranford, NJ)
Vice-President:  Marcus Barber (Southern California Sumo Kyokai)
Secretary:  Kena Heffernan (Oahu Sumo Kyokai)
Treasurer:  Troy Collins (California Sumo Association)

It was officially announced that John Jacques has resigned from his position as the USSF Trustee for Area 3 which covers Hawaii, Alaska and all American sumotori outside the contiguous USA.  This was confirmed by a fax bearing Mr. Jacques’ signature.  It was proposed that Kena Heffernan be appointed to serve out the remainder of Mr. Jacques’ term.  This was approved by acclamation.  Harry Dudrow was retained in his position as USSF Registrar.  Finally, Sensei Yonezuka was appointed as Executive Director, to carry out day-to-day USSF business in the name of the Executive Board.

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Political Shenanigans, USSF Style
Editorial by Harry Dudrow, Trustee (Area 2)

OK, I confess.  I hate the annual membership meeting, especially in election years.  My problem is that, having sat on the board of several churches earlier in my life and having been president or other officer of a number of different organization in my sixty-four years, I know how a proper organization (especially a corporation) is supposed to function.  The United States Sumo Federation (USSF) is not a children's treehouse club, it's a corporation.  I have spent the last seven years trying to get it to function like a proper corporation.  We are getting close, but we aren't quite there yet.

The annual meetings of the USSF are perfect example of why corporations have boards of trustees or directors to run their affairs.  I always feel like I am back in Junior High School at an election for class president or something like that.  "It's deja vu all over again" as Yogi Berra would say.

Case in point:  this year’s meeting.  Officers of the USSF are elected bi-annually at the annual meeting.  Trustees, on the other hand, serve four-year terms and are elected by written mail-in ballot.  This year’s festivities started some weeks prior to the meeting with someone who didn't know this, who was gathering proxies for the purpose of running against me.  I originally had intended to let him find out at the meeting that all his energy had been wasted, but set him straight several weeks early.

This was an election year for officers.  The USSF has four elected officers:  president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer.  Mr. Yoshisada Yonezuka (Yone for short) had been president since the founding of the corporation in May of 1996.  He was first elected to the office in 2000 and re-elected in 2002.  The USSF bylaws state that while there is no limit to how many terms an individual may serve as president, no one may serve more than two consecutive terms.  So Yone was ‘termed out’ as we say here in California.

The office of president was up for grabs and this was where the fun began.  Early in the week before the annual meeting, I was surprised to receive a USSF membership application from Svetoslav Binev.  Mr. Binev is the two-time World lightweight champion from Bulgaria who showed up on my doorstep in March of 2000.  In April of 2000 Mr. Binev joined the USSF as a member of the Southern California Sumo Kyokai.  When his membership expired the next year, he didn't renew.  In recent years, he has been associated with the California Sumo Association (CSA).  He has never attended an  annual meeting of the USSF or competed in a USSF-sanctioned event.  Since he was eligible to compete in the National Championship, we thought that perhaps he would.  But Mr. Binev didn't attend this year’s meeting either.  Instead, imagine my surprise when one of the three CSA members who did attend placed his name in nomination for president!  They had come to the meeting armed with nine proxies.  In addition to Mr. Binev, the names of Casey Burns (Idaho), Leonard Thomas (New Jersey) and Wayne Vierra (Hawaii) were placed in nomination.  Of these four, only Mr. Thomas actually bothered to attend the meeting.  Mr. Vierra, who last attended an annual meeting in 1999, had just joined the USSF for the first time two weeks earlier.  However, I had also come to the meeting armed with proxies.  My five votes offset more than half of the CSA proxies (one of which should have been invalidated anyway because the person in question wasn't a member when she signed the proxy).  When the smoke cleared, reason had prevailed and Mr. Thomas had been elected president.  To the CSA gang I say:  nice try, see you next year.

Marcus Barber (California) was re-elected as VP, Kena Heffernan (Hawaii) elected as secretary and Troy Collins (California) as treasurer.  This writer was re-appointed as registrar.  In the trustee department:  Area Three trustee John Jacques submitted his resignation.  At the request of the Oahu Sumo Kyokai members, Mr. Heffernan was appointed to take John's place.

Another thing that should be stopped:  attempts by persons who aren't at the meeting to participate by phone.

My personal opinion is that the board of trustees needs to tighten up the requirements for running for office, especially president.  Why should someone who just joined the corporation less than a month ago and who has never attended a meeting be considered for president?  How do we know that the absent candidates are even willing to run unless we have a written statement from them?  We need to tighten up the rules on proxies and put an end to the foolishness of people trying to participate by phone.  In my view:  if you aren't at the meeting either in person or by valid proxy you aren't at the meeting, period!

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Olympic Reflections
by "Tonkatsu" for SUMO SHIMPO

This article doesn't have much to do with sumo, but one of the perks of being publisher is that you get to go off on an occasional tangent if you want.

I don't like the Olympics as much as I used to.  I hate the professional athletes and I'm still not fond of NBC's coverage, although it wasn't as bad as last time.  They finally figured out that we want to see action, not "up close and personal" profiles of the athletes.

This time, I got to see some judo and some Greco-Roman wrestling, but no freestyle.  Even though he only took the bronze medal, I was more impressed with Rulon Gardner’s matches this time.  His placing of his shoes in the middle of the mat as a symbol of retirement was especially moving.  (Now that he’s retired from Greco-Roman, maybe someone could persuade him to try sumo.  Then, if it does become an Olympic sport, he’d have a chance to be an Olympian again – Ed.)

As I’ve already said, I don't like the presence of pro athletes in the Olympics, especially the overpaid prima donnas of American team sports like basketball.  Ever since I saw Charles Barkley elbow an Angolan player in the 1992 Games, I have hoped to live to see the day when another country would beat the so-called "Dream Team".  I didn't think it would happen in my lifetime; but then, I didn't think the "Iron Curtain" would fall in my lifetime either.  Granted, this year’s "Dream Team" barely deserved the title, but it was still good to see them lose.

Speaking of basketball:  here's a question that has bothered me for a long time.  Basketball and volleyball were specifically invented to be played indoors during the winter.  So why are they part of the Summer Olympics?  (Good point here about gym volleyball.  But the women’s beach volleyball was one of the highlights of this year’s Games, in my humble opinion.  Misty May and Kerri Walsh rock and rule! – Ed.)

To this writer, the most striking aspect of this year’s Olympics was the ease with which so many athletes had switched counties since the last Olympics.  Not to mention the fact that in team sports such as baseball, a team could be made up mostly of Americans of Greek ancestry (as a ‘for instance’).  In the individual category the most striking example was long- time Jamaican sprinter Marlene Ottey, who showed up in Athens sporting the colors of Slovenia.

I recently had the privilege of meeting Lazlo Tabori, the great Hungarian middle-distance runner of the 1950’s.  Mr. Tabori was the third man to run a mile in under four minutes after Bannister and Landy.  In the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, he ran fourth in the 1500 meters and sixth in the 5000 meters.  Afterwards, like many other Hungarian athletes, he defected.  It takes five years to become a naturalized United States citizen, so in 1960 Mr. Tabori was a man without a country as far as the Olympics were concerned..  Apparently that wouldn't be a problem today:  if you don't like your present country, just switch.

This brings me at length to sumo.  Apparently, it is easier to represent a given country in the Olympics than it is in the Sumo World Championships.  In the case of the latter, you have to actually present a passport to prove that you are a citizen.

Finally, one last connection between sumo and the Olympics.  In a recent interview, yokozuna ASASHORYU indicated that if sumo ever became an Olympic sport he would like to represent Mongolia.  Wouldn't that be fun?

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USSF Dan Rank Requirements for Its Members

These ranks (and the requirements to earn them) are officially recognized and sanctioned by the INTERNATIONAL SUMO FEDERATION.

SHO-DAN shall be 15+ years of age, pay a Certificate fee of $30 and fulfill any one of the following:

1.     Minimum of 6 months training AND a podium finish (1st, 2nd or 3rd) in World Sumo Championships (WSCs)

2.     Minimum of 1 year training AND a podium finish in a national or international tournament

3.     Minimum of 2 years training AND competing in national or international tournaments 3 times or more

4.     Minimum of 3 years training AND competing in USSF-sanctioned national or local tournaments 3 times or more

5.     For non-competitors:  minimum of 4 years training and officiating experience.

NI-DAN shall be 18+ years of age, pay a Certificate fee of $40 and fulfill any one of the following:

1.     Minimum of 1 year training from Sho-dan promotion AND a podium finish in WSCs

2.     Minimum of 3 years training from Sho-dan promotion AND a podium finish in a national or international tournament

3.     Minimum of 4 years training from Sho-dan promotion AND competing in USSF-sanctioned national or local tournaments 3 times or more

4.     For non-competitors:  minimum of 5 years training and officiating experience from Sho-dan promotion.

SAN-DAN shall be 21+ years of age, pay a Certificate fee of $50 and fulfill any one of the following:

1.     Minimum of 1 year training from Ni-dan promotion AND a podium finish in WSCs

2.     Minimum of 3 years training from Ni-dan promotion AND a podium finish in a national or international tournament

3.     Minimum of 4 years training from Ni-dan promotion AND competing in USSF-sanctioned national or local tournaments 3 times or more

4.     For non-competitors:  minimum of 6 years training and officiating experience from Ni-dan promotion.

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RESULTS of the 2004 UNITED STATES 
NATIONAL SUMO CHAMPIONSHIPS
September 18, 2004; Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

(Format:  RR = Round Robin; DE = Double Elimination; SE/CR = Single Elimination/Closed Repechage)

Men’s Masters’ Lightweights: 1st – Art Morrow Men’s Masters’ Middleweights (RR): 1st - Leonard Thomas; 2nd - Jeff Riddle; 3rd - Tom Zabel
Men’s Masters’ Heavyweights (RR): 1st - James Perry; 2nd - Larry Brann; 3rd - Harry Dudrow
Men’s Grand Masters’ Middleweights: 1st – Glenn Crosby Men’s Grand Masters’ Heavyweights (RR): 1st - James Brewster Thompson; 2nd – Jim Lowerre; 3rd - Larry Brann
Competitors in Women's divisions (L to R): Kala Crosby (2nd Light, 3rd Open) Heather Olson (1st Light, 2nd Open) Danila Oder (1st Middle) Mahshid Tarazizadeh (1st Heavy, 1st Open)
Men's Sr. Lightweight (DE): 1st - John Gonzales; 2nd - Joe Davis; 3rd - Wade Strober
Men's Sr. Middleweight (DE): 1st - Troy Collins; 2nd - Kena Heffernan; 3rd - Rene Marte
Men's Sr. Heavyweight (DE): 1st - Ted Vitor Barbarato; 2nd – James Brewster Thompson; 3rd - Kelly Gneiting
Men's Sr. Openweight (SE/CR): 1st - Kena Heffernan; 2nd - Rene Marte; 3rd - Marcus Barber
Team Competition (team format): 1st:  Cranford “A” (Patrick Greer, Ted Vitor Barbirato, Rene Marte) 2nd:  Cranford “B” (Leonard Thomas, Wade Strober, John Gonzales) 3rd:  Snake River Sumo (Kelly Gneiting, Scott Edward, Matt Anderson, Tyler Olson)

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California Sumo Competition Calendar for 2004/2005