Kyokai rijicho Hakkaku observations after the YDC Soken

[Moti Dichne]

Hakkaku on Oonosato: "Still far from it. He lacked a sense of urgency. It's all about concentration. During the basho he hits well and has power, so his opponents may not be able to counter him, but in training, after a few matches, his concentration starts to wane. For Oonosato, his real self does not show in training - it shows during the basho. His sumo is one that focuses on the first match. If he can concentrate for multiple matches in  training as well and win, then he can see himself improving."

On Houshouryuu: "I think he has gotten used to his position. He has been on tour. The only way to regain his confidence is to train. The more he does it, the better he gets. He has relaxed his body and shoulders. It's difficult to show that in a real basho, though. The more he does it, the more he sweats and the more flexible his body becomes. When one goes to a real basho  one wants to throw right away and to win quickly. I think it's about the balance between that urge and one's body."

On Kotozakura: "I'd like to see him move forward more to compensate for his soft body, be more aggressive. I think his flexibility is an asset, but he seems to hesitate a lot, and he needs to deal with that. I want him to hit well at the tachiai and develop the strength to move forward."