Kakuryu Rikisaburo
Encyclopedia
Kakuryū Rikisaburō is a professional sumo
wrestler from Sükhbaatar Province, Mongolia
. He has been a member of the top makuuchi
division since November 2006
and has earned six special prizes
, all for Technique. His highest rank to date has been sekiwake, which he achieved in July 2009
.
, his father instead being a university professor, and Kakuryū had no experience in wrestling before coming to Japan. He made his professional debut in November 2001, joining Izutsu stable
. At the time he weighed just 82 kg (180.8 lb). After reaching the fourth highest sandanme division fairly quickly he then struggled somewhat, being demoted back to jonidan a couple of times. However, he eventually won the sandanme championship in July 2004 with a perfect 7-0 record and earned promotion to the third makushita division.
Kakuryū first reached sekitori
status in November 2005 upon promotion to the jūryō division but fell short with a 5-10 record, dropping back to makushita. He returned to the second division in March 2006 and reached the top makuuchi
division that November, after scoring 9 wins at the rank of jūryō 1 West in the previous tournament. He was the eighth Mongolian to make makuuchi after Kyokushuzan, Kyokutenho, Asashoryu, Asasekiryu, Hakuho, Harumafuji and Tokitenku
. One of seven wrestlers to be promoted to makuuchi for that tournament, he made his debut halfway up the maegashira ranks at number 8, the highest since Miyabiyama began at maegashira 7 in March 1999. He came through with a solid 8-7 record.
After a strong 11-4 record in January 2008, which earned him his first special prize
for Technique, he was promoted to maegashira 1.
He is currently the only wrestler from his stable in the top two divisions. Kakuryū was only the second wrestler produced by former sekiwake Sakahoko, to reach the top division since he became head of Izutsu stable in 1994 and the first since Akinoshu in 1997, although Sakahoko's brother, veteran Terao
remained a sekitori until 2002.
He was forced to withdraw during the November 2008 tournament after spraining his knee, marking the first time in his career that he has missed bouts. In March 2009 he produced a fine 10-5 record from the maegashira 1 ranking, defeating three ozeki. He won his last eight matches after standing at 2-5 on the seventh day. He was awarded his second Technique Prize and made his sanyaku debut in the following tournament in May 2009 at the rank of komusubi. In a similar fashion to his previous tournament he recovered from 2-5 down to win seven of his last eight bouts and was rewarded with another Technique Prize.
In July 2009 Kakuryu was promoted to sekiwake, the first wrestler from his stable to reach the rank since Terao in 1989. He was only able to win five bouts in his sekiwake debut and fell back to the maegashira ranks. He responded with a strong 11-4 score, earning his third Technique prize in the last four tournaments and fourth overall. He returned to the sekiwake rank for the November tournament and although he failed once again to get a majority of wins, winning his last two bouts to finish 7-8 kept him in the sanyaku ranks. Disappointing performances in his next three tournaments saw him slip to maegashira 6, but he responded by winning eleven bouts in July, finishing as joint runner-up and winning his fifth Technique award. He returned to komusubi in September 2010 and moved up to sekiwake in November. He came into the final day of that tournament on seven wins and seven losses but failed to get his majority of wins, being defeated by fellow sekiwake Tochiozan. Ranked at komusubi in the May 2011 'technical examination' tournament he finished runner-up for the second time with a fine 12-3 record, and won his sixth Technique prize. Promoted to sekiwake for the July tournament (unusually he was one of three sekiwake in this basho) he produced another strong performance, defeating three ozeki and finishing on 10-5. Although that meant that if Kakuryu won at least 11 bouts he would be in a strong position for possible promotion to ozeki, he started off 3-4 and ended the tournament with only 9 victories.
are yori-kiri, the force out, oshi-dashi, the push out, and hataki-komi, the slap down. He is also fond of shitatenage, the underarm throw.
His favourite grip on his opponents mawashi
is migi-yotsu, with his left hand outside and right hand inside his opponent's arms.
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 Sükhbaatar Province, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. He has been a member of 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 since November 2006
2006 in sumo
-Tournaments:*Hatsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 8 - 22 January*Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 12 - 26 March*Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 10 - 27 May*Nagoya basho, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 9 - 23 July...
and has earned six special prizes
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:...
, all for Technique. His highest rank to date has been sekiwake, which he achieved in July 2009
2009 in sumo
-Tournaments:*Hatsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 January - 25 January*Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 15 March - 29 March*Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 10 May - 24 May...
.
Career
Unlike many of his Mongolian sumo rivals Kakuryū's family have no background in Mongolian wrestlingMongolian wrestling
Mongolian wrestling, known as Bökh , is the folk wrestling style of Mongols in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and other regions...
, his father instead being a university professor, and Kakuryū had no experience in wrestling before coming to Japan. He made his professional debut in November 2001, joining Izutsu stable
Izutsu stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze group of stables.The stable was established in the Meiji era by former yokozuna Nishinoumi Kajirō I, the 16th yokozuna, who became the 7th Izutsu-oyakata. He was succeeded by Nishinoumi Kajirō II, the 25th yokozuna...
. At the time he weighed just 82 kg (180.8 lb). After reaching the fourth highest sandanme division fairly quickly he then struggled somewhat, being demoted back to jonidan a couple of times. However, he eventually won the sandanme championship in July 2004 with a perfect 7-0 record and earned promotion to the third makushita division.
Kakuryū first reached 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...
status in November 2005 upon promotion to the jūryō division but fell short with a 5-10 record, dropping back to makushita. He returned to the second division in March 2006 and 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 that November, after scoring 9 wins at the rank of jūryō 1 West in the previous tournament. He was the eighth Mongolian to make makuuchi after Kyokushuzan, Kyokutenho, Asashoryu, Asasekiryu, Hakuho, Harumafuji and Tokitenku
Tokitenku Yoshiaki
Tokitenkū Yoshiaki is a sumo wrestler. He made his professional debut in 2002, reaching the top makuuchi division just two years later. The highest rank he has reached is komusubi, which he has held for just two tournaments so far. He has one special prize, for Technique...
. One of seven wrestlers to be promoted to makuuchi for that tournament, he made his debut halfway up the maegashira ranks at number 8, the highest since Miyabiyama began at maegashira 7 in March 1999. He came through with a solid 8-7 record.
After a strong 11-4 record in January 2008, which earned him his first special prize
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:...
for Technique, he was promoted to maegashira 1.
Terao Tsunefumi
Terao Tsunefumi is a former sumo wrestler. He was born in Tokyo, but brought up in Kajiki, Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan. He fought out of Izutsu stable...
remained a sekitori until 2002.
He was forced to withdraw during the November 2008 tournament after spraining his knee, marking the first time in his career that he has missed bouts. In March 2009 he produced a fine 10-5 record from the maegashira 1 ranking, defeating three ozeki. He won his last eight matches after standing at 2-5 on the seventh day. He was awarded his second Technique Prize and made his sanyaku debut in the following tournament in May 2009 at the rank of komusubi. In a similar fashion to his previous tournament he recovered from 2-5 down to win seven of his last eight bouts and was rewarded with another Technique Prize.
In July 2009 Kakuryu was promoted to sekiwake, the first wrestler from his stable to reach the rank since Terao in 1989. He was only able to win five bouts in his sekiwake debut and fell back to the maegashira ranks. He responded with a strong 11-4 score, earning his third Technique prize in the last four tournaments and fourth overall. He returned to the sekiwake rank for the November tournament and although he failed once again to get a majority of wins, winning his last two bouts to finish 7-8 kept him in the sanyaku ranks. Disappointing performances in his next three tournaments saw him slip to maegashira 6, but he responded by winning eleven bouts in July, finishing as joint runner-up and winning his fifth Technique award. He returned to komusubi in September 2010 and moved up to sekiwake in November. He came into the final day of that tournament on seven wins and seven losses but failed to get his majority of wins, being defeated by fellow sekiwake Tochiozan. Ranked at komusubi in the May 2011 'technical examination' tournament he finished runner-up for the second time with a fine 12-3 record, and won his sixth Technique prize. Promoted to sekiwake for the July tournament (unusually he was one of three sekiwake in this basho) he produced another strong performance, defeating three ozeki and finishing on 10-5. Although that meant that if Kakuryu won at least 11 bouts he would be in a strong position for possible promotion to ozeki, he started off 3-4 and ended the tournament with only 9 victories.
Fighting style
Kakuryū is one of the lightest men currently in the top division at around 130 kg (286.6 lb), and makes use of his agility by frequently employing henka (sidestepping) to outwit his opponents. His three most common winning techniquesKimarite
Kimarite are winning techniques in a sumo bout. For each bout in a Grand Sumo tournament , a sumo referee, or gyoji, will decide and announce the type of kimarite used by the winner...
are yori-kiri, the force out, oshi-dashi, the push out, and hataki-komi, the slap down. He is also fond of shitatenage, the underarm throw.
His favourite grip on his opponents 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:...
is migi-yotsu, with his left hand outside and right hand inside his opponent's arms.