Toshinofuji, and old sumo story

[Moti Dichne]

Makuuchi Toshinofuji did some butsukari-geiko with Yokozuna Oonosato for the first time, testing his strength against the Yokozuna. Although he charged vigorously for about four minutes, he was repeatedly knocked down and covered in sand. "He is huge and heavy. We are about the same height—195 cm for me and 190 cm for him—but he carries so much more weight. It made me realize I need to gain more weight and work on my fundamentals," he said, clearly inspired by the experience. The 26-year-old, who made his Makuuchi debut in the previous basho, is participating in a Jungyo as a sekitori for the first time. He has been training energetically day after day in moshiai-geiko (winner-stays-on sparring) sessions with other Makuuchi rikishi. "It’s fun to wrestle against guys I don't usually face. I want to get as many bouts in as possible against opponents I might meet in the next basho," he said, looking satisfied. A graduate of Doshisha University, he is looking forward to the Jungyo stop on the 16th in Kyoto, where he spent his university years. "I love Kyoto, so I'm happy to be going back," he said with anticipation.

Asahishou inherited the "performance" of Mitoizumi.  How did it happen?

When one thinks of rikishi who gained popularity for scattering massive amounts of salt—creating a scene that looked as if snow had piled up on the dohyo, names that come to mind include Wakachichibu and Mitoizumi (currently  Nishikido Oyakata) from the past, and Asahishou after them in 2014. Mitoizumi, who even won a Hiramaku (Maegashira rikishi) yusho at the 1992 Nagoya Tournament, began his spectacular salt-scattering routine during the Summer Tournament of 1984—his seventh year in sumo and the tournament where he finally achieved his long-awaited promotion to Juryo. Although he got off to a strong start with three consecutive wins, he suffered a crushing defeat on the fourth day. Overcome with anxiety, he found himself unable to sit still, worrying, "What if I never win another match?" That night, as he sat looking pale and distressed, a veteran Makushita rikishi took pity on him and offered this advice... "Hey, Sekitori, don't let a single loss get you down. Starting tomorrow, try tossing that salt with some real gusto, really liven things up. It’ll blow away any useless worries." Thinking that made sense, Mitoizumi followed the advice starting on Day 6 (skipping the day after the loss). He threw the salt with such force it seemed to hit the roof of the ring's canopy, and he went on to finish the tournament with a kachikoshi of 9–6. The reason he waited until Day 6 instead of starting on Day 5 was that his opponent withdrew from the tournament on Day 5, resulting in a fusensho, so he didn't get the chance to throw the salt.

For Asahishou, too, a loss was the catalyst for his habit of tossing massive amounts of salt. During the Summer Tournament of 2012, his fourth basho in Juryo, he suffered a staggering ten consecutive losses right from the start. Nothing was going right; he was at a complete loss as to what to do. On the morning of Day 11, he thought, "If I throw a huge amount of salt, maybe it’ll surprise my opponent and make him flinch." He decided to give it a try that very day, grabbing a heaping handful with his right hand and tossing it, a move born out of sheer desperation. And what happened? His opponent, Yoshiazuma (ranked West Juryo No. 3), began to backpedal helplessly. Asahishou easily pushed him out of the dohyo for the win. That moment completely turned the tide; he went on to win all four of his remaining matches in the tournament. From then on, there was no stopping his massive salt-tossing routine, and "the salt-tossing man" became his trademark nickname. That said, simply throwing it around haphazardly isn't always the answer. Three tournaments later, on Day 3 of the Kyushu Tournament, Asahishou tossed the salt with his usual flair, creating a cloud so thick the ring turned white. But disaster struck: he slipped on the salt. The moment he rose from his tachiai crouch, he lost his balance and fell forward, his hands touching the clay. He lost the match via hatakikomi to his opponent, Chiyonokuni. It was a total blunder. Shaking his head as he retreated, Asahishou spoke with surprising vehemence: "Slipped on the salt? I’m sure that’s what the spectators thought. But I’m not going to stop tossing, and tossing heaps of salt just because of something like that." Given that the culprit was the salt itself, he likely resigned himself to the situation with a shrug, deciding that, well, there was simply nothing he could do about it.. True to his word, Asahishou's flamboyant salt-tossing continued unabated until he retired.