SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo Chris Gould Chris sinks his teeth into how sumo can go about pulling in the younger fans - currently so noticeable by their absence. The first of a three-part series. Sumo World Championships Mark Buckton Mark Buckton reports from Sakai near Osaka, site of the latest Sumo World Championships. Rikishi of Old Joe Kuroda Joe Kuroda finishes off his look at former yokozuna Minanogawa. Sumo 101 / Eric Evaluates Eric Blair Eric expains sumo fan terminology - with the inevitable twist - for those just getting into the sport and still subject to the know it alls. Age stands still for no man Joe Kuroda Former ozeki Kiyokuni will retire in November under the compulsory '65 and you are out' rule. JK takes a look at this quiet earth mover. Feel the Sumo Eduardo de Paz Read and feel the renowned Leonishiki's passion for all things sumo at his first live event. SFM Interview Mark Buckton Mark interviews Colin Carroll - again - Irish star of Sakai. Photo Bonanza See the Aki Basho bonanza as well as the largest collection of pics you are likely to see on the Sumo World Championships earlier in October. Aki Basho Summary   Lon Howard Lon wraps the September Aki Basho 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 eye of things 'beneath the curtain'. Kyushu Ones To Watch   Carolyn Todd Carolyn shares her thoughts on whom to keep an eye on in Fukuoka. Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila Mikko's latest clarification of several of the sport's plethora of kimarite. Amateur Angles   Howard Gilbert Howard Gilbert - manager of New Zealand's amateur sumo team takes a look at the approaching Russians. Kokugi Konnections   Todd Lambert Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best sumo sites online. Fan Debate   Facilitator - Lon Howard Jesse Lake and Rich Pardoe hammer out their differences on a current furor - promotion criteria. SFM Cartoons    Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and enjoy Benny Loh's offerings and put a caption to Stephen Thompson's picture to win yourselves a banzuke. 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? Kevin Murphy reveals all. 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.

that of the 31 opportunities he had to change direction during his makuuchi career, he only failed to do so twice.  Of the currently active men with a 30-basho qualifying string, Kyokushuzan is the leader with an anemic (relatively speaking) .6610.  Going further down the all-time makuuchi elevator list, you have to reach down to #29 to find an AFQ lower than Kyokushuzan’s.  Since the vast majority of men in the top 30 were from the 1980s and ‘90s, you can then state with conviction that the rank and file makuuchi rikishi from this period changed direction with a frequency unmatched before or since that time. As for Kyokushuzan, he maintained his #16 spot on the all-time list by ‘coming through’ with a hefty 3-12 elevator performance at M1w.  I thought he’d get a bigger bump down the banzuke but he only went down to M8e, so his 13-spot move and change of direction  advanced his EI from 6.25 to just 6.35.  The soon-to-be fully elevator-qualified Hokutoriki  stayed on course with another well-timed 4-11 collapse at M7e, sending him back down to the juryo danger zone at M13e.  The 12-spot drop and change of direction moved his EI up to 8.01, which would be #4 all-time if he had accumulated his 30 basho string yet.  Let’s just hope he can stay in the top division long enough for those numbers to mean something, because a trip to juryo would eat into that lofty EI.  Here is the up to date list

of top ten active elevator rikishi. Note: Before continuing here with the update on active rikishi, a quick reminder that it includes those rikishi who have at least 15 basho to count – remember that it does take a 30-basho string to be listed on the permanent ranking. When the shin-komusubi Asasekiryu dumped Hakuho on shonichi in Nagoya, I felt he may have found a higher sumo realm and might therefore fall off the elevator radar.  Fortunately (elevator talk can be grim sometimes), he injured his big toe in a day 2 loss to Kaio, sat out the rest of the basho, and consequently, nose-dived 19 banzuke spots to M9w, sending his EI soaring back up to 5.29, which is 3rd among active rikishi with at least 15 basho to count.  If he fully recovers and Kyokushuzan posts in the range from 6 to 8 wins, he may just overtake his wily countryman for the #2 spot among active men. Takekaze was a slight disappointment – both performance- and elevator-wise – in Nagoya,  managing only a 9-6 from M13w, so his mere 7 spot advance barely nudged his EI at all, and he actually fell from #3 to #4.  The only other notable change in the top ten active list is that an administrative error on my part had prevented Kaiho from being rightly listed here, up to now.  Since he entered juryo last November, I had continued to include all those juryo performances

on the premise that he’s still active; however, unless he shows back up in makuuchi at least twice, all those juryo showings will never be counted anyway, and he already had a qualifying 30-basho string before that juryo nosedive.  So I removed those juryo appearances and thus, he is now at #7.  Finally, Tamanoshima has joined in at #10 - not a big surprise, really.  I think he’s now got a real elevator up side – among the active men only, of course. None of the other rikishi are showing enough of an up side to make you think they’ll become major elevator players.  Hakurozan’s 9.29 EI is a showy number, but with only eight basho on the books, he can’t be called a comer, just yet.  My best estimate right now is that the inspection of historical rikishi will end with December’s Elevator Ride, and from that point, the focus will turn to the ups and downs of our current crop.    We’ll also begin to take a closer look at the careers of some of the rikishi who sit within the Elevator Throne Room – the Takanofujis and Itais of the elevator world – to try to understand why they were so prone to springing up and falling back on the banzuke with such regularity.  Thanks very much for sticking with the study.  See you in December.   Home Rules