[sumo] Fwd: [Sumo news] - Another sumo anecdote..

[Jeff A]

Moti

Best regards,
Jeffrey Anderson
Gaijingai
For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these:
It might have been.
- John Greenleaf Whittier


---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Moti Dichne <niramiai at gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Sep 7, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Subject: [Sumo news] - Another sumo anecdote..
To: Sumo Newsletter2 <sumo-newsletter2 at googlegroups.com>


When you hit a wall, when you're feeling indecisive and frustrated, there's
nothing more appreciated than a gentle, or even a firm, push in the back
and a kick in the butt. Sumo wrestlers don't always have smooth sailing and
things don't always go the way they want them to. They do have their ups
and downs. Everyone has had the experience of feeling anxious and worried
when nothing they do goes right, only to be inspired by a heartwarming word
of encouragement from those around them, and starting on a new path. We'll
introduce you to some of those dramatic encouragements.



Confidence isn't always "sprayed" on you by others. Sometimes, you "spray"
it on yourself. The greatest Yokozuna of the Heisei era was Takanohana, a
22-time yusho winner. His godlike performance and strength had sumo fans of
the time excited and going wild. Japan was in a frenzy, but it wasn't all
good times. At 20 years and 5 months old, he became the youngest ever
Ozeki, and in his fifth basho in Kyushu 1993, he had a 7-8 makekoshi. Prior
to this tournament, Takanohana (then Takahanada) developed a severe cold,
causing liver dysfunction and limiting his ability to properly train. Even
the youngest and most talented Ozeki struggle to win if their balance of
mind, technique, and body is severely disrupted. He started losing in the
first half of the tournament, and when the press wondered, "Why?" he
answered, with his head bowed. "I'm still trying my hardest. If you ask me
why I can't win, I have no idea what to say." Then, on the final day of the
tournament, with a record of 7 wins and 7 losses, Takanohana was pushed out
by Yokozuna Akebono's powerful thrusts and choking force. Then, with a
perfectly timed slap, he slammed his hands into the ground, sealing his
bitter makekoshi. As he walked back, shoulders slumped, Takanohana muttered
helplessly, "It can't be helped." When the press surrounded him and asked,
"Will you start afresh on the jungyo (after the tournament)?" he raised his
head and answered firmly, "No, it starts today." The sooner you start
again, the better. It was a pep talk for himself. True to these words,
Takanohana immediately gave up his post-basho rest day and immersed himself
in training, seemingly to ease the frustration of his makekoshi. Just how
powerful and effective Takanohana's pep talk was is clear. The following
tournament, he seemed like a completely different person, winning 13
consecutive matches from the first day to secure his fourth yusho and
creating a new legend.

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