[sumo] Day 10 videos & torchbearer results [spoiler]

[Barbara]

I couldn't decide what not to include so I put 6 videos up today.

Ushiomaru-Tamakasuga. Tamakasuga was the sole leader, but now he is 
having trouble winning. I get the feeling that his opponents are now 
psyching themselves up to treat him as a tough man to beat - and so they 
are beating him. Ushiomaru's throat lunge (see picture) leads to 
unbalancing T. and by keeping up the pressure U. gets the win.

Tokitenkuu-Homashou. Tokitenkuu throws every one of his techniques at 
Homasho. Homasho valiantly keeps up, defending against two leg sweeps 
and perhaps he even obtains an advantage - but the speedy pursuit is too 
tricky to keep up while avoiding the bales, so H. loses his balance, 
just enough, to give the win to T.

Kyokutenhou-Kaiou. Kyokutenhou succeeds in getting a grip. Kaiou is just 
too stiff, too slow moving to counter in time. Kyokutenhou actually 
manages to lift Kaiou in the air a tiny fraction of a second. Kaiou 
might have been able to regroup and reply but his toes had the bad luck 
to come down one inch on the bad side of the rice bale, and he cannot 
gain any footing. Kaiou now seems to have a pattern in which he appears 
slower and weaker every day as the tournament progresses. If he cannot 
make it through a whole tournament anymore, perhaps it is time for him 
to retire and enjoy his status as a former great ozeki. Kyokutenhou's 
win shows a good plan and good execution and is well-deserved.

Ama-Takamisakari. I think this is the most amazing match I've seen thus 
far this basho. Takamisakari is a strong wrestler, and Ama can't win in 
a straight strength versus strength match. Yet Ama has no choice but to 
go right to the mawashi when facing him. Once on the mawashi Ama is 
subject to T.'s throw attempts and his relentless pressure upright to 
force Ama out, but Ama maintains enough distance so that T. is at the 
wrong end of the fulcrum and cannot get enough leverage to finish him 
off. The picture shows the miracle moment - Ama saving himself at the 
edge here is quite an achievement. After this, T. goes into a clinch. 
Incredibly, I think Ama has actually begun to tire out Takamisakari. The 
end comes for Takamisakari in the form of a flash of movement from Ama's 
left arm. Uchimuso! A match which will not be quickly forgotten.

Kotooushu-Miyabiyama. The end of Miyabiyama's reign at sekiwake. To be 
honest, I don't think he was especially trying here. Not one tsuppari or 
thrust - instead, he goes for the belt. Kotooushu's sumo was clean and 
the throw, when it came, was rather like the flop of an already-dead 
fish into the pan.

Asashoryuu-Kotomitsuki. Kotomitsuki gains an amazing advantage following 
the tachiai against Asashoryuu. The difference is that Kotomitsuki isn't 
sure what to do next - and Asashoryuu is. The picture shows the moment 
when A. gets his hand under K.'s arm. Note that K. was still trying to 
get to A.'s belt, possibly a futile direction to go even at this early 
stage. K. might have done better by moving more. Or doing almost 
anything else, to prevent A. from gaining the advantage. A really 
interesting bout, to see the extent to which Asashoryuu can apply 
himself to solve a difficult predicament.


Torchbearer results:
Shimotori, a Juuryo rikishi, won the torch from Tosanoumi, gave 
chikara-mizu to Ohtsukasa, who won against Kasuganishiki.  So, the torch 
has fallen to Juuryo now!  Will it stay there?  There is a decent chance 
it will.  Remember, you can revise your entry one time before the final 
day.  Whichever entry is closest to being correct at the end of the 
match will win, but if two entries are identical the first one received 
wins.  If you think you know the final answer already, revise your entry 
to that answer and send it to me immediately before someone else does 
the same.

If you're not playing the Torch game, it is easy. One email is all you
need to write.  The winner gets a complete video set of the current
basho, all 31 hours of coverage with the English commentary, on Xvid avi
files suitable for viewing on a computer.  You can compose your entry now.

I added instructions for requesting a complete set of basho video in
case you don't win the Torchbearer game.

Details, pictures, videos, and explanations are at Barbara's Sumo Site,

http://www.zyvid.com/sumo

in fun,
Barbara Murasakihana