Sumo Fan Magazine

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.	Photo by John Gunning		they were being cut in two by the much softer junior level version, whilst some lightweights had to hold up ridiculously slack, but admittedly real mawashi – something the sole representative of Cameroon to arrive in Japan, donned for the first time only on the day of the event, the stadium grapevine reported. Announced throughout in both Japanese and English (Katrina Watts (interviewed here) – NHK’s most respected female commentator of professional sumo and renowned expert on the amateur game sitting behind the English microphone for much of the morning and early afternoon), even for non-English speakers from overseas, events were easy enough to follow. Of course, technically shy of the skills found in the Kokugikan come honbasho, many of the day’s matches nonetheless saw great bouts, a range of kimarite and hard fought contests applauded by those around – sometimes even those on – the dohyo, and even attracted one makunouchi long-timer in the shape of Kyokushuzan who came incognito – hat and veil Next Home
	who would go on to the finals in the afternoon, the mood was far more relaxed than later when the competition intensified, supporters grew more vocal and fights took on extra meaning. In the meantime, as much entertainment and enjoyment was to be found in the ‘covered (but) open-air’ dome that hosted the event. Petr Matous, captain of the Tokyo University sumo club attracted a lot of media attention as has been his lot recently, but lost his first bout to Bulgarian Georgiev Stiliyan in a men’s lightweight division plagued by weak, touchy-feely, almost nervous tachiai, and an overuse of slap down attempts	by many of the eastern Europeans clearly trained in other forms of one-on-one wrestling. Old friends, adversaries and their support staff sat, talked and laughed aloud, in the process defeating most linguistic barriers and cementing personal ties that will last long after who won what at Sakai is forgotten – except perhaps by the winners! From start to finish, providing the fans and competitors alike with a few giggles, were the mawashi worn by some of the participants as a number of men well over 150kg looked like