Kotokasuga Keigo
Encyclopedia
is a former sumo
wrestler from Kasuga
, Fukuoka Prefecture
, Japan. He began his professional career in 1993, reaching the top makuuchi
division some 15 years later in 2008. His highest rank was maegashira 7. He retired in April 2011 after the Japan Sumo Association
found him guilty of involvement in match-fixing.
. After his graduation he was recruited by Sadogatake stable
, and made his professional debut in March 1993. Initially fighting under the shikona
of Kotonoyama, he progressed to the sandanme division in 1995, and first reached the makushita division in 1997. He adopted the name of Kotokasuga in 1999, in honour of his hometown. In November 2004 he finally made the elite sekitori
ranks when he was promoted to the jūryō division. He was ranked in jūryō for four further tournaments in May, July and September 2005 and January 2006, but then struggled again in makushita. After injuries to both his elbows he considered retiring, but he won promotion back to jūryō in September 2007 at the age of 30, and then four consecutive kachi-koshi or winning records saw him promoted to the top makuuchi
division in May 2008. It had taken him 91 tournaments from his professional debut to get there, the second slowest ever at the time. He could only manage a 4-11 record in his top division debut and dropped back to jūryō. However, he made a return to makuuchi in September 2010, and on this occasion came through with a winning score of 9-6. This saw him promoted to his highest rank of maegashira 7 for the November 2010 tournament.
In April 2011, along with 19 other wrestlers and coaches, he was ordered to retire by the Sumo Association after an investigation found he arranged the result of matches. He submitted retirement papers on April 4.
. His most common winning kimarite
was oshi-dashi (push out), closely followed by yori-kiri (force out). Together these two techniques accounted for half his career victories.
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 Kasuga
Kasuga, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 107,604 and the density of 7,600 persons per km². The total area is 14.15 km². The city was founded on April 1, 1972. It is directly south of Fukuoka City, and west of Onojo. It also has a border with Nakagawa...
, Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
, Japan. He began his professional career in 1993, reaching 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 some 15 years later in 2008. His highest rank was maegashira 7. He retired in April 2011 after 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...
found him guilty of involvement in match-fixing.
Career
At junior high school he excelled at baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. After his graduation he was recruited by Sadogatake stable
Sadogatake stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. In its modern form it dates from September 1955, when it was set up by former komusubi Kotonishiki Noboru. Former yokozuna Kotozakura took over the running of the stable in 1974 following Kotonishiki's death. Over the next...
, and made his professional debut in March 1993. Initially fighting 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 Kotonoyama, he progressed to the sandanme division in 1995, and first reached the makushita division in 1997. He adopted the name of Kotokasuga in 1999, in honour of his hometown. In November 2004 he finally made the 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...
ranks when he was promoted to the jūryō division. He was ranked in jūryō for four further tournaments in May, July and September 2005 and January 2006, but then struggled again in makushita. After injuries to both his elbows he considered retiring, but he won promotion back to jūryō in September 2007 at the age of 30, and then four consecutive kachi-koshi or winning records saw him promoted to 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 2008. It had taken him 91 tournaments from his professional debut to get there, the second slowest ever at the time. He could only manage a 4-11 record in his top division debut and dropped back to jūryō. However, he made a return to makuuchi in September 2010, and on this occasion came through with a winning score of 9-6. This saw him promoted to his highest rank of maegashira 7 for the November 2010 tournament.
In April 2011, along with 19 other wrestlers and coaches, he was ordered to retire by the Sumo Association after an investigation found he arranged the result of matches. He submitted retirement papers on April 4.
Fighting style
Kotokasuga was an oshi-sumo specialist who prefers pushing and thrusting to fighting on the 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:...
. 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 oshi-dashi (push out), closely followed by yori-kiri (force out). Together these two techniques accounted for half his career victories.