see When East meets West
Continued…………………..By Hank F.Miller Jr.
A typical bout for the rikishi:
A sumo bout doesn\’t begin when the rikishi steps up to the ring, but when they start to think about it, or obsess on it. Some rikishi play back certain bouts–usually losing one\’s–dozens of times on their VCRs. At night, they usually spend long hours staring up at the ceiling, going over techniques in their head (insomnia is a common complaint of rikishi shooting for a big promotion or a tournament win; Yokozuna Kitanofuji once dropped out of a tournament because of it).
Sumo is largely a mental game; rikishi have plenty of time to psych themselves up (or out) for the big bout. For fans watching on TV, the bout begins when the rikishi first appear in the isles that lead to the dohyo or ring. The fans haven\’t seen them practice this morning, trying out what they hope will be the winning move, or in the dressing room that afternoon, polishing their initial jump-off. But can see the confidence, or nervousness, in their faces, read it in their body language.
The rikishi first confront each other after they walk down the aisles and lower themselves onto their cushions ringside. Here battle begins with stares. Some rikishi look off into space with elaborate indifference, the others send laser beams of intimidation across the ring.
Once again, fans have a chance to take a reading of the rikishi mental states. Who locks eyes? Who glances away?
This psychological gamesmanship continues when the yobidashi
(Ring announcer) calls their names and they step up onto the dohyo. Watching it escalate is one of the pleasures of the warm-up period.
The rikishi go to their corners–the east rikishi under the red tassel and the west rikishi under the white–and perform shiko, a traditional foot-stamping exercise. This is not just a way of limbering up, but a way of driving away demons, personal or otherwise, that lurk beneath the dohyo.
Next the rikishi receive a dipperful of chikaramizu (Power water) from either the winner of the previous bout. Losers are disqualified because they might pass along their bad luck. The rikishi rinse out their mouths, wipe their arm pits with chikaragami (power paper),and spit the water into a receptical.While they are thus occupied, the referee raises his gunbai (war fan) and calls out their names–twice, if rikishi in the top four ranks are taking part.
When he finishes, the two rikishi toss salt into the ring and proceed to the recessed spaces on the east and west sides of the ring. They squat on the balls of their feet, their knees spread, in a pose called the sonkuo.
The rikishi then approach the shikirisen, the white lines 70 centimeters apart, in the middle of the ring. They perform shiko, squat in the sonkyo position, and brushing the decorative starched cords called sagari to the right and left, squat again. This time they put their fists down on the clay, behind the white lines, and glare at their opponents. This is called shikiri.Rising, they return for more salt–and repeat the shikiri once again.
Thus the Battle begins, most bouts lasts only a few seconds and they\’re over so quickly, \”at the blink of an eye.\”
This will be the end of the commentary regarding sumo a traditional a traditional Japanese sport for now, but I will continue with many other stories of my experience here in Japan these 30 odd years.
I hope that many readers find my commentaries interesting and enjoy them all. Please do let me know if you have any questions regarding Japan, I\’ll try to answer all inquiries. Until next week,
\”Warm Regards From \”THE MILLER ENGLISH SCHOOL\” Kitakyushu City, Japan.
Hank F. Miller Jr. Director
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