SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo Chris Gould Chris sinks his teeth deeper into how sumo can go about pulling in the younger fans in part two of a three-part series. Azumazeki up close and personal Steven Pascal-Joiner / William Titus A wiz with a pen and a wiz with a lens get together with SFM to share their time with Azumazeki Oyakata - Takamiyama as was - with the wider sumo following world. Rikishi of Old Joe Kuroda Joe Kuroda takes a detailed look at the life and times of a former yokozuna forgotten by many - Maedayama. Eric Evaluates Eric Blair Eric calls the musubi-no-ichiban kimarite call on nakabi in Kyushu as perhaps only he could. Heya Peek Jeff Kennel First time heya visitor Jeff Kennel wrote about, photographed and even made a video of his time spent at Arashio Beya prior to the Kyushu Basho. All to be found within. SFM Interview Mark Buckton Mark interviews Russian up and comer Wakanoho of Magaki Beya. Photo Bonanzas See behind the scenes at the Kyushu Basho, morning training in Arashio Beya through the eyes of an artist and exactly what the Azumazeki lads had to eat halfway though the July Nagoya Basho. All originals, all seen here and nowhere else, and all for you. Kyushu Basho Summary Lon Howard Lon wraps the Kyushu Basho in Fukuoka and throws in some henka sighting results for good measure. Lower Division Rikishi Mikko Mattila The lower divisions, their members and results get the once over thanks to Mikko's eyeing of life down below the salaried ranks. Hatsu Ones To Watch Carolyn Todd Carolyn ponders and puts fingers to keys on the ones to watch come January and the Hatsu Basho. Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila Mikko's latest clarification of a handful of sumo's kimarite offers unequalled analysis and in depth explanations. Amateur Angles Howard Gilbert Howard looks at makushita tsukedashi and what it means in real terms. Kokugi Konnections Todd Lambert Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best sumo sites online. Fan Debate Facilitators - Lon Howard / Carolyn Todd Two SFMers talk over the yokozuna benefiting from weak opposition - or not as the case may be. SFM Cartoons Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and sample Stephen's artistic offerings. Sumo Odds ’n’ Ends SFM's interactive elements including Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke! Lets Hear From You What was it that made you a sumo fan? Starting with issue #10, the SFM staff will reveal a little of their own routes into sumo fandom - starting with Benny Loh. Readers' Letters See what our readers had to say since we last hit your screens. Sumo Quiz The Quizmaster Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

third most-liked (and also most hated) wrestler is Asashoryu, easily the finest rikishi of his time, but often noted by youngsters for his fiery demeanour. In the words of 17-year-old Fumiko: ‘I understand why, when Asashoryu shows feeling, young people relate to him. We recognise his emotions.’ Unfortunately for shinjinrui, such sentiments remain unshared by the NSK, which classifies raw emotion as incompatible with sumo’s samurai code, and hence erects another barrier between itself and young Japanese. Shinjinrui judge the NSK’s disciplining of Asashoryu for an outpouring of emotion as an affront to their values. They also deem it harsh of the NSK to dismiss a sumotori (e.g. Kotokanyu) for unlawfully striking an opponent when footballers receive a short suspension for the same offence. To court shinjinrui acceptance, then, sumo must fully explain the virtuous reasoning behind emotional restraint. It must start by stressing that a sumotori does not abstain from celebrating victory or bemoaning defeat because he is emotionally deficient. Instead, he is loyally following a section of the warrior’s code similar to that described in the treatise Hagakure: ‘Certainly we should try not to become dejected, and when very happy should calm our minds.’ When applying these sentiments to modern Japan, the NSK should focus on defeat in particular. It should highlight the physical pain that wrestlers feel when dumped on a solid-clay canvass, and should advertise the incredible strength of mind needed to simply grin and bear it. It should be ‘cool’ to be calm. Difficult as it may be in a society which increasingly values image over action, the NSK should promote the deadpan face of a sumotori as a

symbol of heroism. Was it not with such a face that Chiyonofuji blocked out the cot-death of his daughter to capture the yusho of July 1989? Was it not heroic of Wakanohana I to stoically compete in a tournament following the tragic death of his son, or of Tochinishiki to impassively win a title-match in full knowledge of his father’s passing the previous night? Was it not equally heroic of Musashimaru to enter his final few bouts without the use of his injured left hand, or for Onokuni to grimace only slightly for the post-match bow despite having fractured his ankle? Is it not incredible that Taiho did not complain when a poor refereeing decision ended his 45-match winning streak, and instead blamed himself for deploying the wrong tactics? Armed with such powerful examples, the NSK can proudly proclaim that behind reserved sumo personalities lies an abundance of inspiration. More daringly, the NSK could consider letting slip to shinjinrui that, despite appearances on the dohyo, young deshi share much in common with them behind the scenes. Sumo coaches nigh-unanimously believe that today’s novices train less assiduously than those of twenty years ago. Occasionally, their comments appear in the media (as did those of Taiho in 2005) and are interpreted by shinjinrui as another gratuitous attack on their values by old fogies. However, with a touch of spin, these comments could reach over the barrier to shinjinrui under the headline of: ‘Our deshi are just like you.’ When combined with the outbursts of oyakata who claim that young deshi ‘lack the respect of old,’ Japan’s youth can be shown that their love of individuality and rebellion is certainly shared by novice sumotori. The NSK should explain that, contrary to popular belief, sumotori – especially senior

ones – do have social lives! The NSK should also stress that its mission is not to zombify free-spirited young men, but to encourage such men to conform to a particular code of behaviour. It should be underlined that no young deshi can be forced to conform, that the exit door is always open to those overwhelmed by sumo’s expectations. Indeed, each year, several sumotori (sometimes high-profile ones like Futahaguro) part company with the NSK for this reason. Those who embrace sumo to the bitter end should be revered simply for staying the course. Through engaging with emotional restraint rather than mocking it, Japanese youngsters should recognise that sumotori are not an alien race of social misfits, but shinjinrui themselves who have, mostly through choice, altered their behaviour to suit the system. This should be considered, if not entirely ‘cool,’ then at least praiseworthy by a young Japanese population who would much rather the system altered to suit them. What of the West? Personality issues will be especially pertinent if sumo decides to broaden its fan-base by appealing to non-Japanese. Although there are many western converts who adore sumo tradition, Dr Lyall Watson does not speak for everybody when saying: ‘We don’t want sumo to turn into western wrestling.’ A most noticeable feature of the 2006 US Sumo Open, for example, was how the – mostly uninitiated – crowd thrived on the moments that were most similar to western wrestling, such as when the Bulgarian combatant Stilian Georgiev theatrically disputed the call of an official. Next