Kasugao Katsumasa
Encyclopedia
Kasugaō Katsumasa 春日王 克昌 (born July 1, 1977 as Kim Sung Tak 김성택) is a former sumo
wrestler from Incheon
, South Korea
. He was the first sumo wrestler to reach the top makuuchi
division officially representing South Korea. (Several other top wrestlers in the past have hid a Korean or half-Korean background). He joined sumo in 1998, making the top division for the first time in 2003. His highest rank was maegashira 3. In September 2009, he acquired Japanese citizenship. In April 2011 he was ordered to retire by the Japan Sumo Association
after an investigation found him guilty of match-fixing.
He went to the same high school as South Korean footballer Kim Nam-Il
(and they remain very close friends). After winning a national Ssireum
competition in 1998, he was invited by the stablemaster of the recently opened Kasugayama stable
to come to Japan
. He saw the opportunity to support his family back in Korea, and took a leave of absence from his university. He made his professional debut in November 1998. For his first couple of tournaments he fought under the shikona
of Kimu, but this was soon changed to Kasugaō, the name adapted from both his stable
and his stablemaster's old fighting name of Kasugafuji.
Kasugaō reached the jūryō division in July 2002 and the top makuuchi
division just three tournaments later in January 2003, after winning the second division championship in November 2002 by defeating Asasekiryū
on the last day. On the same day Asashōryū
won the makuuchi division title, making it the first time that two foreign born wrestlers had won the top two divisions in the same tournament. Kasugaō sent all his prize money of two million yen home to his mother.
In his top division debut Kasugaō scored an impressive ten wins and was awarded the Fighting Spirit Prize
. He progressed to maegashira 6 but then a series of poor results sent him back down to the jūryō division. After moving between the top two divisions a couple of times he won promotion back to makuuchi in September 2005 and reached his highest rank of maegashira 3 in March 2007. He was forced to withdraw from the May 2008 tournament with only three wins, after suffering a knee injury on the 8th day, which resulted in demotion back to the jūryō division. He also missed out on an exhibition tour of Los Angeles
in June. He scored nine wins in the July 2008 tournament, returning him to the top division for September, but he could only turn in a disastrous 2-13 there, and was demoted to jūryō once again. After four tournaments away, he returned to makuuchi for the July 2009 tournament and came through with a winning record. He applied for Japanese citizenship in June 2009 and became a citizen three months later in September. A poor 3-12 score in November 2009 saw him demoted to juryo again for the January 2010 basho, but a 9-6 score was enough for an immediate re-promotion to the top division. On this occasion he lasted only one tournament before being demoted again, but he won promotion to makuuchi for the eighth time in September 2010 after another 9-6 in July. In January 2011 he took his second juryo division championship, more than eight years after his first, with a 12-3 record and a play-off win over Tochinowaka
.
After an investigation by the Sumo Association into allegations of bout-rigging prompted by the discovery of text-messages on a mobile phone belonging to former maegashira Kasuganishiki, Kasugao was one of 23 wrestlers and coaches found guilty of involvement. He was ordered to retire, and submitted his letter of resignation on April 4, 2011.
, his most common winning move being yori-kiri or force out. His favourite grip on the mawashi
was migi-yotsu, with his left hand outside and right hand inside his opponent's arms. However, he was also adept at throws, his next two most often used techniques being kote-nage, the armlock throw, and uwate-nage, the outer-arm throw.
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 Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. He was the first sumo wrestler to reach 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 officially representing South Korea. (Several other top wrestlers in the past have hid a Korean or half-Korean background). He joined sumo in 1998, making the top division for the first time in 2003. His highest rank was maegashira 3. In September 2009, he acquired Japanese citizenship. In April 2011 he was ordered to retire by 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 an investigation found him guilty of match-fixing.
Career
His father died when he was just three years old and his mother brought the family up alone, working days and nights as a cleaner.He went to the same high school as South Korean footballer Kim Nam-Il
Kim Nam-Il
Kim Nam-il or Kim Namil is a South Korean footballer. Kim is a defensive midfielder for Tom Tomsk in the Russian Premier League. He was virtually unknown before he became a superstar for his impressive defensive displays in the 2002 FIFA World Cup....
(and they remain very close friends). After winning a national Ssireum
Ssireum
Historically, there have been other terms for "wrestling" in Korean used alongside ssireum, such as gakjeo , gakhui , gakryeok , gakgii , chiuhui , sangbak , jaenggyo ....
competition in 1998, he was invited by the stablemaster of the recently opened Kasugayama stable
Kasugayama stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ichimon or group of stables. In its modern form it dates from 1954 when it was re-established by former ozeki Nayoroiwa who led it until his death in 1971...
to come to 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...
. He saw the opportunity to support his family back in Korea, and took a leave of absence from his university. He made his professional debut in November 1998. For his first couple of tournaments he fought under 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 Kimu, but this was soon changed to Kasugaō, the name adapted from both his stable
Heya
In sumo wrestling, a heya , usually translated into English as stable, is an organization of sumo wrestlers where they train and live. All wrestlers in professional sumo must belong to one. There are currently 49 heya , all but four of which belong to one of five ichimon...
and his stablemaster's old fighting name of Kasugafuji.
Kasugaō reached the jūryō division in July 2002 and 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 just three tournaments later in January 2003, after winning the second division championship in November 2002 by defeating Asasekiryū
Asasekiryu Taro
Asasekiryū Tarō is a sumo wrestler. He made his debut in January 2000, reaching the top division in March 2003. He has won four special prizes, and has spent a total of five tournaments to date in the titled sanyaku ranks...
on the last day. On the same day Asashōryū
Asashōryū Akinori
is a former sumo wrestler from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He was the 68th yokozuna in the history of the sport in Japan and became the first Mongol to reach sumo's highest rank in January 2003. He was one of the most successful yokozuna ever. In 2005 he became the first man to win all six official...
won the makuuchi division title, making it the first time that two foreign born wrestlers had won the top two divisions in the same tournament. Kasugaō sent all his prize money of two million yen home to his mother.
In his top division debut Kasugaō scored an impressive ten wins and was awarded the Fighting Spirit 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:...
. He progressed to maegashira 6 but then a series of poor results sent him back down to the jūryō division. After moving between the top two divisions a couple of times he won promotion back to makuuchi in September 2005 and reached his highest rank of maegashira 3 in March 2007. He was forced to withdraw from the May 2008 tournament with only three wins, after suffering a knee injury on the 8th day, which resulted in demotion back to the jūryō division. He also missed out on an exhibition tour of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in June. He scored nine wins in the July 2008 tournament, returning him to the top division for September, but he could only turn in a disastrous 2-13 there, and was demoted to jūryō once again. After four tournaments away, he returned to makuuchi for the July 2009 tournament and came through with a winning record. He applied for Japanese citizenship in June 2009 and became a citizen three months later in September. A poor 3-12 score in November 2009 saw him demoted to juryo again for the January 2010 basho, but a 9-6 score was enough for an immediate re-promotion to the top division. On this occasion he lasted only one tournament before being demoted again, but he won promotion to makuuchi for the eighth time in September 2010 after another 9-6 in July. In January 2011 he took his second juryo division championship, more than eight years after his first, with a 12-3 record and a play-off win over Tochinowaka
Tochinowaka Michihiro
Tochinowaka Michihiro is a sumo wrestler from Hyogo, Japan. His father is a Zainichi Korean and his mother is a Korean immigrant. He made his professional debut in 2007 and has steadily risen through the ranks and has begun to establish himself as a top division presence...
.
After an investigation by the Sumo Association into allegations of bout-rigging prompted by the discovery of text-messages on a mobile phone belonging to former maegashira Kasuganishiki, Kasugao was one of 23 wrestlers and coaches found guilty of involvement. He was ordered to retire, and submitted his letter of resignation on April 4, 2011.
Fighting style
Like many wrestlers, Kasugaō was fond of yotsu-sumo or grappling 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...
, his most common winning move being yori-kiri or force out. His favourite grip on the 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 migi-yotsu, with his left hand outside and right hand inside his opponent's arms. However, he was also adept at throws, his next two most often used techniques being kote-nage, the armlock throw, and uwate-nage, the outer-arm throw.
Top division record
See also
- Glossary of sumo termsGlossary of sumo termsThe following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. azukari : Hold. A kind of draw. After a mono-ii, the gyōji or the shimpan "holds" the result if it was too close to call...
- List of sumo tournament second division winners
- List of past sumo wrestlers