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SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo  
Chris Gould
Wrapping up his look at increasing the popularity of sumo, Chris Gould caps a series the NSK would do well to refer to.
Sumo Souvenirs  
Mark Buckton
Souvenirs are a part of every sport and sumo is no different - or is it? A look at collectibles and the downright trashy, the bona fide versus the unproven.
Rikishi of Old  
Joe Kuroda
Joe Kuroda's latest look at times past focuses on former makunouchi man Dewagatake.
Eric Evaluates  
Eric Blair
Eric takes a no-nonsense look at the claims of fixed bouts in the Japanese media.
Rikishi Diary  
Mark Kent
Mark Kent - English pro-wrestler and amateur heavyweight sumotori - takes us through the first month or so of his training and preparation for the various European events lined up in in 2007.
Heya Peek  
Chris Gould
SFM's Chris Gould was in Japan for the Hatsu Basho and popped along to the new Shikoroyama Beya to give SFM an online exclusive peek into sumo's newest heya.
SFM Interview  
Mark Buckton
Mark interviews Mark - Buckton on Kent that is as Mark Kent, the UK's only active heavyweight amateur answers a few questions on his own recent entry into the sport.
Photo Bonanzas  
Sumo Forum stepped in to take the weight off the shoulders of SFM as far as Hatsu went so we could sit back, relax, enjoy the sumo and take a few more select pics you won't see anywhere else.
Hatsu Basho Summary
Lon Howard
Lon wraps the Hatsu Basho and chucks in a few bits on the rush of henka that threatens to sully the good name of at least one foreign ozeki.
Sumo Menko  
Ryan Laughton
Sumo cards of old brought to life by expert collector Ryan Laughton. None of your BBM here.
Haru Ones To Watch
Carolyn Todd
Carolyn ponders and puts fingers to keys on the ones to watch come March and the Haru Basho.
Kimarite Focus  
Mikko Mattila
Mikko's latest look at sumo's kimarite offers unequalled analysis and in depth explanations.
Amateur Angles  
Howard Gilbert
Howard looks at the 'sumo factory' of lore - Nichidai.
Kokugi Konnections
Todd Lambert
Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best the WWW has to offer.
Fan Debate
Facilitator - Carolyn Todd
Moti Dichne comes back for more and takes on Bradley Sutton on the subject of 'Modernize the heya - yea or nay?'
SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and sample Benny's artistic offerings.
Sumo Odds & Ends
SFM's interactive elements - as always includes Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke!
Let's Hear From You
What was it that made you a sumo fan? Ryan Laughton - sumo fan and menko expert reveals all.
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 a genuine banzuke.


 
oyakata’s absence.

Eight jonidan sumotori trained with a solitary sandanme on the first morning I attended, and they began by stretching the lower back, shoulders, arms and neck, each for the count of ten. The sumotori performed the stretches having partitioned themselves into three rows, with each row three-wrestlers deep. To underline their sense of togetherness and awareness, they established a formal system for administering the ten-count. The front-right deshi, the slender and pretty-faced Teraomaru, administered the first ten-count before handing over to the front-centre deshi. He, in turn, handed over to the front-left deshi, who was proceeded by the middle-left, middle-centre, middle-right etc.


The procedure was slickly executed, and over in less than a minute. It was followed by some light thigh and calf stretches, which led into the obligatory session of shiko stamping. This time, 20-year-old Teraomaru administered most of the count. After he reached ‘15,’ the shiko became dramatically less co-ordinated; the collective thud of feet on clay which accompanied earlier numbers giving way to a pitter-patter of soft thwacks. Teraomaru, aware that all was not well, checked over his shoulder to survey the problem. He found the two youngest sumotori – whose legs had begun to redden – stamping the odd numbers only, while some more experienced colleagues stamped on – or between – random numbers of their choosing. He said nothing, though, and led the various guises of shiko until the count of 30. A larger, slightly younger deshi then assumed control of the exercise, and took his colleagues to the 50th shiko stamp, a milestone that was greeted with deep panting from several quarters.

After the gale-force air-conditioning cooled them down, the sumotori spent a considerable amount of time on squats, in order to strengthen


The deshi prepare for the next exercise under the watchful eye of Homasho
 


their thighs and hamstrings. The count emanated from the voice of a skinny, but well-toned, apprentice whose deep vocal chords belied the youthfulness of his face. Not even 16, he had doubtless joined the heya within the previous few weeks. Alongside him stood his best friend in sumo, a fellow 15-year-old, much rounder and with marshmellowy cheeks, but just as painfully inexperienced. His barely-broken voice was soothing in tone, in stark contrast to the deep, hoarse cough he occasionally emitted. The two novices bore absolutely no battle scars, and their naïve, uncertain faces appeared hopelessly unprepared to receive any. Their skin seemed so tender as to automatically demand wrapping up in cotton wool. I still wince at the thought of their getting hurt, perhaps during their inaugural matawari split. But, if they possess a mental toughness hidden by their vulnerable appearance, they will somehow evolve into the older wrestlers beside them, sporting moderately cute faces but also scarred legs, purple pelvic joints, bandaged toes and scaly feet.

Thirty squats later, the wrestlers decided to add some oshi (pushing) movements to their routine, and propelled their hands forward alternately in a thrusting motion




upon every squat. Having slapped imaginary opponents into submission, hands were placed on heads for 30 further squats, before a push-up session was instigated. The skinny novice hurtled towards the dohyo surface and completed ten push-ups with less difficulty than most, but the bulkier novice had been given special dispensation to rest his hands against the raised platform on which I sat. He thus executed his push-ups at a 40° angle, but even from this less arduous position, struggled to manage five. His oyakata presumably cannot wait to introduce him to the dumb-bells.

Shortly afterwards, a door to my right was slid open with a screech, and the deshi were jolted into shouts of ‘good morning!’ Two tree-trunk-sized legs stomped onto the beige-vanished wooden floor, carrying the well-formed torso of the stable’s most senior wrestler into the dohyo area. The wrestler in question was Homasho, one of sumo’s rapidly rising stars and fresh from an amazing jun-yusho in the previous tournament. His rapid ascent to the eighth highest rank in sumo (maegashira 4W) had not only made sumo fans proud to hail him


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