Kaiho Ryoji
Encyclopedia
Kaihō Ryōji is a former sumo
wrestler from Aomori
, Japan
. His highest rank was komusubi. An amateur champion at Nihon University
, he entered professional sumo in 1996. He was one of the lightest sekitori
wrestlers in recent years. He won two special prizes for Technique. He retired from active competition in 2010 and became a coach, but in April 2011 he was asked to resign from the Japan Sumo Association
after being found guilty of match-fixing.
, a town in the Nishitsugaru District
of Aomori Prefecture. He was an amateur sumo champion at Nihon University, and won the middleweight world title for Japan in the 2nd World Sumo Championships held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan
. He entered professional sumo in January 1996 at the age of 22, joining Hakkaku stable
. Because of his amateur achievements, he was given makushita tsukedashi status and allowed to enter at the bottom of the third highest makushita division. He won the makushita championship in his very first tournament with a perfect 7-0 record, defeating Kyokutenho in a playoff - his only yusho
to date. He was promoted to the second highest jūryō division in May 1997. At this point he switched from fighting under his family name of Kumagaya to the shikona
of Kaihō, which was taken from the name of his father's boat, Kaiho-maru (Kai means "ocean" or "sea" in Japanese).
Kaihō reached the top makuuchi
division in May 1998, the first wrestler from his stable to do so, and remained a rank and file maegashira for the next three years. In the September 2001 tournament he defeated yokozuna Musashimaru, earning his first kinboshi
and scored ten wins. He was rewarded with his first sansho
or special prize and was promoted to the sanyaku ranks at komusubi for the following tournament. He was however, unable to maintain that rank.
He stayed in the top division for the next 44 tournaments with just one brief demotion to jūryō in November 2003, and won his second special prize in March 2005 after a fine 11-4 record. However, just two tournaments later in July 2005 he suffered a fractured ankle in a bout against Iwakiyama on the 14th day. He was forced to sit out the final day and the whole of the following tournament in September, resulting in demotion to the second division in November 2005. He remained there until July 2007, when, due to the unusually large number of retirements and demotions from the top division, a 9-6 score at jūryō 5 was good enough to return him to makuuchi.
Kaihō produced a strong 10-5 record in his first tournament back in the top division, and although he missed out on another special prize he was promoted up the rankings to maegashira 6. He could only win four bouts at that rank in September 2007 and after another losing score of 6-9 in November, he fell to Maegashira 16 West, the lowest rank in the top division. An 8-7 record in the January 2008 tournament preserved his top division status, but in March he could manage only four wins and was demoted back to jūryō for the May 2008 tournament, where he remained for the next two years. In May 2010 he scored just 3-12 at the lowest rank of jūryō 14 West, and he was demoted to the non-salaried makushita division for the first time in 13 years.
name Tanigawa Oyakata. However in April 2011 he was told to resign from the Sumo Association after an investigation into alleged bout-rigging prompted by the discovery by police of text messages on the mobile phone of former wrestler Kasuganishiki, which mentioned Kaiho and a number of other wrestlers as being involved in throwing matches. He was given an envelope containing the message, "You intentionally had sumo bouts lacking fighting spirit with Kasuganishiki on the 13th day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in 2010 and the seventh day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in 2010." Tanigawa responded angrily to the decision of the fact-finding panel, saying "There is no evidence to incriminate me because I didn't do it. They only trust what Kasuganishiki says, and they wouldn't listen to me."
for Technique. His favourite grip on his opponent's mawashi
was hidari-yotsu, a right arm outside, left hand inside grip. He specialised in throws, and regularly used his inside grip to win by shitatenage, or underarm throw. He is also fond of uchigake, the inside leg trip. He was known for often employing henka, or sidestepping at the tachi-ai
or initial charge, and was adept at using inashi, or ducking and moving diagonally back from the opponent. He had a higher than average number of wins by okuri-dashi, or push out from behind, as a result.
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestler from Aomori
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His highest rank was komusubi. An amateur champion at Nihon University
Nihon University
Nihon University is the largest university in Japan. Akiyoshi Yamada, the minister of justice, founded Nihon Law School in October 1889....
, he entered professional sumo in 1996. He was one of the lightest sekitori
Sekitori
A sekitori is a sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo.Currently there are 70 rikishi in these divisions...
wrestlers in recent years. He won two special prizes for Technique. He retired from active competition in 2010 and became a coach, but in April 2011 he was asked to resign from the Japan Sumo Association
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Rikishi , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
after being found guilty of match-fixing.
Career
He was born in FukauraFukaura, Aomori
is a town located in the Nishitsugaru District of Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 9,917 and a density of 20.3 persons per km²...
, a town in the Nishitsugaru District
Nishitsugaru District, Aomori
is a district located in Aomori, Japan.As of 2003 , the district has an estimated population of 24,033 and a density of 28.9 persons per km²...
of Aomori Prefecture. He was an amateur sumo champion at Nihon University, and won the middleweight world title for Japan in the 2nd World Sumo Championships held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan
Ryogoku Kokugikan
, also known as Sumo Hall, is an indoor sporting arena located in the Ryōgoku neighborhood of Sumida, one of the 23 wards of Tokyo in Japan, next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It is the third building built in Tokyo associated with the name kokugikan. The current building was opened in 1985 and has a...
. He entered professional sumo in January 1996 at the age of 22, joining Hakkaku stable
Hakkaku stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables.The stable was established on 27 September 1993 by former yokozuna Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi, who took with him four wrestlers from Kokonoe stable. The stable has so far produced nine sekitori, and three makuuchi wrestlers...
. Because of his amateur achievements, he was given makushita tsukedashi status and allowed to enter at the bottom of the third highest makushita division. He won the makushita championship in his very first tournament with a perfect 7-0 record, defeating Kyokutenho in a playoff - his only yusho
Yusho
A Yūshō is a tournament championship in sumo. It is awarded in each of the six annual honbasho or official tournaments, to the wrestler who wins the most number of bouts. Yūshō are awarded in all six professional sumo divisions...
to date. He was promoted to the second highest jūryō division in May 1997. At this point he switched from fighting under his family name of Kumagaya to the shikona
Shikona
A shikona is a sumo wrestler's ring name.As with standard Japanese names, a shikona consists of a 'surname' and a 'given' name, and the full name is written surname first. However, the given name is rarely used outside formal or ceremonial occasions. Thus, the former yokozuna Asashōryū Akinori is...
of Kaihō, which was taken from the name of his father's boat, Kaiho-maru (Kai means "ocean" or "sea" in Japanese).
Kaihō reached the top makuuchi
Makuuchi
or is the top division of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers , ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments....
division in May 1998, the first wrestler from his stable to do so, and remained a rank and file maegashira for the next three years. In the September 2001 tournament he defeated yokozuna Musashimaru, earning his first kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
and scored ten wins. He was rewarded with his first sansho
Sansho (Sumo)
Sanshō are the three special prizes awarded to top division sumo wrestlers for exceptional performance during a sumo honbasho or tournament. The prizes were first awarded in November 1947.-Criteria:...
or special prize and was promoted to the sanyaku ranks at komusubi for the following tournament. He was however, unable to maintain that rank.
He stayed in the top division for the next 44 tournaments with just one brief demotion to jūryō in November 2003, and won his second special prize in March 2005 after a fine 11-4 record. However, just two tournaments later in July 2005 he suffered a fractured ankle in a bout against Iwakiyama on the 14th day. He was forced to sit out the final day and the whole of the following tournament in September, resulting in demotion to the second division in November 2005. He remained there until July 2007, when, due to the unusually large number of retirements and demotions from the top division, a 9-6 score at jūryō 5 was good enough to return him to makuuchi.
Kaihō produced a strong 10-5 record in his first tournament back in the top division, and although he missed out on another special prize he was promoted up the rankings to maegashira 6. He could only win four bouts at that rank in September 2007 and after another losing score of 6-9 in November, he fell to Maegashira 16 West, the lowest rank in the top division. An 8-7 record in the January 2008 tournament preserved his top division status, but in March he could manage only four wins and was demoted back to jūryō for the May 2008 tournament, where he remained for the next two years. In May 2010 he scored just 3-12 at the lowest rank of jūryō 14 West, and he was demoted to the non-salaried makushita division for the first time in 13 years.
Retirement
Kaiho did not take part in the July 2010 tournament and announced his retirement on the eighth day. He became a coach at Hakkaku stable under the toshiyoriToshiyori
A toshiyori is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association. Also known as oyakata, former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible...
name Tanigawa Oyakata. However in April 2011 he was told to resign from the Sumo Association after an investigation into alleged bout-rigging prompted by the discovery by police of text messages on the mobile phone of former wrestler Kasuganishiki, which mentioned Kaiho and a number of other wrestlers as being involved in throwing matches. He was given an envelope containing the message, "You intentionally had sumo bouts lacking fighting spirit with Kasuganishiki on the 13th day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in 2010 and the seventh day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in 2010." Tanigawa responded angrily to the decision of the fact-finding panel, saying "There is no evidence to incriminate me because I didn't do it. They only trust what Kasuganishiki says, and they wouldn't listen to me."
Fighting style
Kaiho was below average size for a rikishi and relied on his technical ability, employing a similar sumo style to Mainoumi. He won two special prizesSansho (Sumo)
Sanshō are the three special prizes awarded to top division sumo wrestlers for exceptional performance during a sumo honbasho or tournament. The prizes were first awarded in November 1947.-Criteria:...
for Technique. His favourite grip on his opponent's mawashi
Mawashi
In sumo, a mawashi is the belt that the rikishi wears during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a keshō-mawashi as part of the ring entry ceremony or dohyo-iri.-Mawashi:...
was hidari-yotsu, a right arm outside, left hand inside grip. He specialised in throws, and regularly used his inside grip to win by shitatenage, or underarm throw. He is also fond of uchigake, the inside leg trip. He was known for often employing henka, or sidestepping at the tachi-ai
Tachi-ai
The tachi-ai is the initial charge between two sumo wrestlers at the beginning of a bout.There are several common techniques that wrestlers use at the tachi-ai, with the aim of getting a decisive advantage in the bout:...
or initial charge, and was adept at using inashi, or ducking and moving diagonally back from the opponent. He had a higher than average number of wins by okuri-dashi, or push out from behind, as a result.