Nagoya Nears
Eric Blair
As Nagoya nears, EB gets a head start on the pack by focussing on points of interest, past and present surrounding sumo's hottest basho

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
The 42nd yokozuna Kagamisato falls under the JK microscope

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Kokonoe-beya and the Chiyo Boys

SFM Interview
Mark Buckton
SFM's Ed-in-Chief interviews Estonian up and comer Baruto

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
SFM's Editor looks at all the twists and turns involved in the tsunauchi-shiki and adds a photo bonanza to boot

Photo Bonanza
See the Natsu
Basho and Kokonoe-beya photo bonanzas

Natsu Basho Summary
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Natsu Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila lets you know what is going on down below the curtain

Nagoya Ones to Watch
Mark Buckton
MB's mixed bag of things to look out for in Nagoya

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Our man Mikko takes us on a tour of several defensive oriented kimarite

Amateur Angles
Howard Gilbert
The first of our regular column pieces on the amateur sumo scene from a man who knows more than most

Sumo Game
Bruce Rae
For a look at his very own: PTYW (Pick The Yusho Winners)

Sumo in Print
Barbara Ann Klein
SFM's Editor reviews the newly published biography of Akebono, Gaijin Yokozuna – but sees it as more than just a biography

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Check out Todd's bimonthly focus on 3 of the WWW's best sumo sites around

Fan Debate
Facilitator – Lon Howard
Sumo author Mina Hall and long long time fan Jim Bitgood discuss how to make sumo more entertaining – if such a concept is even necessary

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
 
Sit back and enjoy the offerings of sumo's premier artists

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? James Vath in rural Japan lets us in on his gateway to the sport

Readers’ Letters
See what our readers had to say since we last went out

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

  to see this same exercise done by one of the rikishi at Oshima-beya.)

Osuzuki










As for the ozeki's own training regimen, he seems to have changed his routine from previous years' keiko. Although he did some crunches from the side of the viewing platform – with Chiyonoretsu as his spotter – he participated in no actual bouts as he had always

Chiyonoretsu















done before. Instead, a bit of teppo, a bit of stretching, the already mentioned crunches, and that was it. At every other keiko session I've seen at Kokonoe, Chiyotaikai was an active participant in all aspects
of the training, be it butsukari-
geiko, shiko, or bouts with his immediate juniors or lower ranks.

Forty-five minutes after the ozeki's entrance, the rikishi began their keiko-ending exercise – butsukari, shiko, matawari and other stretching. Then, after the meditation and prayer, the sweep-up began.

As we left the heya, we could still hear teppo-oshi, presumably by the ozeki, but we wondered if Kokonoe-beya would soon follow the example of other heya and limit admission and viewing.

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