Sumo Fan Magazine

Sumo's Foreign Invasion Mark Buckton Sumo - still Japanese or truly International? Rikishi of Old Joe Kuroda A look at a rikishi of yesteryear with Umegatani II our man for June Heya Peek John Gunning John attends asageiko at Takasago-beya to give us the first of his bimonthly looks at sumo's stables Photo Bonanza Kurt Easterwood & Quinlan Faris Kurt & Quin treat us to some of the best sumo pics around - and seen nowhere else May Basho Review Lon Howard & John Gunning Lon gives us his Natsu Basho summary and his take on upset of the tournament while John chips in with his 'gem' of the basho Lower Division Rikishi Mikko Mattila Mikko provides his round up of the boys in Makushita and below at the Natsu Basho July Basho Forecast Pierre Wohlleben & Mark Buckton Pierre predicts the Nagoya Basho banzuke while Mark previews the ones to watch next time out Sumo 101 Barbara Ann Klein Rhyme and reason behind the pre-tachiai rituals that mystified us all as beginners Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila Mikko walks us through A, B & C Minusha John McTague John's unique view of news from outside the dohyo Las Vegas Jungyo Teaser Ngozi Robinson Months away but like kids at Christmas we are still too excited not to mention it Online Gaming Moti Dichne Hear from the founder of Guess the Banzuke (GTB) on exactly what makes it tick Le Monde Du Sumo The original team at MDS tells us how it all started Sumo Mouse Todd Lambert Heya Links Galore and a focus on 3 Fan Debate JR & EB square off: Right or Left - which should Asashoryu use when receiving kensho? Let's Hear from You What was it that made you a sumo fan? Ngozi Asks Question of the month - What is Sumo? Sumo Quiz The Quizmaster Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho's banzuke	such at the same time since the days of Tanikaze and Onogawa in the Edo Era. In taking up their new ranks atop the sumo ladder, Umegatani and Hitachiyama joined the 18th yokozuna Oozutsu to bring in the three-yokozuna age. Even though Umegatani was a heavyset rikishi, his dohyo-iri was acknowledged as the most elegant and graceful dohyo-iri ever seen and was, in fact, the original on which the "Unryu" style dohyo-iri was based. He excelled at tachiai and had an uncanny sense of anticipating his opponent's moves. Utilizing his heavy physique, he	overwhelmed his opponents with tsuppari and yori and was an expert at exploiting their weaknesses as he spent long hours analyzing his opponents' moves and learning their sumo techniques. His skill level was constantly developed through this study and through endless research. Consequently, he never let his opponent obtain an opening with which to overpower him. At the time of his yokozuna promotion, Umegatani was aged just 25 years and three months making him the youngest rikishi to receive yokozuna promotion until that time breaking the	record of the Edo-era Inazuma and the more recent Konishiki - a record that prevailed till the mid-1900s when Terukuni became yokozuna at 23 years and four months of age. The dawn of the "Ume-Hitachi" Era brought not only an unprecedented sumo boom in Japan but contributed to Ozumo further becoming an integral part of Japanese society and culture. During each basho, every newspaper competed to report the events on the dohyo and the sport’s popularity, along with the intense press coverage, led to the establishment of Next Home