| Nagoya Nears Eric Blair |
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| Rikishi of Old Joe Kuroda |
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| Heya Peek Barbara Ann Klein |
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| SFM Interview Mark Buckton |
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| Sumo 101 Barbara Ann Klein |
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| Photo Bonanza See the Natsu |
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| Natsu Basho Summary Lon Howard |
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| Lower Division Rikishi Mikko Mattila |
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| Nagoya Ones to Watch Mark Buckton |
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| Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila |
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| Amateur Angles Howard Gilbert |
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| Sumo Game Bruce Rae |
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| Sumo in Print Barbara Ann Klein |
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| Kokugi Connections Todd Lambert |
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| Fan Debate Facilitator – Lon Howard |
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| SFM Cartoons Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson |
| Let’s Hear From You What was it that |
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| Readers’ Letters |
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Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.
Kyokushuzan's 18 henka during our study period are 10 more than anyone else – Hokutoriki and Shunketsu have 8 each. Hokutoriki has statistically made the most efficient use as his 7 wins in those bouts give him an 88 per cent win percentage, compared with 72 for Kyokushuzan.
Three rikishi appear to sometimes employ some sleight-of-feet at the tachiai without actually pulling off a henka. Chiyotaikai and Aminishiki have each been nominated seven times with only one getting the voter's nod. Neither of these men appearing here would raise eyebrows, but the third one raised even my eyebrow, and I'm the one doing the nominating – none other than the guy everyone praises for plowing straight ahead at the tachiai, every fan's good guy – Ama! Ama has received eight nominations with only one being voted a henka. I'm guessing that because he's so small, he gets an elevated amount of this kind of praise any time he does go straight forward. But I'm not picking on him (crossing heart).
Kasugao continues to be the favorite target for the henka, at seven per cent of his bouts; followed by Kotoshogiku at six per cent, with Tosanoumi and Toyonoshima at five per cent each. Kasugao and Kotoshogiku have each lost four of five of those bouts, while conversely, Toyonoshima has won all four bouts he's been hit on, and Tosanoumi has won three of four. Kyokushuzan is again conspicuous here, but by his absence as he's been targeted only once in his 90 bouts – not exactly surprising when you look at his tachiai, or lack thereof. He did lose that bout, by the way, to – guess who – Asashoryu himself, who sidestepped Shoes-On and ran him directly out on day 9 of last year's Aki basho – Asashoryu's only henka.
Speaking of Asashoryu, he apparently has not put the ‘fear
For me, an overt surprise is that Hokutoriki has been targeted only four times in the 90 bouts, because his chance of winning any bout rests almost entirely on his getting the jump on his opponent at the tachiai. He did lose three of four such bouts, as did Futeno and Tamanoshima, but so far, Roho and Iwakiyama are statistically the most inept at surviving henka, both having lost all four of the bouts at which they were targeted. Kotonowaka actually lost five of five, but he's retired now.
The overall win rate for the henka perpetrators is now at 63%, i.e., 63 winners in 100 henka. In February, I created some sub-categories for a deeper inspection of the win rate, and here are the updated numbers for those categories. In this part of the study, it should be recognized that the ‘Kyokushuzan Effect’ is not
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