SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo Chris Gould Chris sinks his teeth into how sumo can go about pulling in the younger fans - currently so noticeable by their absence. The first of a three-part series. Sumo World Championships Mark Buckton Mark Buckton reports from Sakai near Osaka, site of the latest Sumo World Championships. Rikishi of Old Joe Kuroda Joe Kuroda finishes off his look at former yokozuna Minanogawa. Sumo 101 / Eric Evaluates Eric Blair Eric expains sumo fan terminology - with the inevitable twist - for those just getting into the sport and still subject to the know it alls. Age stands still for no man Joe Kuroda Former ozeki Kiyokuni will retire in November under the compulsory '65 and you are out' rule. JK takes a look at this quiet earth mover. Feel the Sumo Eduardo de Paz Read and feel the renowned Leonishiki's passion for all things sumo at his first live event. SFM Interview Mark Buckton Mark interviews Colin Carroll - again - Irish star of Sakai. Photo Bonanza See the Aki Basho bonanza as well as the largest collection of pics you are likely to see on the Sumo World Championships earlier in October. Aki Basho Summary   Lon Howard Lon wraps the September Aki Basho and throws in some henka sighting results for good measure. Lower Division Rikishi   Mikko Mattila The lower divisions, their members and results get the once over thanks to Mikko's eye of things 'beneath the curtain'. Kyushu Ones To Watch   Carolyn Todd Carolyn shares her thoughts on whom to keep an eye on in Fukuoka. Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila Mikko's latest clarification of several of the sport's plethora of kimarite. Amateur Angles   Howard Gilbert Howard Gilbert - manager of New Zealand's amateur sumo team takes a look at the approaching Russians. Kokugi Konnections   Todd Lambert Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best sumo sites online. Fan Debate   Facilitator - Lon Howard Jesse Lake and Rich Pardoe hammer out their differences on a current furor - promotion criteria. SFM Cartoons    Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and enjoy Benny Loh's offerings and put a caption to Stephen Thompson's picture to win yourselves a banzuke. Sumo Odds ’n’ Ends    SFM's interactive elements including Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke! Lets Hear From You   What was it that made you a sumo fan? Kevin Murphy reveals all. Readers' Letters   See what our readers had to say since we last hit your screens. Sumo Quiz    The Quizmaster Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

seen getting into a waiting car for the short drive back to his hotel – his office staff standing on the pavement, bowing and waving. The following day, Sunday, the sun rose on a beautiful day over Sakai and although certain whispered conversations referring to the previous evening’s fracas were taking place in and around the purpose built Ohama Sumo stadium near the Port of Sakai, mild manners seemingly reigned throughout. Attention turned, as it should have, to sumo and the men and women from around the world who had made the financial and physical effort to be here to take part in the climax of their sumo calendar year. And so it must, unequivocally, be stated that the vast majority deserve a stiff pat on the back for what they brought to Sakai that day. Most would return home to a life of relative anonymity and countless hours of sumo practice after the tournament, as many of the Japanese class of 2006 move up to Ozumo.  “There is a time and a place” said two national heads when considering this probability of “cake for the locals and none for the guests” on the one hand, and the ESU disrupting meetings on the other. In the press pack, China and Ireland were listed as first time attendees, but a chat later in the day with the Israel Sumo Federation President, also indicated his nation to be represented for the first time in its history. A nation called United state of america (sic) was also listed in the programme! On the day, no nation epitomized the true spirit of sport - any sport - quite like Ireland, represented by Sumo Ireland President Colin Carroll and Chairman Graham Little, and

with a small following of Irish folk dwelling in Nippon. Carroll was shadowed throughout the day by event coach and friend Little, and was seen doing the rounds of the English-speaking friends he had made over the previous days, in search of info on his first round opponent – (then) current world champion Vitaliy Tikhenko of Ukraine. Loaded with advice, he later went to his first-ever truly competitive fight as Ireland’s premier representative of the sport, but a split second after sticking his head into the fray in search of the good, forward moving fight, he was in mid-air. Henka’d! Henka’d by Tikhenko! Henka’d by the world champion! In his second bout, he went pretty much the way of the first and was officially out – but far from down – his “air” time had just begun. Carroll was also followed all weekend, and throughout his stay in Japan, by a TV crew from Ulster and even a Reuter’s photographer, at times. He was undoubtedly one of the true stars of the show, results notwithstanding, and as Ireland’s first ever amateur to compete at such a level, will be one to look for, along with Little, come the 2007 event in Switzerland. Both plan to be there with a team currently training in Ireland. The day featured a hundred other examples of amateur rikishi participating in the sport for all the right reasons, reasons that don’t need to be explained on paper or computer screens and sound the same in any language. The fact is  that amateur sumo today can regrettably be defined by two “P”s – People and Politics. One without the other would be ideal but far less fun and far less camel-like. For those looking to get into amateur sumo choose which “P” interests

you and jump right on in. A few bits of trivia / observations from the championships – jumbled, and in no particular order, to please the camels reading this: Sakai, host city of the SWC is the 15th largest city in Japan and is supposedly known as the Venice of the East. Whether the people of the Venice of the West know about this comparison is uncertain. The Japanese team or individual participants were often seen visiting the table of ISF president Hidetoshi and Mrs. Tanaka, bowing enough to give them a serious back ache and then walking away almost crablike – never turning their back – an event that raised several inexperienced eyebrows. As was the case in 2005, the opening ceremony, for reasons presumably known only to camels, was held at 1pm, halfway through the day and a full 4 hours after the event was declared open! Go figure. A famous Russian (his own term) – Roho, of Ozumo fame - was seen visiting and causing something of a stir. When asked by SFM why he had made the trek from Tokyo though, he gave the rather bland answer that he was there to “support my country and my fellow Russians.” Little did he know how much that phrase would mean to some on certain sumo forums.   The English-language side of things was announced in large part by the ever-approachable Katrina Watts – former NHK commentator and renowned sumo expert. No South Africans made the trip to Japan this time, perhaps as a result of the death of last year’s heavyweight rikishi Deon Britz – at the ridiculously young age of 32. Next