SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo Chris Gould Chris sinks his teeth deeper into how sumo can go about pulling in the younger fans in part two of a three-part series. Azumazeki up close and personal Steven Pascal-Joiner / William Titus A wiz with a pen and a wiz with a lens get together with SFM to share their time with Azumazeki Oyakata - Takamiyama as was - with the wider sumo following world. Rikishi of Old Joe Kuroda Joe Kuroda takes a detailed look at the life and times of a former yokozuna forgotten by many - Maedayama. Eric Evaluates Eric Blair Eric calls the musubi-no-ichiban kimarite call on nakabi in Kyushu as perhaps only he could. Heya Peek Jeff Kennel First time heya visitor Jeff Kennel wrote about, photographed and even made a video of his time spent at Arashio Beya prior to the Kyushu Basho. All to be found within. SFM Interview Mark Buckton Mark interviews Russian up and comer Wakanoho of Magaki Beya. Photo Bonanzas See behind the scenes at the Kyushu Basho, morning training in Arashio Beya through the eyes of an artist and exactly what the Azumazeki lads had to eat halfway though the July Nagoya Basho. All originals, all seen here and nowhere else, and all for you. Kyushu Basho Summary Lon Howard Lon wraps the Kyushu Basho in Fukuoka and throws in some henka sighting results for good measure. Lower Division Rikishi Mikko Mattila The lower divisions, their members and results get the once over thanks to Mikko's eyeing of life down below the salaried ranks. Hatsu Ones To Watch Carolyn Todd Carolyn ponders and puts fingers to keys on the ones to watch come January and the Hatsu Basho. Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila Mikko's latest clarification of a handful of sumo's kimarite offers unequalled analysis and in depth explanations. Amateur Angles Howard Gilbert Howard looks at makushita tsukedashi and what it means in real terms. Kokugi Konnections Todd Lambert Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best sumo sites online. Fan Debate Facilitators - Lon Howard / Carolyn Todd Two SFMers talk over the yokozuna benefiting from weak opposition - or not as the case may be. SFM Cartoons Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and sample Stephen's artistic offerings. Sumo Odds ’n’ Ends SFM's interactive elements including Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke! Lets Hear From You What was it that made you a sumo fan? Starting with issue #10, the SFM staff will reveal a little of their own routes into sumo fandom - starting with Benny Loh. 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 next basho’s banzuke.

more relaxed. The tsukedashi status has existed since before the Taisho era, but athletes were added to the banzuke at different levels. Placing them only into makushita came about in the Showa era. In 1966 it was formalized that makushita-tsukedashi status would be at makushita 60, the bottom rank in that division. If the new entrant went make-koshi he they would drop into sandanme, but on the other hand, two consecutive zensho yusho (or equivalent) would vault them into juryo. Athletes who have advanced in this way (in just two basho) include Wajima, Asashio, Musoyama, and Miyabiyama. At this time athletes would be granted tsukedashi status without question if they had performed well and received medals in university weight class contests. However, questions were raised about the quality of the rikishi being produced from the amateur ranks, so the selection criteria was tightened in March 1993 and athletes had to have reached the final 16 competitors at the All Japan Sumo Championships. From this period we get entrants such as Kotomitsuki, Dejima and Takamisakari. After this time the success of certain amateur athletes who had begun from maezumo caused another rethink of the conditions. For example, Hokutohikari (Hakkaku-beya) had a relatively undistinguished four years at Nihon University but still managed to make it to juryo. Likewise, Tochinohana from Meiji University had to climb from maezumo but made it as far as komusubi. Their success sparked the change to the system we have today. So, what of recent tsukedashi qualifiers? In 2002 the Kokutai yokozuna was

a young athlete by the name of Uchida, who is now in makunouchi as Futeno. In the same year, the Gakusei yokozuna, Yokoyama Hideki from Toyo University, decided to give up his qualification and move into the workforce. The next year he competed in the Corporate Championships and became the Corporate yokozuna and decided this time to enter the professional ranks. He is now known as Takamifuji, though he is still stuck in makushita. The overall Amateur yokozuna for 2002 was Onishi Masatsugu from Nihon Taiiku University; however, he chose to give up his tsukedashi status so that he could graduate. He later entered from maezumo in January 2004, becoming the first Amateur yokozuna to start from scratch. He has since risen in the ranks and is known by his shikona Yoshikaze. In 2003 the Kokutai yokozuna, Nakano from Toyo University, entered Musashigawa-beya in May of the next year. So far he has dropped into sandanme and then climbed back into makushita, and competes under his own surname. The Gakusei yokozuna of 2003 has had a better career thus far. Kanbayashi Yoshiyuki, a 4th year at Kinki University, entered the professional ranks in March 2004 and has reached as high as the lower ranks of juryo (where he currently resides). Although Kanbayashi has had his ups and downs since joining Ōzumō, they pale in comparison to the 2004 Gakusei yokozuna, Hakiai (also from Kinki University). He initially was not intending to carry on into professional sumo but rethought this upon winning tsukedashi status. His career, however, has gone backwards and injury has forced him off the

banzuke. The 2005 Gakusei yokozuna has been a little luckier, but still has had his fair share of upheaval in his short career. Nihon University’s Shimoda Keisho began with a makushita yusho of 7-0 but was denied immediate promotion to juryo. This garnered a fair amount of interest, both in the rikishi himself, and the non-selection. He wasn’t able to reproduce the form, and in fact went make-koshi two months later. He has since recovered and is sitting in high makushita, awaiting another chance to get his first payday in sumo. So, recent recipients have sometimes chosen to relinquish the tsukedashi status in favour of a more certain career, or at least the qualifications that might aid one. Others have seized their opportunity but not always had the same success that they had at the amateur level. But, for some, the payoff for a very successful amateur career can be a fast-track into the high salaried-ranks. So far this year, the Gakusei yokozuna is Nihon University’s Mori. The Corporate yokozuna is an old boy of Nihon University, Ishimae, though he may be just a little too old to enter Ōzumō. The Kokutai yokozuna is another Nihon University athlete, Ichihara Takayuki. As this article goes to press, the 2006 Amateur yokozuna will be announced based on the results of December’s All Japan Sumo Championships. Will one of these men take out the ultimate title, or will another name emerge? And, will any of the amateur sumo yokozuna of 2006 soon be seen in the professional ranks? Home Print version