[sumo] [spoilers]Takanohana and steroid abuse

[Lynn Matsuoka]

I have never addressed this subject, but ....
I have known Takanohana since he was 5 years old. The saga, as I can tell it
is in the manuscript I have written, but the short story is that he was a
beautiful , happy, friendly, smiling, up and coming teen star in sumo. When
the love of his life was ripped from his arms, and in front of the world
just to make it more excruciating , he lost it. I never saw him smile again.
>From then on he sat in the shitakubeya ( dressing room) with his back to
everyone- (unprecedented behavior ), and refused to talk to anyone for
years. Other rikishi attest to his increasingly unusual behavior after that.
One had to address him through his  protector brother, Wakanohana.
Meanwhile, his  Koen Kai hired a PR agency and began to dictate his and his
Brother¹s every public breath.

His taking anything to  enhance his possibilities was not his idea- it
seemed to me he was too mind-numbed by his ³handlers² dictating his life
that he didn¹t bother having a thought. As the son of his father, and
relative to Wakanohana 1,  he was taught to  obey and defer to authority-
quite the opposite of Asashoryu¹s orientation. This great  and dedicated
talent and beautiful young man became the cash cow in and the victim of  a
private organization in business to make money.  I saw him at times with
disturbing skin outbreaks,  just when he would drop out of a basho, and  as
I was intensively studying him visually for my life drawings of him, the
changes taking place were amazing and a bit frightening.

I don't blame him for anything, and  am heart broken to see what happened to
him over the years. Many of these people are swept along in a torrent of
other people¹s ideas, good or bad, of what is ³best²... But for whom? In my
experience working with very famous people, their biggest challenge is
determining whom to trust. The most talented gift of gab usually wins, and
god help them if that person has only selfish motives.

Lynn Matsuoka
The SUMO artist
www.traditions.jp






On 12/8/07 11:47 PM, "Scott M. Kahn" <smk1 at columbia.edu> wrote:

> 
> You make a good point, weight gain is not necessarily reflective of
> steroid abuse, but rapid weight loss can be closely related.
> Anabolic steroids increase muscle mass, they don't affect ligaments
> or joints to the same degree, hence the muscles become too strong
> for their joints.  Takanohana probably began using steroids as
> Yokozuna, or just prior, as suggested by the timeline of his
> related injuries.  If so, his dosage was too strong for his body,
> hence the liver and joint problems.  As a result of his steroid
> abuse, Takanohana, the most beloved Yokozuna in recent history,
> deprived fans from seeing him at numerous Jungyo.  To me, his
> decision to use steroids was ill advised, he succumbed to the
> pressure of expectations and robbed sumo fans.  The reason there
> was no outcry against Takanohana is obvious, and the reason that
> many people get outraged when presented with these accusations is
> that they would rather not take a critical look at the crown prince
> of sumo of his time.
> 
> Sukubidubidu
> 
>> FWIW, Asashoryu increased his body weight by 40% during his
>> career (from 106 kg to 148). Using the same time frame (i.e.
>> between age 18 an 26), Takanohana's weight has gained by 19%.
>> Even if you take the entire career of Takanohana into account, he
>> gained by 33%. And in contrast to Asashoryu, Takanohana started
>> ozumo as a 15-year old boy.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Randomitsuki
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