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Photo Bonanza
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Mikko Mattila returns to cover lower division ups and downs

Kyushu Basho Forecast
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Readers’ Letters
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Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

  hand, the very austere Japanese formal dress of the shinpan is not to be seen. The judges (who are NOT called shinpan in these regulations) are required to wear suits, white shirts and ties, unless the IFS designates a particular garment for a specific tournament.

There are five judges – not including the referee – as in pro-sumo, but, while the timekeeper in Ozumo sits at the east mukou-jomen (rear) side of the dohyo, the amasumo head judge, in the shomen (front) side, performs this function. In case of a disagreement with the determination of a bout’s winner as called by the gyoji, a judge may exclude himself from the mono-ii (on-dohyo judges’ deliberation). This latter practice may apply in pro-sumo, but I have not heard of nor seen this happening.

The start of the bout in amasumo is not a function of the synchronizing of the competitors’ breathing, their eye contact, knuckles placed/tapped on the dohyo, and general readiness to begin their charge, as perceived and executed by the wrestlers themselves. This is rather determined by the gyoji, who, after satisfying himself that the breathing has been synchronized , calls out “Kamaete” (on your mark). He 		then moves back a step and a half and tells the opponents “Te o tsuite, mattanashi”, or “hands down, waiting time is over”. Instead of holding a gunbai facing the shomen side, he places both of his palms facing inward with his arms lightly stretched and starts the match by calling “Hakkeyoi”. An opponent is not permitted to place his hands on the dohyo before his opponent does. This is officially considered to have started the bout unfairly, and the gyoji should shout “Madayo, madayo” – “not yet”. And so, the process of tachiai is repeated. What this means is that the gyoji starts the match since the competitors cannot begin until after “hakkeyoi” is called, whereas in pro-sumo, after time up is called and the gyoji raises his gunbai in a face-forward position, the match is actually started by the rikishi themselves, when they feel that they are mutually ready.

Many of us have witnessed, seen or otherwise heard about the close to 7-minute match during the September basho in Tokyo, between Ama and Tokitenku. Well, that match was stopped a little more than half-way through for a mizu-iri, or, water break, then continued with the rikishi in the same positions as when halted, until a winner was determined. In amasumo, a bout 		that continues on for three minutes, without a winner, is stopped by order of the head judge and timekeeper, and a rematch is ordered.

Interestingly, there is a significant part of the rules used to determine the winner of a match that deals with shinitai, or the dead weight body situation, and other, perhaps, inadvertent steppings- off-the-dohyo. These have long been a topic of some discussion in the various online discussion outlets on Ozumo. Here they are, as taken from the website of the ISF, www.amateursumo.
com.

Article 9.1. When the opposing athlete is in shinitai (completely lost his center of balance), it is not a loss even if the following applies:
1) An athlete touches the dohyo with his hand slightly before the opposing athlete.
2) An athlete steps out of the dohyo slightly before the opposing athlete.
Above items (1) and (2) are referred to as kabaite and kabaiashi, respectively.

Also:

Article 10. It is okuriashi, which is not a loss, when an athlete

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