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SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo |
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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.
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Azumazeki up close and personal |
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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.
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Rikishi of Old |
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Joe Kuroda
Joe Kuroda takes a detailed look at the life and times of a former yokozuna forgotten by many - Maedayama.
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Eric Evaluates |
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Eric Blair
Eric calls the musubi-no-ichiban kimarite call on nakabi in Kyushu as perhaps only he could.
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Heya Peek |
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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.
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SFM Interview |
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Mark Buckton
Mark interviews Russian up and comer Wakanoho of Magaki Beya.
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Photo Bonanzas |
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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.
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Kyushu Basho Summary |
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Lon Howard
Lon wraps the Kyushu Basho in Fukuoka and throws in some henka sighting results for good measure.
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Lower Division Rikishi |
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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.
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Hatsu Ones To Watch |
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Carolyn Todd
Carolyn ponders and puts fingers to keys on the ones to watch come January and the Hatsu Basho.
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Kimarite Focus |
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Mikko Mattila
Mikko's latest clarification of a handful of sumo's kimarite offers unequalled analysis and in depth explanations.
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Amateur Angles |
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Howard Gilbert
Howard looks at makushita tsukedashi and what it means in real terms.
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Kokugi Konnections |
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Todd Lambert
Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best sumo sites online.
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Fan Debate |
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Facilitators - Lon Howard / Carolyn Todd
Two SFMers talk over the yokozuna benefiting from weak opposition - or not as the case may be.
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SFM Cartoons |
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Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and sample Stephen's artistic offerings.
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Sumo Odds ’n’ Ends |
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SFM's interactive elements including Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke!
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Lets Hear From You |
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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.
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Readers' Letters |
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See what our readers had to say since we last hit your screens.
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Sumo Quiz |
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The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.
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Kyushu Henka Summary
by Lon Howard
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targets, in order of the percentage of their total bouts in which they were targeted.
Among the rikishi who have been targeted at least
four times, only Roho
has lost them all – six of six – so he might feel he has special
privileges as a perpetrator. Other big losers in the frequent
target group are Hokutoriki at 10/11 and Miyabiyama at 6/7, while
Kotoshogiku, Iwakiyama and Tamanoshima are all at 5/6.
Among the top targets, Tochinonada and Tosanoumi have been the most
adept at managing their bouts when they are targeted, both losing just
one of five. Tochinonada … I can understand, but when the study
began I expected to see Tosanoumi’s name at or near the list of top
target losers, but this is quite a surprise. Toyonoshima started
out as a frequent target but after winning all four of those bouts, he
hasn’t been hit on since January. I doubt if rikishi are reading
this, but they apparently do pay attention; so let’s see if they stop
picking on ‘Nada and Tosa as well.
A more detailed report is forthcoming in February but this time, all in
all, there were 36 henka nominations in Kyushu, with 19 getting a
majority yes vote. Of the 19 henka, there were 14 winners, which
is slightly above the 68% cumulative win rate since the study began
last July. Voting picked back up a little, about 11 ½
votes per bout, while the cumulative figure is just over 14.
Again, thanks to all who voted, and have a great holiday season.
See you again in February.
Home |
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The movers and shakers in the henka parade in Kyushu were Roho and
Miyabiyama, but for opposite reasons. Kyokushuzan may be gone,
but never fear because Roho looks to be up the task as he twirled and
slipped his way into double digits in terms of the percentage of his
total bouts in which he has henka’d. Five of his eight wins as a
shin-komusubi in Kyushu were directly attributed to his tachiai henka
action. It was five wins in five henka tries for him – two being
unanimous picks by the voters, and the rest being by overwhelming
margins. Perhaps appropriately, his first victim on day 3 was
sekiwake Miyabiyama, who was targeted three times during the basho, and
lost all three of those bouts, which caused him to just barely eke out
a kachi-koshi on senshuraku.
Just in case you’re wondering, Asashoryu’s win by ketaguri over Kisenosato on day 8 received a 22-13 yes vote margin.
He was also nominated on day 5 against Ama, but the yes-no count there was 9-11.
There were three other multiple henka doers this time – Aminishiki,
Toyozakura, and Kisenosato each committing two, and registering two,
one, and zero wins, respectively, in the process. Here is the current
list of the top ten active perpetrators during the study period – now
covering nine basho – along with the percentage of their total bouts in which they have henka’d (a
four-way tie for the 10th spot). Since he is now retired, this
will be Kyokushuzan’s final appearance on the active list.
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Once again, a reminder that the percentages are compiled using only bouts that were voted as henka with a majority yes vote.
| Kyokushuzan |
17.36 |
| Roho |
10.24 |
| Toyozakura |
6.59 |
| Hokutoriki |
6.25 |
| Hakurozan |
5.93 |
| Jumonji |
5.00 |
| Aminishiki |
4.44 |
| Kotomitsuki |
3.70 |
| Hakuho |
3.54 |
| Kyokutenho |
2.96 |
| Kotoshogiku |
2.96 |
| Kisenosato |
2.96 |
| Kakizoe |
2.96 |
Of the rikishi with at least four henka since the study began, only
Kyokutenho has won all his bouts – four in all – followed by Hokutoriki
with 7/8, Roho with 11/13 and Aminishiki with 5/6.
Besides Miyabiyama, three other rikishi during Kyushu were targeted
twice by henka. Hokutoriki had only eight showings on the dohyo
but took the henka bait twice and lost both times. Also losing
two for two was Kokkai, while the wily veteran Tochinonada was also
picked on twice, but escaped both times to get the win.
Here’s the list of current top ten
| Hokutoriki |
8.59 |
| Kasugao |
5.83 |
| Miyabiyama |
5.19 |
| Kokkai |
5.19 |
| Roho |
4.72 |
| Tochinonada |
4.72 |
| Tamanoshima |
4.62 |
| Iwakiyama |
4.58 |
| Kotoshogiku |
4.44 |
| Tosanoumi |
4.17 |
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