Yokozuna

History

The origin of the row of yokozuna remains fuzzy and two different legends clash: According to one, a fighter of the 9th century named Hajikami hung to a shimenawa around his size like handicap and put his opponents at the challenge to touch it, creating the fight sumo at the same time as we know it today. According to the other legend, the legendary fighter Shiganosuke Akashi hung a shimenawa around his size in 1630 as a sign of respect at the time of a visit to the Emperor and would have received the first title of yokozuna on a purely posthumous basis. There are very few elements which make it possible to prove that one of the two legends is true, but it is known that since 1789, the yokozuna since Kajinosuke Tanikaze are represented in Ukiyo-e carrying the Shimenawa .

Before the Period Meiji, the title of yokozuna was given to the ôzeki (currently the second highest rank) which fought in front of the Shogun. This privilege was often granted according to the influence of the guard of the fighter rather than according to the capacities and the dignity of the fighter. At the time, the title of yokozuna did not indicate row distinct from the classification, the yokozuna being a ôzeki having the privilege to make its own ceremony of entry on the boxing ring ( dôhyô-iri ).

Criteria of promotion

In the modern fight sumo, a ôzeki must show power enough, of technique and dignity/grace (品格 hinkaku ) to be able to be promoted with the row of yokozuna . There is no absolute criterion nor of quota: Periods ago without yokozuna and of the periods with up to four yokozuna .

The power and the technique are usually determined by the results with the last tournaments. Even if there is no precise rule, it is generally necessary to gain two tournaments of continuation as a ôzeki or to carry out an equivalent performance. The association of the sumo can take into account other criteria like the full number of victories to the tournaments, the quality of the engagements, the constancy of the results, etc

The concept of dignity/grace ( hinkaku ) is more debatable and rests on more subjective criteria. For example, much of people considered that the ozeki Konishiki could not reach the row of yokozuna because it was not Japanese and several members of the association of the sumo said openly that a foreigner could never fill the criterion of hinkaku . The debate on the foreign combatants ended in of 1993, when ôzeki Taro Akebono received the row of yokozuna .

To become yokozuna

A yokozuna which cannot lose its title, the system of promotion is very strict and is done in several stages: After a tournament, a council meets to discuss the performances of the best fighters sumo and to possibly recommend one of the ozeki which fills the criteria of promotion. The recommendation passes then by the division of the judges and the direction of the association of the sumo which makes the final decision.

Once the decision taken, a member of association goes to " the écurie" of the fighter to teach him the news officially. In the days which follow, a large cord symbol of the row of yokozuna will be made by l'" écurie" and promoted will involve itself with for the ceremony of the entry on the boxing ring ( dôhyô-iri ) with the assistance of the yokozuna which preceded it. The ceremony of promotion takes place a few weeks after the end of the tournament in the Meiji sanctuary, with Tokyo.

Ceremony of entry on the boxing ring ( dôhyô-iri )

The row of yokozuna was born inter alia desire to let the best champions separately make an entry on the boxing ring ( dohyo-iri ) of the other fighters. The dôhyô-iri is a presentation ceremony of all of the fighters who will fight. For the normal ceremony, the fighters, avoided kesho mawashi (kinds of " tabliers" richly decorated) form a circle around the boxing ring ( dôhyô ) and carry out a short dance.

The yokozuna , which does not take part in the normal ceremony, is presented separately accompanied by two fighters who assist it. It carries to the size the large cord symbol of its row and carries out a more elaborate dance.

The historical yokozuna

There were on the whole 69 yokozuna , even if official counting only started with Tanikaze and Onogawa in 1789.

Some yokozuna particularly marked the history of the fight sumo:

Hitachiyama (常陸山), called Kakusei (角聖).
Tachiyama (太刀山), which marked the Period Meiji.
Tochigiyama (栃木山), pioneer of the modern fight sumo.
Futabayama (双葉山), the fighter who marked the years 1930 to 1940. It obtained 12 victories of tournament at one time when there were only 2 tournaments per annum (instead of 6 today).
Taiho (大鵬), that many people regards as largest sumo of the post-war period, with 32 victories of tournament.
Chiyonofuji (千代の富士), which was withdrawn in 1991. It has only one victory of tournament of less than Taiho
Kitanoumi (北の湖), 24 victories of tournaments.
Taro Akebono (曙), the first yokozuna not-Japanese.

There are currently two yokozuna :

Akinori Asashoryu (朝青龍), of Mongolia, promoted in January 2003
Shô Hakuhô (翔白鵬), of Mongolia, promoted in May 2007

See too

Liste of Yokozuna
Liste of the Japanese terms specific to the fight sumo
“Yokozuna” was also the name of ring for the fighter and professional all-in wrestler Rodney Anoa' I.

External bonds

Association of the sumo

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