[sumo] Sumo World magazine, January 2008 edition

[Magnus Berg]

Thanks Jezz, for the best laugh I've had all week! After all these 
years, I can finally forgive Clyde Newton for owing me tens of dollars, 
and that's thanks to you. My favorite was the Ichinoya sentence. I read 
it four times and still don't understand how the parts are even 
remotely related!

I miss the eek, too! Let's hope they still can 'eek' out the odd eek in 
coming (?) issues...

All the best,
Maguroyama

2008-02-01 kl. 16.41 skrev Jezz:

> Hi!
>
> I have just received a copy of Sumo World for the past basho (thanks
> to John Gunning, aka Nishinoshima).  I am amongst the many that are
> owed copies due to a subscription made way back.  Despite that, I
> really like Sumo World.  This issue has some interesting articles,
> including one on Ichinoya, and another on other 'old rikishi' in the
> past.
>
> However, Sumo World is never fully proof-read.  Sometimes the writers
> get 'flowery' with their language, which can be comedic if taken
> literally.
>
> Below are some examples of the above from this issue (there are 
> others).
>
> Page 2:    Yokozuna Hakuho performs the dohyo on the 15th day of the
> Kyusho Basho.  [Basically, he just lies down spreading himself out,
> and lets a yobidashi paint two white lines on his back.]
>
> Page 2:  Subscribers are strongly recommended to send cash by
> registered mail (dollars or yen) or by international postal order.
> This saves time and money both for Sumo World and subscribers.  [No
> mention of receiving magazines in return. There be the catch ;-)]
>
> Page 3:  Hakuho - He should have little difficulty winning 11 or 12
> bouts, but will is not likely to go beyond runner-up status unless
> Asashoryu falters.  [Hakuho changed his shikona, as he is a big fan of
> Shakespeare.]
>
> Page 4:  Kotooshu - he is likely to hold his rank with 8 or 9 wins
> [I'd go far as saying 'guaranteed to hold his rank with 8 or 9 wins'.]
>
> Page 4:  Kotoshogiku - ....with a credible 9-6 record in November....
> [Why would anyone not believe this?] ....that included an opening day
> upset over Asashoryu.  [Aha!  Now I see why.  I personally find this
> record incredible, as Asashoryu was in Mongolia at the time.]
>
> Page 7:  Wakanoho - He needs to avoid....winning by unorthodox
> methods.  [Yes, if he is on the brink of winning by such a method, he
> should immediately fall flat on his face, just in case.]
>
> Page 16:  Until many other veteran rikishi in the lower divisions, who
> specialize in preparing chanko for their heya, Ichinoya, whose hair
> was starting to turn gray , continued training seriously until the end
> of his career.  [Run that by me again...]
>
> Page 17: Ex-Kiyokuni had a long string of misfortunes after his wife
> and children were killed in a plane crash in 1985, and as a result
> only two low ranked rikishi remained at the end of his tenure.  [The
> misfortunes only began *after* his family were killed?]  Wakafuji
> Oyakata, then 64 years old and close to retirement himself, took over
> the heya briefly, but closed it down and transferred the remaining
> personnel to Kiriyama Beya and other heya after the January 2007
> tournament.  [I suppose the heya could have had a gyoji or a tokoyama,
> but basically the 'remaining personnel' can only be the two
> aforementioned rikishi.  So one went to Kiriyama Beya, and the other
> one didn't?]
>
> Page 19:  Shinnyumaku Profile Ichihara.  Hobby: Cleaning.  [Not a
> proof-reading error, but it still makes me laugh thinking about it.]
> If he develops more speed in his sumo, he has the potential to be one
> of the most promising young Japanese rikishi.   [So if he gets
> speedier, he can *potentially* become *promising*?]
>
> Page 20:  If [Ichihara] watches his weight, is high [sic] likely to be
> a sanyaku regular in the coming years.  [I thought it was his speed
> (see above) that was the issue, not his weight.  No doubt he will now
> be joining Weight-watchers.]
>
> Page 20:   Tochi[nohana] told scribes after his last bout....  [My
> Collins dictionary has three definitions for 'scribe'.  1.  a person
> who copies documents.  2.  a clerk or public copyist. 3. a teacher of
> the Jewish Law.  *Note: It is not a synonym for journalist.*  I
> suspect a party of rabbis were in attendance at the kokugikan that
> day.]
>
> Page 23:  For the first time in the history of sumo, the two head
> tokoyama were listed on the January 2008 banzuke.  [The tokoyama who
> cut the hair on other parts of the rikishi bodies will have to wait to
> be listed.]
>
> Page 24:  slighty paunchy Asashoryu [Asashoryu is slightly paunchy?]
>
> Page 24:  Farther down the ranks, Sekiwake Ama might be THE rikishi
> for 2008, if he can put on some weight and not get the odd loss to
> lower rankers.  [Beating the top-rankers is a given?  Or is
> unnecessary if he wants to become THE rikishi?]  He has the fire and
> technique, but occasionally falls asleep.  [Most rikishi suffer from
> insomnia.]
>
> Page 24:  With about 30 heya represented in the top division, there is
> no telling who will be hoisting [to hoist = to raise or lift up,
> usually by mechanical means] the heavy metal at the end.  My bet is on
> Asashoryu, assuming he is in fighting condition.  [I like that
> proviso.]
>
> Page 25:  [Kotomitsuki] humilated Hakuho in the final bout of the
> tournament.  [Well he beat him, but was Hakuho humilated by Mickey?]
>
> Page 25:  Ozeki Chiyotaikai....suddenly came to life.... [Thanks to Dr
> Frankenstein?]
>
> Page 29:  Hoshihikari:  While still a beanpole at a paltry 111
> kilograms.... [beanpole?  paltry?  111 kgs?]
>
> Page 30:  Kitazakura got off to a good start in November, but seemed
> to loose [sic] steam in the last week....  [That steam needed to be
> released!]
>
> Spot the eek!  When I was living in Japan, and bought Sumo World every
> basho, there was always at least one 'eek' in every issue.  Sadly,
> this issue of Sumo World seemed to be eek free.
>
> Finally, my favourite from this issue....
>
> Page 24: Baruto...  But barring an unfortunate accident on the dohyo,
> he could be in the mix on day 15.  [Otherwise, he could literally be
> 'in the cr*p'?]
>
> That's it!
>
> Jejima
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