On May 4, the first yokozuna deliberation council sōken (open practice) to be held since January 2020 provided a snapshot of the current state of Japan’s national sport, both inside and outside of the ring.
The event, like many others in sumo over the past three years, had fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In years past, the Japan Sumo Association has opened the sōken up to the general public and held it in the Kokugikan’s main arena, but its 2023 return saw practice take place at the sumo school, with attendance limited to JSA officials, the YDC board and media members.
As with any pre-tournament joint training session, what didn’t happen was more informative than what did.
Most notable was the fact that Takakeisho, a candidate for yokozuna promotion prior to the March tournament, looked well off the pace following his return from injury.
The ozeki’s withdrawal from the spring meet means he’ll need to achieve a winning record in the upcoming tournament to save his current rank.
Based on what took place at the sōken, that looks like a difficult task.
Takakeisho arrived early and, unlike other sekitori, eschewed warming up at the back of the room, in favor of standing ringside while intently watching the action between lower-division wrestlers.
Although clearly focused and chomping at the bit to get involved, once inside the ring the 26-year-old showed signs of rust, with his left knee injury clearly far from fully recovered.
It wasn’t all bad news for Takakeisho, though, with the pusher-thruster displaying surprising resilience and ability when locked up with opponents. Eight wins in the summer meet, while not an easy task given his condition, might be achievable.
Fellow returnee Terunofuji showed in limited action why he remains far and away the most powerful rikishi in the banzuke rankings, with the yokozuna displaying flashes of his signature overwhelming dominance.
March champion Kiribayama continues to look sharp, with the ozeki-promotion-chasing veteran one of the few to get the better of Terunofuji on the day. The ten wins that would see him elevated to sumo’s second highest rank appear well within reach for Kiribayama.
The first couple of hours of the sōken saw lower-division rikishi from various stables practicing together. One wrestler who stood out during that session was Sergey Sokolovsky, a 26-year-old Ukrainian who fights under the ring name of Shishi.
Physically reminiscent of Baruto, Shishi isn’t quite as massive as the former ozeki, but still towers over most opponents.
Going 14-7 against other makushita division wrestlers, the Ikazuchi stable man received advice and coaching from his stablemaster (former komusubi Kakizoe) throughout the session.
All of Shishi’s wins came via sheer power, with the Zaporizhia Oblast native driving opponents to the ring’s edge, and then forcing or thrusting them out.
At a career high rank of makushita 2, Sokolovsky is within touching distance of becoming the first ever Ukrainian-born sekitori following the May tournament.
Should he continue to progress, and with sōken absentees Tochinoshin and Aoiyama both entering their late 30’s, Shishi could soon be Europe’s sole representative in sumo’s top tier.
With the JSA’s COVID-19 restrictions coming to an end, and rikishi once again allowed to dine out during tournaments, it was fitting to see Abi and Asanoyama — two men who’d received lengthy suspensions for doing just that during the pandemic — enter the arena at the same time.
One incident at the sōken however, showed that sumo’s recent problems with ensuring the health of its participants haven’t been fully addressed.
Kinbozan, who made his top-division debut in March, found himself being berated and encouraged by senior wrestlers and elders during butsukari practice — but it was clear that the Kazakhstani native wasn’t simply winded, as normally happens, but genuinely struggling for breath after a session that wasn't particularly intensive.
Unable to stand without difficulty and grabbing his chest, Kinbozan — a graduate of Nihon University’s famously intense program — seemed to be in distress.
Following the sōken, another sumo journalist indicated he too had been concerned and had started looking around for an AED device.
Talking to Kinbozan afterward, he mentioned the breathing problem is something he’s had for a while, and it arises when he gets too stressed or exerts himself too much. The 25 year old said he uses a "spray" — but didn’t elaborate on what sounded like an asthma issue.
Whether or not those present were aware of Kinbozan’s condition, few outside of some observers in the media contingent seemed to realize his struggles weren’t those that normally arise during intense training.
One of the major criticisms of sumo over the past few years is the slow reaction time to serious injuries in the ring and the lack of medical personnel close to the action. Improvements have been made, but sumo still has a long way to go to match the level of immediate on-site care provided in other professional sports.
The 2023 sōken provided a snapshot of the current state of sumo’s upper tiers and a look at who is likely to compete for silverware in the upcoming meet. But what is ostensibly an opportunity to observe and evaluate sumo’s top talent also shone a light on the observers and — in a week when another violence-related scandal came to light, this time at Michinoku stable — highlighted the fact that more work is needed to ensure the health and well-being of its participants.
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