Amateur Sumo – the sport as it should be
Mark Buckton
Sakai World Sumo Champs – not all about winning

Las Vegas Koen
Joe Kuroda
Our man reports from the fight capital of the world

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
A look at a rikishi of yesterday with Kotozakura – our man for October

Heya Peek
John Gunning
John’s early morning dash to Azumazeki-beya & report on TKOTU

SFM Interview
Katrina Watts sits down with SFM’s Mark Buckton to discuss amateur sumo

Photo Bonanza
SFM’s best yet – Aki Basho/ Las Vegas / Amateur World Champs / Azumazeki-beya visit – seen nowhere else

Aki Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Aki Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results, and his take on the tournament while ‘gem’ of the basho takes a break

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila returns to cover lower division ups and downs

Kyushu Basho Forecast
Pierre Wohlleben & Mark Buckton
Pierre predicts the Kyushu Basho banzuke while Mark previews the ones to watch next time out

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Discovers and explains amasumo & ozumo variations

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Mikko once again walks us through his chosen kimarite

Minusha
John McTague
John’s unique bimonthly view of news from outside the dohyo

Online Gaming
Zenjimoto of ‘game fame’ covers some of the very best sumo games around – his own!

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s focus on 3 of the most interesting online sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Is the limit on foreign rikishi fair? See what our debaters had to say

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh
In the first of our cartoon bonanzas, sit back and chuckle at Benny Loh’s offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that made you a sumo fan? Gernobono tells all

Readers’ Letters
See what SFM readers had to say since our last issue

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

  At last, the turning point came at the 1972 November basho, his thirtieth as ozeki. By this time his weight was up to 150 kg and he had a physique not easily pushed around, but in this basho, the fans saw a different Kotozakura – no sign of wavering, just a quick and power dash towards his opponent, immediately pushing him out. On day 8, Kotozakura lost to Kongo and was to face yokozuna Kitanofuji on day 14. He went after Kitanofuji with ferocious nodo-wa (thrust to the throat) and pressing forward powerfully, he crushed Kitanofuji by oshitaoshi, winning his third yusho on day 14. It had been three and half years since his last yusho and this win was the fruit of all his labors – long and arduous training and struggles back from injuries. Furthermore, by this time, Kotozakura perfected his own form of attacking his opponent with migi-ottsuke (right side push from below) and with hidari-nodowa (thrusts to the throat from left).

His unceasing assault to the top continued during the following basho in January 1973, as he started by winning 10 straight bouts. On day 11, he faced ozeki Wajima who was also in great condition with only one loss at the point. In the bout, Wajima quickly got into his favorite
position by getting the left mawashi. However, Kotozakura responded with his favorite, powerful thrusts to the throat, getting Wajima's upper body to move backwards. Using these techniques, Kotozakura immediately pushed Wajima out. Later in the basho, Kotozakura lost to Fukunohana but completed the tournament with another 14 win and 1 loss record, his second consecutive yusho, convincingly earning the promotion to yokozuna.

The reign of the “Perpetual Ozeki” finally came to an end after five years and 32 basho. This late blooming sakura flower was finally in full bloom. After promotion to yokozuna, Kotozakura, following the late Tamanoumi, decided to use the shiranui-style dohyo-iri. As he was already 32 years and two months old, many did not expect longevity from Kotozakura. Three bashos after his promotion at the 1973 July Basho, Kotozakura faced yokozuna Kitanofuji in the yusho kettei-sei (yusho-deciding) bout, both having finished with identical 14 and 1 records. In this bout, Kotozakura first got the mawashi with both hands and when Kitanofuji attempted to switch his right hand around the mawashi, Kotozakura pushed him out decisively. This was his
first yusho as yokozuna and his fifth career yusho.

That basho represented the highest plateau for yokozuna Kotozakura. Three tournaments later, during the 1974 January basho, he withdrew from day 6 after injuring his left knee. He returned in the following basho, barely making kachikoshi with 8 wins and 7 losses. He re-injured his knee during the following May basho and withdrew on day 3. Just prior to the start of the next July basho, Kotozakura announced his retirement from active sumo, concluding that he had reached the point of his physical limit and could no longer continue.

Kotozakura assumed the Shiratama Myoseki (oyakata name) upon his retirement and was hoping one day to found his own heya and develop his own recruits. Exactly 10 days later, his shisho Sadogatake oyakata died suddenly and he inherited Sadogatake Myoseki and the heya.

Kotozakura lived a life of integrity and perseverance through his active sumo career. Maintaining this lifestyle as an oyakata, he continues to pour all his passion into attracting and developing promising recruits

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