SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo   Chris Gould Wrapping up his look at increasing the popularity of sumo, Chris Gould caps a series the NSK would do well to refer to. Sumo Souvenirs   Mark Buckton Souvenirs are a part of every sport and sumo is no different - or is it? A look at collectibles and the downright trashy, the bona fide versus the unproven. Rikishi of Old   Joe Kuroda Joe Kuroda's latest look at times past focuses on former makunouchi man Dewagatake. Eric Evaluates   Eric Blair Eric takes a no-nonsense look at the claims of fixed bouts in the Japanese media. Rikishi Diary   Mark Kent Mark Kent - English pro-wrestler and amateur heavyweight sumotori - takes us through the first month or so of his training and preparation for the various European events lined up in in 2007. Heya Peek   Chris Gould SFM's Chris Gould was in Japan for the Hatsu Basho and popped along to the new Shikoroyama Beya to give SFM an online exclusive peek into sumo's newest heya. SFM Interview   Mark Buckton Mark interviews Mark - Buckton on Kent that is as Mark Kent, the UK's only active heavyweight amateur answers a few questions on his own recent entry into the sport. Photo Bonanzas   Sumo Forum stepped in to take the weight off the shoulders of SFM as far as Hatsu went so we could sit back, relax, enjoy the sumo and take a few more select pics you won't see anywhere else. Hatsu Basho Summary Lon Howard Lon wraps the Hatsu Basho and chucks in a few bits on the rush of henka that threatens to sully the good name of at least one foreign ozeki. Sumo Menko   Ryan Laughton Sumo cards of old brought to life by expert collector Ryan Laughton. None of your BBM here. Haru Ones To Watch Carolyn Todd Carolyn ponders and puts fingers to keys on the ones to watch come March and the Haru Basho. Kimarite Focus   Mikko Mattila Mikko's latest look at sumo's kimarite offers unequalled analysis and in depth explanations. Amateur Angles   Howard Gilbert Howard looks at the 'sumo factory' of lore - Nichidai. Kokugi Konnections Todd Lambert Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best the WWW has to offer. Fan Debate Facilitator - Carolyn Todd Moti Dichne comes back for more and takes on Bradley Sutton on the subject of 'Modernize the heya - yea or nay?' SFM Cartoons Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and sample Benny's artistic offerings. Sumo Odds & Ends SFM's interactive elements - as always includes Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke! Let's Hear From You What was it that made you a sumo fan? Ryan Laughton - sumo fan and menko expert reveals all. 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 a genuine banzuke.

most likely had to train and keep going until he literally couldn’t get up, and then might have been kicked or hit until he got up again.  This does not teach him how to fall properly.  MD: Do you really believe Baruto ever was in a position where “he couldn’t get up”? He could beat any of his heya-mates in keiko from the day he entered. Not only that, he was a totally favored rikishi by one of his oyakata, who left to form Onoe beya, taking Baruto with him. Baruto is a very bad example of a rikishi “going the traditional way”, since he was simply too strong to be pushed around. The only thing he had no time to fully learn and practice was how to avoid injuries, which is a prime part of keiko - a fundamental part. Proof is found in reality, where he is repeatedly injured in uncommon fashion… BS: You know for a fact that Baruto was never taught how to stay away from injury in his keiko?  I can’t believe that to be true.   But generally, pushing people until they physically cannot take it any more, and then beating them is not a good selling point to a 15 year old. MD: Fifteen year olds are not the majority. Usually, the age is around 18, and lately, many over 20-year-old rikishi are entering. And it’s not like they are astonished to find this out, since all recruits visit the heya to see what it’s all about, and even if they don’t, it’s common knowledge. BS: I used to be a high school sports coach. We pushed the kids

hard, but nowhere near as hard as in a heya, not even close. Perhaps some stories are an exaggeration, but the perception is out there, which means the only 15 year olds who seem to be interested in sumo have had relatives in the sport, just plain hate school, or are forced into it by their parents.  MD: Yes, that is correct, but again, they are not the majority. BS: Perhaps heya life has worked for hundreds of years, but it’s not working now.  It would be one thing to say, look, recruitment is at an all time high, we have a Japanese yokozuna, and a few shooting for ozeki, etc.  Then, you could say, ok, well, fundamentally it might seem extreme, but if it’s not broken, then why fix it?  But right now, it does seem to be broken. Was there not a recent tournament where there were only one or two new recruits?  The two biggest high school recruits in the last two years have been Japanese, yet even they could be considered “gaijin”: Daishoyu, who is half-American, and Ri, who is of Korean descent. We should always expect a few college entrants to be hyped more than all the guys in the college sumo ranks.  So, when a Sakaizawa or an Ichihara comes along, it is natural for them to join prosumo.  Similar to an American sport such as basketball where you can always count on the best college players to go to the NBA.  MD: There are always tournaments when there are a handful of recruits. The “strong” tournament is March. This one looks to be a whopper. I still don’t understand what the relevance is. And why are high

school recruits more important than college recruits? And why is it “natural” that the best Japanese amateur sumotori join the pros if the life in a heya is so unbearable? Why would “pampered” semi-foreign high school kids want to join sumo where they will be constantly humiliated etc.??? The answer is simple - if you’re serious about a career, heya life is no deterrent. If you’re looking for easy money built on a natural gift, you don’t join sumo. BS: I never said they were pampered.  These are kids who HAVE been in high school sumo, and made it their life from an earlier age.  That is what I’m talking about.  Fewer are joining pee wee sumo, fewer joining high school sumo, and thus fewer really great teens joining prosumo. MD: I’m pretty sure you don’t have any numbers to back this “fewer people joining sumo at a young age” theory. I highly doubt that this is true. As for high school sumo, you seem to have no idea how strict and demanding these clubs are. Not much easier than a pro-heya, comparatively, the serious clubs are near-spartan. BS: But in sumo, we seem to rarely have teenage entrants who cause a stir.  Tochiozan, Goeido.  Before that Kisenosato. Before that, who?  That’s an average of less than one per year in the last few years; to me, that’s a sign that heya life needs to change.  Not drastically…but just to motivate more youngsters to choose the sport.  I always hear about even new recruits practically having to beg to join; it should be the other Next