[sumo] Hakuho Changing Mawashi

[sumorina at mac.com]

Too "hard" probably means too stiff.  When a mawashi is new it is  
very stiff and not easy to move in comfortably.  You can see sekitori  
'breaking in' their silk mawashi at keiko or during the jungyo.   
Interestingly, whether due to the weaving or the dyeing, some are  
more difficult to soften up than others, which may be why Hakuho has  
not yet used this one in honbasho.

You can recognize a new mawashi, not only by it's sheen, but by the  
fact that it makes squeaky, scratchy noises when the wearer moves.  I  
once thought there was a sandstorm outside the tent-like keiko area  
at the Kitanoumibeya's temporary quarters in Osaka.  In fact it was  
Ganyu and Kanechika in new mawashis!

Because of the inflexibility of a new mawashi, sekitori are often  
reluctant to wear them in honbasho when they don't want any  
restriction of movement.   You will sometimes see someone start off  
in a new mawashi only to revert to old faithful during the tournament.

The new mawashi syndrome is not helpful to shinjuryo rikishi who  
don't have a well worn shimekomi (silk mawashi) to fall back on.   
Maybe it's not only first basho as a sekitori nerves that make the  
new juryo promotees walk so stiffly.

Katrina
On 02/01/2008, at 8:42 AM, Jeanne Hedge wrote:

> Kintamayama reports that after winning 2 straight yusho, Hakuho is  
> changing his mawashi.  He will be wearing a light brown (cocoa  
> color) one that he's had since his promotion to yokozuna.  He has  
> never worn it before because it was too "hard".  (hard color, or  
> hard to change mawashi?)
> (http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php? 
> s=&showtopic=13855&view=findpost&p=131521)
>
>
> Does changing mawashi fall under the same "luck" category as  
> changing shikona?
>
>
>
> Regards,
> Jeanne Hedge
> _______________________________________________
> Sumo mailing list
> Sumo at webtrek.com
> http://www.webtrek.com/mailman/listinfo/sumo