Just a reminder that if you have any sumo questions you can’t find the answer to - feel free to shoot them my way. #sumo #相撲 - ThreadSky

johngunningsumo.bsky.social • 91 days ago

Just a reminder that if you have any sumo questions you can’t find the answer to - feel free to shoot them my way.

#sumo #相撲

Comments

lawchenmann.bsky.social•90 days ago

Could you please explain the “dead body rule”? Do you think it makes sense and is applied uniformly/logically or does it lead to arbitrariness in the decisions?

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•90 days ago

Simply means an unrecoverable position. It makes sense but because it’s subjective 100% uniform application by different people isn’t going to happen. Rather like the catch / no catch in the NFL.
Even so I wouldn’t describe it as arbitrary.

lawchenmann.bsky.social•89 days ago

Thank you!

plihal.bsky.social•83 days ago

Hey John! I have lots of questions abt lower division sagari. Where do they come from? Is the cloth woven at the stable or by a third party? Do rikishi have a say in what color they have? Are all treasured as Shunba's was by Terunofuji->Midorifuji>Nishikifuji passsing it to each other?

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•83 days ago

Just colored ropes in a piece of fabric, unlike sekitori sagari which come from the mawashi material.
In terms of what color and how much say you have that depends on individual situation re: heya, rank, etc.
In my experience few are treasured in that Shunba / Terunofuji way

plihal.bsky.social•83 days ago

Thank you very much, that was very insightful

plihal.bsky.social•90 days ago

Do you have any pictures of the that metal plate trophy that the winner in some big amateur championships win? Im very curious to see what they look like up close

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•90 days ago

Which one exactly are you referring to? I have pictures of a lot of stuff

plihal.bsky.social•90 days ago

Hello Mr Gunning, Im sorry im bad at explaining hahah. I mean like, this metal plate on the mawashi that Onosato is wearing in his uni days, Ive seen it in a couple places but Im not sure what it is

anagramofbrat.bsky.social•90 days ago

I know this is a serious question but since it was answered I'm going to have a giggle at bb Onosato's haircut in this picture.

baikinange.bsky.social•90 days ago

I know yobidashi start young, age 15 or so? Do young men join sumo as gyoji in training at that age, or are they yobidashi who show that talent and begin referee training? Do all yobidashi call matches or are there different specialties?

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•90 days ago

Generally people join either as a yobidashi, gyoji, or Tokoyama around the age of 15. Changing from one urakata career to another isn’t something that normally happens.
Yobidashi duties depend on rank.

baikinange.bsky.social•90 days ago

I guess I have trouble accepting that a 15 year old can make those kind of major life decisions. I’m sure most come from a family who are already active in that world and if they don’t seem to have the goods to be a rikishi they can at least decide on one of the other 3 choices.

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•90 days ago

Some maybe, but the vast majority have no sumo family connection.

beastmonarch83.bsky.social•89 days ago

Do you know why Sandanme is dropping from 90 to 80 ranks for the Hatsu Basho?

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•89 days ago

Fewer rikishi.
Division sizes have contracted and expanded over the centuries as the number of wrestlers rises or falls

beastmonarch83.bsky.social•89 days ago

Thanks John. I've been watching avidly since 2017 and I think this is the first adjustment that's been made in that time

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•89 days ago

Sandanme was reduced from 100 ranks to 90 in May 2022

beastmonarch83.bsky.social•89 days ago

I'm clearly not aswell informed as I'd hoped🤣 Thanks for the knowledge

sterix.bsky.social•88 days ago

Who's the current It Guy/superstar of the sport?

thomasvye.bsky.social•90 days ago

I would love to understand how the Banzuke works, if you know of a resource?

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•90 days ago

You can start here.

thomasvye.bsky.social•89 days ago

What a great article! I can see there is a bit of fluidity in the rank changes.

ckingrace.bsky.social•90 days ago

Weird question: Who are the rikishi in the sumopedia videos on NHK World showing the different kimarites? https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/sumo/techniques/

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•90 days ago

In the sumo school demonstration videos?
Left to right:
Satonofuji (Isegahama)
Kabutoyama oyakata
Toho (Otake)

ckingrace.bsky.social•90 days ago

Perfect! Thanks!

stiefnu.bsky.social•90 days ago

Since Gyoji are part of a heya, do they also officiate matches involving sumotori from their own heya? And if not (which would make sense to me), what would happen if a Yokozuna and the Tate-gyoji were from the same heya, given that both would be in the final match?

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•90 days ago

There is no officiating restriction on gyoji or shinpan.

bizzo.bz•91 days ago

What do you find is the easiest/most effective way to get an outsider interested in sumo? Assume that I can't sit them down for like 30 minutes to watch a full NHK highlights vid or something.

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•91 days ago

Honestly I'm not one for proselytizing, but if someone expressed an interest in sumo and wanted to know more, then either recent highlight clips or else the excellent 2-part "Legend of Sumo" DVD set (it has English subtitles), or maybe Shiko Funjatta (1991)

bizzo.bz•90 days ago

In what context do shokkiri shows happen? Are they like opening acts at a grand sumo event? Do they happen at the touring shows? Completely separate from the legit sport?

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•90 days ago

Jungyo, one-day tournaments, retirement ceremonies etc.
Basically any major non-honbasho event.

sumojason.bsky.social•90 days ago

When are NHK gonna let you back in the booth for Basho commentary? We miss you John!

johngunningsumo.bsky.social•90 days ago

They have no plans to return to two-person commentary teams unfortunately.

sumojason.bsky.social•90 days ago

Oh well. At least we get the preview show and your newspaper articles

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