Kirishima Kazuhiro
Encyclopedia
Kirishima Kazuhiro is a former sumo
wrestler from Makizono, Kagoshima
, Japan
, who held the second highest rank of ōzeki from 1990 to 1992 and won one top division tournament championship. He is now known as Michinoku-oyakata and is the head coach of Michinoku stable
.
. He was given the sumo name
Kirishima, which came from the national park
in his native Kagoshima Prefecture. He did not become established as an elite sekitori
wrestler until November 1983 when he produced a 9-6 score at the rank of juryo 10 (he had made the juryo division briefly in May 1982 but had lasted only one tournament there). He reached the top makuuchi
division for the first time in July 1984, and won a sansho
or special prize for Fighting Spirit in his very first tournament.
Persistently struggling to gain weight, he enlisted the help of his girlfriend and future wife Naoko in the quest to bulk up and avoid frequent defeats by simple push-out. He was also a fitness fanatic who started his career by running several kilometres even before morning training started at 6am.
One of the lightest wrestlers in the division, Kirishima earned a reputation as a giant-killer, defeating heavyweights such as Onokuni and Konishiki several times. However, he seemed to struggle when promoted out of the maegashira ranks. After finishing tournament runner-up and winning the Technique Prize in November 1986 he was promoted to the sanyaku ranks for the first time at sekiwake in the following tournament but could only manage a 3-12 record, and when he finally managed to return to sanyaku at komusubi rank in January 1989 he recorded a dismal 1-14. However, later that year he began a new training regime. In addition to his usual practice matches at Izutsu stable, he did regular weight training
at a private gym
nasium, and supplemented his normal sumo diet with a specially prepared high calorie
and high protein
drink. His efforts paid off. He returned to komusubi in November 1989 scoring 10 wins, and then turned in an 11-4 mark and runner-up performance in January 1990. In March 1990 at sekiwake he produced a superb 13-2 record, defeating yokozuna Chiyonofuji (for the first time in twelve attempts) and Hokutoumi and all three ozeki. He took part in a rare three way playoff with Konishiki and Hokutoumi, who had also finished on 13-2. Although Hokutoumi took the title, after the tournament Kirishima was promoted to ozeki. It was his second straight runner-up performance, earning him his third Outstanding Performance and fourth Technique Prizes, and a three tournament record of 34 wins and 11 losses.
or tournament title, gaining his revenge on Hokutoumi by defeating him on the last day. It was also the first top division championship for Izutsu stable in over sixty years. Kirishima was also runner-up in the tournaments of September 1991, March 1992 and July 1992. However, in September of that year he could only manage a 7-8 score, and he had to pull out of the November tournament with an injury after only one win. As a result, he lost his ozeki status.
(elder) stock in the Sumo Association and so would have risked being forced to leave the sumo world permanently if he had retired at that point. In March 1996 he produced a poor 3-12 record, and facing certain demotion to juryo, he announced his retirement after 21 years in the sport, just short of his 37th birthday. He at first borrowed his stablemate Terao
's Shikoroyama elder name, then when that was needed by the retiring Kotogaume he used Tagaryu's Katsunoura before securing the Michinoku name and becoming the head of the Michinoku stable
in December 1997. He has produced several wrestlers with top division experience, including Jumonji, Toyozakura and Hakuba
. In February 2010 he was elected to the Sumo Association's board of Directors, but was forced to step down from his post in April 2011 when four of his wrestlers (Jumonji, Toyozakura, Hakuba and Kirinowaka) were ordered to retire after being found guilty of match-fixing.
was hidari-yotsu, a right hand outside, left hand inside position. His most common winning kimarite
was yorikiri (force out), and he was also fond of uwatedashinage (pulling overarm throw) and utchari (ring edge throw), the latter of which he memorably used to defeat yokozuna Onokuni in September 1988, his first ever kinboshi
. His trademark, however, was tsuri-dashi(lift out), a technique requiring tremendous strength and seldom seen today due to the increasing weight of wrestlers.
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 Makizono, Kagoshima
Makizono, Kagoshima
Makizono was a town located in Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 7, 2005 Makizono was merged with the towns of Kirishima , Fukuyama, Hayato, Mizobe and Yokogawa, all from Aira District, and the old city of Kokubu, to form the new city of Kirishima and no longer exists as an independent...
, 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...
, who held the second highest rank of ōzeki from 1990 to 1992 and won one top division tournament championship. He is now known as Michinoku-oyakata and is the head coach of Michinoku stable
Michinoku stable
The is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze ichimon or group of stables. It was established in 1974 by former maegashira Hoshikabuto, who branched off from Izutsu stable. Former ozeki Kirishima became the current head coach in December 1997. It absorbed Tatsutagawa stable in...
.
Early career
Beginning his career in March 1975, Kazumi Yoshinaga, as he then was, joined the Izutsu stableIzutsu 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...
. He was given the sumo name
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...
Kirishima, which came from the national park
Kirishima-Yaku National Park
is a national park in Kyūshū, Japan. It is composed of two parts: Kirishima-Kagoshima Bay, an area of Kagoshima Prefecture and Miyazaki Prefecture known for its active volcanoes, volcanic lakes, and onsen; and Yakushima, an island south of Kyūshū in Kagoshima Prefecture, known for its cryptomeria...
in his native Kagoshima Prefecture. He did not become established as an elite 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...
wrestler until November 1983 when he produced a 9-6 score at the rank of juryo 10 (he had made the juryo division briefly in May 1982 but had lasted only one tournament there). He 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 for the first time in July 1984, and won a 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 for Fighting Spirit in his very first tournament.
Persistently struggling to gain weight, he enlisted the help of his girlfriend and future wife Naoko in the quest to bulk up and avoid frequent defeats by simple push-out. He was also a fitness fanatic who started his career by running several kilometres even before morning training started at 6am.
One of the lightest wrestlers in the division, Kirishima earned a reputation as a giant-killer, defeating heavyweights such as Onokuni and Konishiki several times. However, he seemed to struggle when promoted out of the maegashira ranks. After finishing tournament runner-up and winning the Technique Prize in November 1986 he was promoted to the sanyaku ranks for the first time at sekiwake in the following tournament but could only manage a 3-12 record, and when he finally managed to return to sanyaku at komusubi rank in January 1989 he recorded a dismal 1-14. However, later that year he began a new training regime. In addition to his usual practice matches at Izutsu stable, he did regular weight training
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
at a private gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, and supplemented his normal sumo diet with a specially prepared high calorie
Calorie
The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
and high protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
drink. His efforts paid off. He returned to komusubi in November 1989 scoring 10 wins, and then turned in an 11-4 mark and runner-up performance in January 1990. In March 1990 at sekiwake he produced a superb 13-2 record, defeating yokozuna Chiyonofuji (for the first time in twelve attempts) and Hokutoumi and all three ozeki. He took part in a rare three way playoff with Konishiki and Hokutoumi, who had also finished on 13-2. Although Hokutoumi took the title, after the tournament Kirishima was promoted to ozeki. It was his second straight runner-up performance, earning him his third Outstanding Performance and fourth Technique Prizes, and a three tournament record of 34 wins and 11 losses.
Ozeki
Kirishima had reached sumo's second highest rank at the age of nearly 31, and the 91 tournaments it took him is the slowest ever promotion to ozeki. The highlight of his career came in January 1991 when he took his first yushoYusho
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...
or tournament title, gaining his revenge on Hokutoumi by defeating him on the last day. It was also the first top division championship for Izutsu stable in over sixty years. Kirishima was also runner-up in the tournaments of September 1991, March 1992 and July 1992. However, in September of that year he could only manage a 7-8 score, and he had to pull out of the November tournament with an injury after only one win. As a result, he lost his ozeki status.
Later career and retirement
Rather than retire, Kirishima chose to carry on fighting in the maegashira ranks. He in fact had little choice, as (rather unusually for a former ozeki) he did not own 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...
(elder) stock in the Sumo Association and so would have risked being forced to leave the sumo world permanently if he had retired at that point. In March 1996 he produced a poor 3-12 record, and facing certain demotion to juryo, he announced his retirement after 21 years in the sport, just short of his 37th birthday. He at first borrowed his stablemate Terao
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...
's Shikoroyama elder name, then when that was needed by the retiring Kotogaume he used Tagaryu's Katsunoura before securing the Michinoku name and becoming the head of the Michinoku stable
Michinoku stable
The is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze ichimon or group of stables. It was established in 1974 by former maegashira Hoshikabuto, who branched off from Izutsu stable. Former ozeki Kirishima became the current head coach in December 1997. It absorbed Tatsutagawa stable in...
in December 1997. He has produced several wrestlers with top division experience, including Jumonji, Toyozakura and Hakuba
Hakuba Takeshi
Hakuba Takeshi is a former sumo wrestler from Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Joining the professional sport in 2000, he entered the top division for the first time in 2008, returning in 2010. His highest rank was komusubi...
. In February 2010 he was elected to the Sumo Association's board of Directors, but was forced to step down from his post in April 2011 when four of his wrestlers (Jumonji, Toyozakura, Hakuba and Kirinowaka) were ordered to retire after being found guilty of match-fixing.
Fighting style
Kirishima was a yotsu sumo wrestler who preferred grappling techniques to pushing and thrusting. His favoured grip on the opponent's mawashiMawashi
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 hand outside, left hand inside position. His most common winning kimarite
Kimarite
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...
was yorikiri (force out), and he was also fond of uwatedashinage (pulling overarm throw) and utchari (ring edge throw), the latter of which he memorably used to defeat yokozuna Onokuni in September 1988, his first ever kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
. His trademark, however, was tsuri-dashi(lift out), a technique requiring tremendous strength and seldom seen today due to the increasing weight of wrestlers.
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 past sumo wrestlers
- List of sumo tournament winners