<DATE> Contents

SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo
Chris Gould
Chris sinks his teeth deeper into how sumo can go about pulling in the younger fans in part two of a three-part series.
Azumazeki up close and personal
Steven Pascal-Joiner / William Titus
A wiz with a pen and a wiz with a lens get together with SFM to share their time with Azumazeki Oyakata - Takamiyama as was - with the wider sumo following world.
Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
Joe Kuroda takes a detailed look at the life and times of a former yokozuna forgotten by many - Maedayama.
Eric Evaluates
Eric Blair
Eric calls the musubi-no-ichiban kimarite call on nakabi in Kyushu as perhaps only he could.
Heya Peek
Jeff Kennel
First time heya visitor Jeff Kennel wrote about, photographed and even made a video of his time spent at Arashio Beya prior to the Kyushu Basho. All to be found within.
SFM Interview
Mark Buckton
Mark interviews Russian up and comer Wakanoho of Magaki Beya.
Photo Bonanzas
See behind the scenes at the Kyushu Basho, morning training in Arashio Beya through the eyes of an artist and exactly what the Azumazeki lads had to eat halfway though the July Nagoya Basho. All originals, all seen here and nowhere else, and all for you.
Kyushu Basho Summary
Lon Howard
Lon wraps the Kyushu Basho in Fukuoka and throws in some henka sighting results for good measure.
Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
The lower divisions, their members and results get the once over thanks to Mikko's eyeing of life down below the salaried ranks.
Hatsu Ones To Watch
Carolyn Todd
Carolyn ponders and puts fingers to keys on the ones to watch come January and the Hatsu Basho.
Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Mikko's latest clarification of a handful of sumo's kimarite offers unequalled analysis and in depth explanations.
Amateur Angles
Howard Gilbert
Howard looks at makushita tsukedashi and what it means in real terms.
Kokugi Konnections
Todd Lambert
Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best sumo sites online.
Fan Debate
Facilitators - Lon Howard / Carolyn Todd
Two SFMers talk over the yokozuna benefiting from weak opposition - or not as the case may be.
SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and sample Stephen's artistic offerings.
Sumo Odds ’n’ Ends
SFM's interactive elements including Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke!
Lets Hear From You
What was it that made you a sumo fan? Starting with issue #10, the SFM staff will reveal a little of their own routes into sumo fandom - starting with Benny Loh.
Readers' Letters
See what our readers had to say since we last hit your screens.
Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.


Hatsu Ones to Watch

Text and Photos by Carolyn Todd


expecting him to sail through the ranks without a few setbacks. He’s shaping up to be one of Japan’s greatest hopes of a future champion because so far, and I stress ‘so far’, his performance has been pretty convincing.
 
Hakuho – Hopefully Hakuho will come hobbling back after his toe injury ready to start another promotion run in January and make 2007 the year that we get a new yokozuna. Saying that, I guess I’m assuming that Hakuho is the only contender, despite this year’s parade being cancelled, the tsuna decision put on hold and the no doubt numerous new kesho mawashi stuffed to the back of the closet. And really, he is the only contender. Others may also be getting over injuries, coming up the ranks or, in Ama’s case, eating pies, but at this point, only Hakuho seems to have even the vaguest hope of joining Asashoryu.
  
Tochiozan/Goeido – I’m going to put these two together because of their alleged rivalry, which will hopefully make juryo a little more thrilling in January (the best bit about juryo in Kyushu was watching Takanowaka warming up in the corridor – see photo bonanza). Both managed to get kachi-koshi, Goeido just scraping

Next


Kotoshogiku – fresh from his sansho win, Shogiku will be aiming to sustain his success. This is pre-banzuke announcement so it’s unclear whether the extra komusubi slots created for Kyushu will be retained. If they are, Shogiku will
  

Kotoshogiku

make it into sanyaku. If not, that’s a pretty raw deal because he was inspired during the second half of the basho. With Kotooshu taking over as top ozeki and Kotomitsuki installed as sekiwake, a sanyaku place for
Shogiku would make him less of a Cinderella figure at Sadogatake and get him more recognition of his abilities.
  
Homasho – although recent reports say that he’s been getting pummelled by the joi-jin at the


Homasho

winter jungyo, this is probably a good thing. Better to know what he’s up against now than to find out on the basho dohyo. He’ll still be taught numerous lessons at Hatsu basho but no one’s











































































 

















L10 Web Stats Reporter 3.15