Thursday, January 22, 2009

I See Your Whole Crew Yellow Like Mustard Packs

Off to bed. Up way too late again and I have an 8:30am meeting.
Just a quick update. Watched the inauguration speech this evening and I was really impressed. Obama is an amazing speaker and if he can back up his speeches its going to be a good eight years.
Went to the sumo tournament on Sunday. Check the pictures here if you are so inclined. It turns out that this guy is my new hero.



Man, he puts some exclamation points on those wins. Even if you aren't interested check out the way he picks up the other wrestler at 2:00 in.



This one is a few years old and shows him beating the Yokozuna at the time and subsequently getting hit in the face with some seat pads.
Now, Asashoryu is the Yokozuna (one of two) and right now he is undefeated in the New Year tournament.
Grind hard.

6 comments:

robert said...

I remember that there used to be a slapping technique whereby you distracted and annoyed your opponent by whacking them around the head and shoulders while circling to find some balance tipping point. I also particularly like the fact that none of these things last more than a couple seconds. The "get lower than your opponent" theory appears to be a staple for the winner, although he also appears to be very quick to see the opponents' inertia problems. The best photos are the ones where you're sitting with the two kimono'd guys, one of whom is trying to bulk up with a non-diet soda.

Liz said...

I read this book called The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama and it was about two brothers, one who becomes a sumo wrestler and the other is a mask-maker. I wonder if you'd think it was an accurate portrayal with all of your sumo experience now.

Do you see sumo wrestlers on the street or the train or something?

Matthew Lewis said...

Apparently in the neighborhood around the sumo stadium there are a lot of sumo "stables" or schools and you can see the sumo wrestlers out doing things. I haven't really seen them except for at the tournament. As a sumo you are expected to have a particular public persona - very kind and modest - and in public I think you are supposed to wear traditional Japanese dress. I am watching the tournament on tv right now and Hakuho and Asashoryu just fought and Hakuho won easily. This means that they're records are tied 14-1 each and they have to wrestle again. I literally yelled at my tv a minute ago when they wrestled. This is exciting.

Matthew Lewis said...

Update, Asashoryu won. One of the reasons this tournament had so much importance was that if Asashoryu lost he would lose his title of Yokozuna. Apparently, he is a bit of a sumo rockstar and doesn't embody some of the behavior becoming of a sumo. Hell of a wrestler though.

robert said...

I'm thinking this guy is more a defensive line-man Joe Greene type than an offensive line-man, Orlando Pace type guy. Maybe they are all Joe Greene types.

Matthew Lewis said...

I think the behemoth types of sumos have to be a little more of an offensive lineman style because of a lack of agility. Asashoryu seems to have more in common with a young Warren Sapp than Larry Allen....