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.

against M7 Kasugao, while Kotooshu's last two showings were just a matter of ozeki pride, as he compounded his potentially severe right knee injury with one to his right ankle on day 13, rendering his entire right leg unusable the final two days. At this writing, it isn't known how he plans to care for his injuries, so no prognosis for Natsu is available.

Notwithstanding any particular bouts, the most surprising outcome in this basho for me was the continued climb back up the sanyaku ranks for komusubi Miyabiyama, whose 10-5 surprise will re-boot him to sekiwake. Having again renounced his slither-some slide moves for the more focused thrusting attack that gave him a sekiwake home for four basho a little over a year ago, he appears motivated to regain his ozeki rank. Did I say ozeki? “Earth to all: Return to Earth, please! This was the human Hummer's first double-digit sanyaku win since before he was ozeki – nearly six years ago! That is all. ”

It's time for this observer to finally come around to accepting that M2 Ama is something special. If you had suggested to me, even before Hatsu, that he had a bigger up-side than
Kokkai, you wouldn't have known if I was stifling a sneeze or a snicker. This was Ama's first crack at a barrel-full of joi-jin and he shot down his share, posting a solid 8-7, landing him in one of the open komusubi slots in Natsu. With another 15 kilo and 15 months, he could be the next perennial ozeki candidate; but I don't see another kachi-koshi this next time because there's a big difference in handling the top 15 guys instead of the top 10, especially on the first try. Even at his present 113 kilo though, he can hang around sanyaku indefinitely.

Despite his make-koshi 7-8 at M3, Aminishiki showed signs that he may have moved into a

Iwakiyama and Aminishiki















slightly higher rent district, knocking off two ozeki and a komusubi this time and
showing no signs of being unduly overmatched at this level. His recent weight gain doesn't appear to be an issue with his movement or his chronic knee injury, and allows him to stay in some matches longer than before.

Young'uns Kisenosato and Kotoshogiku will get another chance in Natsu to prove something, as they posted 10-5 and 9-6 respectively, at M7 and M8. Both look impressive at times against the bottom of the division, although Kisenosato is

Kisenosato














more stable and powerful. Kotoshogiku is blessed with a variety of skills, and cursed because none of them are particularly dominating for him. He is easily leveraged against taller foes due to his short stature and if he does climb to

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