Yokozuna Comparisons
Joe Kuroda
SFM’s historian, JK, wraps his two-part article on the greatest of the tsuna wearers

Amateur Sumo's Global Aspirations
Courtesy: International Sumo Federation
What exactly is it and furthermore, what does it do? The ISF explain themselves and their purpose in existing

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
Man or myth? Sumo's first yokozuna comes under the spotlight

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Tokitsukaze-beya and its famous find themselves the target of Barbara's peek into life inside the heya

SFM Interview
Mark Buckton
Featuring interviews with amateur sumo's European Sumo Union General Secretary and the President of the newly founded Irish Sumo Federation

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Would chanko exist without sumo? What is chanko anyway? Find out in Sumo 101

Photo Bonanza
See the Haru
Basho through the eyes of the fans in the seats as SFM gives the mantle of photographer(s) for this basho to Barbara & Gerald Patten. And don't miss our all-Mongolian Bonanza supplied by our Editor, Barbara Ann Klein

Haru Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Haru Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers the lower division goings on like nobody else around

Natsu Basho Forecast
Mark Buckton
Mark Buckton glances back to look forward in his ones to look out for come May

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Our man Mikko takes us on a tour of his chosen kimarite

Sumo in Print
Mark Buckton
Our gaming thread takes a break for April so we can look at the Spanish language book on the sport not long since released

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s bimonthly focus on 3 of the WWW's best sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Facilitator – Lon Howard
April's man VS monkey debate covers the issue of reducing the number of honbasho

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
Sit back and enjoy the offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? Thierry Perran lets us in on his reasons for loving this sport

Readers’ Letters
See what some
See what our featured letter is for this issue

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

  KKSM: Paul, I'm going to let you win the argument, especially because you have the stodgy NSK on your side. But gosh, as I follow the path which your argument takes, I discover a trail of crumbs which your faulty reasoning has dropped. I feast upon these crumbs!

First, I disagree that contact sports demand disabling injuries from their superstars. My species abandoned gladiator sports several millennia ago. Why can't humans do the same? Second, because man simply is not as nimble as us chimps, you need those pillows! Third, while I know that most humans find basic economic principles mind-numbing, this is a simple matter of restricting the supply. If you really want to increase the demand for sumo, you must offer less of it! There is nothing more desirable than something which is hard to get!

Seriously, countries around the world are ready for the arrival of sumo, including home-grown contestants. Plant the seeds in Russia, Mongolia, Bulgaria, China, to start with. Cut back on the official basho in Japan, and conduct an international basho each year, and the sport will grow!

PS: Hi KKSM – I think that's the first time in many debates on many different subjects that
my opponent has conceded defeat, but it really is a hollow victory, where neither of us is really satisfied with the situation. As it is now, we agree on the problems that beset sumo today; the lack of the international recognition it deserves; and, the injuries that continue to plague its top competitors – but we disagree on the solution to the problems. On the injuries, you say that you disagree that contact sports demand disabling injuries from their superstars. I'm sorry I don't recall ever saying they did – correct me if I'm wrong but I think I said that the general toll that these sports take on the body mean that very few participants in contact sports will continue beyond their late 30s, and those that do cannot expect to continue at the top of their sport – it just doesn't happen.

Then we come back to the whole subject for debate and you say that by restricting the supply and offering less sumo, that will increase demand. With that sort of thinking, sumo should be one of the most popular sports anywhere in the world already with the small coverage that we get of the six hon-basho right now. You can use whatever argument you like, KKSM, but you won't increase the popularity of any sport if nobody can see it – and less sumo
means less to see.

Competitions in other countries sounds like a good idea but it's still going to be restricted to those who live in the visited countries. What is really needed is greater television coverage so that the basho and jungyo can be seen by fans all around the world – both old and new.

I would like to sign off with a traditional wish taken from the official Banzuke: “May sumo continue to draw full audiences yet another thousand and ten thousand years.”

LH: We thank both Kaiopectate and Paul for their thoughts on this controversial issue. The points they have raised will continue to be hammered on by fans on both sides as long as audiences decline and bandages and braces on the dohyo proliferate. I have a feeling this issue is one that's not going away, and is one that may be re-visited in the future. As always, if readers have any ideas or suggestions regarding future debates, please contact me at fan_liaison_director@
sumofanmag.com. Thanks for your support and see you in June when two more of your peers dig into another thorny question of current interest.

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