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.

  named because of global popularity, but rather because of the financial sponsorship of a newspaper named the New York World!

As other far more popular and successful professional sports leave the dohyo in the dust and provide far greater compensation for their athletes, we will eventually see the last rikishi in a dwindling community, just as the celibacy policies of the Shakers doomed that community to eventual extinction.

So, to return to my initial theme (which you probably thought I'd never do), basic economic principles suggest that fewer basho – especially establishment of a single pre-eminent annual final World Championship Basho – will serve to increase the popularity and success of the sport.

PS: Mr. KKSM or whatever you choose to call yourself, I think you are taking this debate less and less serious the longer it goes on. Now I like a laugh with the best of them but some of your ideas, even the serious ones, are a little far fetched.

Although I agree that most injuries occur from the rikishi tumbling from the dohyo, I think
to surround it with feather pillows would somehow detract from the spectacle of the sport we love. Why bother anyway when there is always a soft spectator there to land on; and what greater honour could there be than to save the rikishi from injury and take it for yourself? Seriously though, there are injury risks in all sports, especially those involving physical contact, and that is something a sportsman has to overcome to survive and to win.

What kind of sport would it be without risks?

You ask how we can come to any agreement if we do not share the same goals, but what are your goals, KKSM? I want to see the sport I love continue to thrive and grow in popularity, but not to change into just another sport, repeated on a hundred channels and lost in the mire that is advertising and salesmanship. I want to see the traditions that have helped this sport survive for hundreds of years, not metamorphose into just another member of the sky sport generation – yes in that way at least, I'm with the Kyokai.

Then we have the problem of injuries and forced early retirement – and although I
agree that it is a shame when great yokozuna have to retire far too early, I'm sure you will find this is true in all contact sports, and that is something we can't get away from. There are no combat sports where top level fighters can continue into their late 30s, early 40s and continue at the top of the game. It just doesn't happen. There are cases of fighters making comebacks but these are always brief and after a long layoff. Maybe Takanohana can take Asashoryu on at Natsu? It just isn't for the sport we (I) love.

I agree with you completely on the need for greater compensation for the sumotori, KKSM, but I am interested to hear how you think less basho and fewer paydays fit into your vision of the utopian dohyo.

Minimizing the number of basho each year may or may not be a better option economically for the Kyokai but it certainly is never going to improve the popularity of a sport already struggling for air time by minimizing that air time even more, and it certainly is not going to improve the economic lot of those who take part by minimizing their wage-earning days.

Next