[sumo] Yaocho - Taiho and Kashiwado?

[Barbara]

> Of Joe Kuroda
> Was the bout really a yaocho? I doubt very much it was but I believe it was
> one of those bouts Taiho found it so hard to crush his best rival and friend
> so soon after coming back from his major injury and felt for what Kashiwado
> had to go through during the absence. 
> 
> Only another yokozuna can truly understand what his fellow yokozuna has to
> go through and Taiho knew it could have been easily him.

This famous bout between Taiho and Kashiwado sounds exactly like the 
bout between Asashoryuu and Tochiazuma in the most recent basho.  Take 
another look at that one.  To my eyes, it looked like Asashoryuu's 
intention was to win "gently" so as not to injure Tochiazuma.  If Taiho 
had the same intention with Kashiwado back then, on day 15, he might 
actually have underestimated K's resolve a tiny bit which was enough for 
the upset leading to K's zensho.  I have a disk on my website for 
request which is a one hour nhk special on Taiho and Kashiwado, and it 
shows most of the key bouts between them.  Also, if I recall correctly K 
used the alternate yokozuna dohyoiri style.  If so I assume that 
contributed to the style's reputation as being a hard-luck one. Though 
maybe one could also turn it around and say that K's "all-out" approach 
required the "all-out" style.  It sure would be nice if we had two 
yokozunas today.

Barbara Murasakihana