[sumo] Fwd: [Sumo news] - Ex-Kaiou (Asakayama Oyakata) sums up Aki 2026- 4 part series

[Jeff A]

Moti


Best regards,
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: Sat, Oct 3, 2026 at 11:11 AM
Subject: [Sumo news] - Ex-Kaiou (Asakayama Oyakata) sums up Aki 2026- 4
part series
To: Sumo Newsletter2 <sumo-newsletter2 at googlegroups.com>


A 4-part interview by ex-KaioU (Current Asakayama Oyakata). I found this to
be one of those rare gems.

Part 1:

The Aki Basho concluded with Yokozuna Oonosato securing his sixth yusho,
his first in a year. While his early bouts were a mix of sloppy, poor sumo
and good sumo, his performance improved steadily as the days went by. After
suffering consecutive losses to Ozeki Kirishima on Day 13 and Ozeki
Kotozakura on Day 14, I wondered how things would turn out; however, even
in defeat, he showed a willingness to press forward, which I believe paved
the way for his victory against Ozeki Aonishiki on the final day. Early on,
there was criticism regarding his tendency to pull back or hop around, but
in Oonosato's case, he was actually moving forward and making contact at
the tachiai .

*That loud *whack* at the tachiai is "nothing to be proud of."*

Over the course of the 15 days, he overwhelmed the energetic new Sekiwake
Fujinokawa and overpowered Atamifuji, who was also vying for promotion to
Ozeki. Speaking of which, during his match against Atamifuji, a tremendous
*whack* echoed through the arena at the tachiai, surprising many fans, but
actually, that isn't something to be praised. That sound occurs because the
rikishi are making chest-to-chest contact with their upper bodies arched
backward. If they were using the fundamental tachiai form, charging in with
a rounded back, you wouldn't hear a sound like that. Oonosato had finished
the July Basho with a 9-6 record. Despite people around him suggesting he
should sit out the tournament, he saw it through to the very end. I believe
that experience, pushing through without taking the easy option of
withdrawing, played a significant role in his success this tournament.
There is real importance in the experience of stepping onto the dohyo day
after day for the full fifteen-day tournament. He shed tears upon winning
the yusho, which speaks volumes about the immense pressure he must have
been under. Oonosato’s true strength lies in his ability to deliver such
impressive sumo performances despite that heavy burden. Just consider this:
in the mere three and a half years since he entered the sumo world, he has
already experienced both the highs and the lows. He will likely grow even
further by drawing upon these experiences. In a sense, rather than viewing
him as a Yokozuna who has already reached his "finished form," one can see
him as a Yokozuna with significant room for future development. What kind
of sumo, what kind of Yokozuna persona  will Oonosato show us going
forward? I find it exciting to think about the emergence of an
"overwhelmingly dominant Yokozuna" in the making.


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