Is anyone here into Sumo? Due to a recent Netflix show (which I will review tomorrow for MAP), I've got into watching Sumo. Its a fascinating mix of religion, culture and combat, with heroes and myths on par with Muay Thai. It is technically one of the most Koryu arts in Japan but I think is considered Gendai due to recent prominence (post television). My country is hosting its first Sumo open and I am strongly considering entering for fun. As part of the prep I'm going to train a a sumo club about an hour away for an intro next month and then work with my freestyle/Greco-Roman coach to develop my game further. I'm hoping it will help my assertiveness on the mat and area control with submission grappling (yes I am that guard puller).
Been following sumo for the last 3-4 years when I found out there were (sadly illegal) highlights on Youtube. NHK keep trying to shut them down but so far they are still there. I now follow each basho, have some wrestlers I root for and I'm really glad I got to see Hakuho compete before he retired. Although his, and Kakuryu's, departure have left the top ranks in a bit of a mess and Terunofji is a very fragile yokuzuna. When he's healthy he's nigh unbeatable but so injured and compromised this current basho may well be his last. And then there'll be no yokozuna and no one rising above the pack to take his place.
I'm really enjoying Enho's highlights. Hes like the marcelo garcia of sumo. His use of underhooks are beautiful
As much as I like watching Enho he's not getting the wins he needs to stay in the top division. I think there just is a size limit issue where all the skill and movement can only go so far against a brick wall. A small(er) guy worth watching is Midorifuji. Came out with 10 straight wins last basho, looked like he could go all the way but then hit the top guys and lost 5 straight. He's got a great pull down throw from an underhook. Timed just right as they push into him and then he pivots out, goes over with the other arm and pulls down on one side. Got a few wins like that last time out iirc. I have a soft spot for Shodai. Seems to perform very hot and cold though. Great one minute and then forced out in 5 seconds the next. Such a shame Terunofuji blew his knees out years ago. He's a ticking timeobomb for when they can take no more. But when he's on form no other wrestler can match him for strength and power. If he gets a belt grip he can literally lift 25 stone men up like children and put them down outside the rope.
Those underhook pull down throws are really beautiful wrestling. It doesn't seem like there is any phenoms at the moment in sumo
Oh, to speak of training. My wrestling coach has been working Greco-Roman a lot with lots of chest to chest contact, so I was practicing them along an imaginary dohyo edge. I think Greco-Roman is decent for grip fighting after the initial tachi-ai.
I think some of my favourite sumo is good rope sumo. When it looks lost but a deft pivot or swerve gets the win. This from Wakamotoharu is sublime. That awareness and timing.
So I did my first sumo class. I like how technical sumo is and how the simpler ruleset really allows focus on specific gripping, head and foot positions I noticed I'm tending toward a right side underhook, often with an inside mawashi grip after the tachi-ai. I've been trying to get my head position under the jaw on that side. I'm not really sure which rikishi takes similar grips that I should emulate. I'm going to work more with my Greco-Roman coach in addition to weekly sumo training. I've also entered the sumo open for my country. Its in 5 weeks so I'll post photos on MAP.
Oh boy. I didn't go to the tsuppari class. My first and only opponent gave a good open palm uppercut to my nose at the tachi ai which immediately broke my nose and splattered blood everywhere. I tried to fight into him when I got to the edge of the dohyo by latching to his arm and got off to the side to prevent more strikes and turn him toward the edge of the dohyo But as he got close to the edge he began striking my nose again and turned me round and I accepted a push out rather than take another strike to my already mashed nose. I'm out of training and competing in my other 2 comps this month (wrestling and bjj) and probably until my kid is 3 or 4 years old. But my coach has let me become an assistant coach in jiu jitsu so that been an upside.
