Kobo Kenichi
Encyclopedia
Kōbō Kenichi is a former sumo
wrestler from Kumage, Kagoshima Prefecture
, Japan
. His highest rank was maegashira 9.
status only in January 1999 upon promotion to the second highest jūryō division, after nearly ten years of toiling in the lower divisions.
He reached the top makuuchi
division for the first time in November 2001 but only lasted two tournaments before being demoted. He returned on two other occasions but he largely remained a veteran of the jūryō division, in which he spent 44 tournaments. For a long period he was the highest ranking wrestler in Miyagino stable
, before the emergence of Hakuho, now a yokozuna. In July 2007, he fell to the unsalaried makushita division for the first time since September 2000, and he announced his retirement in December of that year.
as an elder under the name Ajigawa Oyakata
, and is working as a coach at his old stable. In May 2008, he had his danpatsu-shiki, or official retirement ceremony, at the Ryogoku Kokugikan
. In February 2010 he admitted that, against the wishes of the Tatsunami ichimon, he voted for independent candidate Takanohana instead of the approved candidate Oshima in the elections to the Sumo Association's board. He offered his resignation, but was persuaded to stay.
or techniques were hidari-yotsu (a right hand outside, left hand inside grip on the opponent's mawashi
), shitatenage (underarm throw), and yorikiri (force out).
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 Kumage, Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
, 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 maegashira 9.
Career
Kōbō made his professional debut in March 1989 at the age of 15. He worked his way quickly through the lowest three divisions, making his makushita debut shortly after his 18th birthday, less than three years into his career. However, he was unable to advance further for several years, reaching sekitoriSekitori
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 only in January 1999 upon promotion to the second highest jūryō division, after nearly ten years of toiling in the lower divisions.
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 November 2001 but only lasted two tournaments before being demoted. He returned on two other occasions but he largely remained a veteran of the jūryō division, in which he spent 44 tournaments. For a long period he was the highest ranking wrestler in Miyagino stable
Miyagino stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ichimon or group of stables. It was founded by the 43rd Yokozuna Yoshibayama as Yoshibayama dōjō while he was still an active wrestler, before changing to its current name in 1960....
, before the emergence of Hakuho, now a yokozuna. In July 2007, he fell to the unsalaried makushita division for the first time since September 2000, and he announced his retirement in December of that year.
Retirement from sumo
Kōbō has remained with the Japan Sumo AssociationJapan 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...
as an elder under the name Ajigawa Oyakata
Ajigawa (toshiyori)
Ajigawa is a toshiyori . The name is now owned by Aminishiki, who is still an active rikishi. It is being borrowed by former maegashira Kōbō, who retired in December 2007. He is correctly addressed as Ajigawa-oyakata.- Holders :*Stable owners in bold.-External links:*...
, and is working as a coach at his old stable. In May 2008, he had his danpatsu-shiki, or official retirement ceremony, 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...
. In February 2010 he admitted that, against the wishes of the Tatsunami ichimon, he voted for independent candidate Takanohana instead of the approved candidate Oshima in the elections to the Sumo Association's board. He offered his resignation, but was persuaded to stay.
Fighting style
Kobo's favoured kimariteKimarite
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...
or techniques were hidari-yotsu (a right hand outside, left hand inside grip on the 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:...
), shitatenage (underarm throw), and yorikiri (force out).