Yokozuna Comparisons
Joe Kuroda
SFM’s historian, JK, wraps his two-part article on the greatest of the tsuna wearers

Amateur Sumo's Global Aspirations
Courtesy: International Sumo Federation
What exactly is it and furthermore, what does it do? The ISF explain themselves and their purpose in existing

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
Man or myth? Sumo's first yokozuna comes under the spotlight

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Tokitsukaze-beya and its famous find themselves the target of Barbara's peek into life inside the heya

SFM Interview
Mark Buckton
Featuring interviews with amateur sumo's European Sumo Union General Secretary and the President of the newly founded Irish Sumo Federation

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Would chanko exist without sumo? What is chanko anyway? Find out in Sumo 101

Photo Bonanza
See the Haru
Basho through the eyes of the fans in the seats as SFM gives the mantle of photographer(s) for this basho to Barbara & Gerald Patten. And don't miss our all-Mongolian Bonanza supplied by our Editor, Barbara Ann Klein

Haru Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Haru Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers the lower division goings on like nobody else around

Natsu Basho Forecast
Mark Buckton
Mark Buckton glances back to look forward in his ones to look out for come May

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Our man Mikko takes us on a tour of his chosen kimarite

Sumo in Print
Mark Buckton
Our gaming thread takes a break for April so we can look at the Spanish language book on the sport not long since released

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s bimonthly focus on 3 of the WWW's best sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Facilitator – Lon Howard
April's man VS monkey debate covers the issue of reducing the number of honbasho

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
Sit back and enjoy the offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? Thierry Perran lets us in on his reasons for loving this sport

Readers’ Letters
See what some
See what our featured letter is for this issue

Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

may possibly come out of the pack to threaten the top 20.

Below is a list of the top ten all time elevator rikishi at this point in the study, as well as the current top ten active ones. The active list includes all rikishi with at least 15 basho in their string – remember, it takes 30 to be fully qualified.

An additional column has been added to the Ranking list for the retired rikishi. This column contains the year in which the mid-point of the rikishi's qualifying string was reached. This is to make it easier to pinpoint an era in which elevator activity was possibly rampant or dormant. Notably, 15 of the top 20 retired elevator men came from the 1984-1994 period, so something unique was going on then for certain.

The top 20 all-time list is found on the Elevator Rules and Ranking page. Recapping the terms used below:

MOQ (Move On Quotient): Average number of banzuke spots moved per basho
AFQ (About Face Quotient): Percentage of time rikishi changed direction on the banzuke
EI (Elevator Index) – MOQ x
AFQ: Actual measure of rikishi's elevator factor
Note: EI was formerly called CEI (Combined Elevator Index)
ALL-TIME

 RIKISHIMOQAFQEIMID
YEAR
1Takanofuji 11.000.935510.291989
2Itai11.580.80399.311987
3Sadanoumi10.610.76748.151984
4Daitetsu10.130.75867.691986
5Jingaku9.470.79557.531988
6Daijuyama9.910.74607.391986
7Kirinji10.230.68677.021982
8Higonoumi10.060.68636.901997
9Mainoumi9.210.73686.781995
10Kasugafuji8.880.76196.771993

ACTIVE

 RIKISHIMOQAFQEI
1Hokutoriki8.740.81827.15
2Kyokushuzan *9.470.66076.26
3Asasekiryu 8.280.58824.87
4Tokitsuumi *6.530.63644.16
5Takekaze5.930.69234.10
6Takamisakari6.210.65224.05
7Roho8.000.50004.00
8Jumonji 6.250.57893.62
9Buyuzan 6.850.52003.56
10Kakizoe5.600.57143.20
*Fully Qualified With 30 Basho String
The latest banzuke that names were taken from was Natsu 1979, so we're getting there. Takanofuji stays on top. Is there anyone from the 60s or 70s lurking to challenge him? Can
Hokutoriki keep putting on the heat? Is there an elevator prince in the making among the
current new crop – Hakurozan come to mind? We'll be closer to the answer in June. See you then.

Elevator Rules and Ranking
Interactive Section
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