Kyokutenhou Masaru
Encyclopedia
Kyokutenhō Masaru is a professional sumo
wrestler. He made his debut in 1992, with the first group of Mongolians ever to join the sport in Japan
, reaching the top division in 1998. He has received five special prizes
for Fighting Spirit during his career and has been runner-up in one tournament. His highest rank has been sekiwake, which he has held on three occasions. He has acquired Japanese citizenship and is in line to take over the Ōshima stable
upon his retirement from sumo.
, joining Ōshima stable
. They were the first Mongolians to join professional sumo. In Mongolia he had had little experience of wrestling or judo, concentrating on basketball in junior high school. Six months after they came to Japan, due to cultural difference, language problems, and the extremely harsh training methods used in sumo, Kyokutenhō, Kyokushuzan and three others ran away and sought refuge in the Mongolian embassy. But he was persuaded by Kyokutenzan to return to his stable.
In March 1996, he was promoted to the second highest jūryō division, achieving sekitori
status for the first time. After temporarily dropping down to makushita, he slowly climbed the jūryō division and first won promotion to the top makuuchi
division in January 1998. However, he did not establish himself in the division until May 1999. He won his first sanshō
or special prize in January 2000. He first achieved a sanyaku rank in January 2002 when he was promoted to komusubi. He has earned two kinboshi
or gold stars for yokozuna upsets at maegashira rank, defeating Takanohana
in the latter's comeback tournament in September 2002 and fellow Mongolian Asashōryū
in his first tournament as a yokozuna in March 2003. He has also beaten Asashōryū and Musashimaru whilst ranked in sanyaku. He made his sekiwake debut in July 2003 but he has not achieved a kachi-koshi or winning score in his three attempts at the rank.
On 28 April 2007 he caused a car accident in Tokyo
. He was punished for defying the Japan Sumo Association
's ban on wrestlers driving cars by being forced to sit out the May tournament, resulting in demotion to the jūryō division. This broke a string of over 700 consecutive top division bouts dating from his re-entry into makuuchi in May 1999, the longest streak among active wrestlers. However, he won immediate promotion back to the top division with a 12-3 record in July. On his return to the top division in September he was runner-up to Yokozuna Hakuho, his first ever runner-up score in makuuchi. He was awarded his fifth Fighting Spirit prize. In March 2009 he was promoted to komusubi for the first time in 17 tournaments, and became the first former sanyaku wrestler since Mitoizumi in 1988 to drop to the jūryō division and make a return to the sanyaku ranks. He made komusubi once again in July 2009.
Following the retirement of Kaio
in July 2011 Kyokutenho now has more career wins (772) than any active wrestler and is the longest serving member of the top division, with Wakanosato a close second.
which involve grabbing the opponent's mawashi
or belt. He prefers a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip. Over half his career wins have come by a simple yori-kiri or force out, compared with an average of around 28 percent for all wrestlers.
citizenship
with the support of his stable master, ex Ōzeki Asahikuni. This will enable him to take over the running of Ōshima stable when Asahikuni reaches the mandatory retirement age of 65 in 2012. His real name is now Masaru Ota. He is married to a Japanese woman and his first child, a girl, was born in September 2008.
Kyokutenhō's brother Robsandorj, nine years his junior, also became a sumo wrestler in 2000 under the name Fudoyama, but he never climbed higher than the third makushita division and retired in January 2008.
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. He made his debut in 1992, with the first group of Mongolians ever to join the sport in 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...
, reaching the top division in 1998. He has received five 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:...
for Fighting Spirit during his career and has been runner-up in one tournament. His highest rank has been sekiwake, which he has held on three occasions. He has acquired Japanese citizenship and is in line to take over the Ōshima stable
Oshima stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ichimon or group of stables. It was set up in 1980 by former ozeki Asahikuni, who branched off from Tatsunami stable. The head of Tatsunami stable opposed the setting up of the new stable, and did not speak to Oshima Oyakata until Asahifuji was...
upon his retirement from sumo.
Career
In 1991, Tsevegnyam came to Japan with five other Mongolian wrestlers, including KyokushūzanKyokushuzan Noboru
Kyokushūzan Noboru is a former professional sumo wrestler and current politician of Democratic Party. He was the first wrestler from Mongolia to reach sumo's top makuuchi division....
, joining Ōshima stable
Oshima stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ichimon or group of stables. It was set up in 1980 by former ozeki Asahikuni, who branched off from Tatsunami stable. The head of Tatsunami stable opposed the setting up of the new stable, and did not speak to Oshima Oyakata until Asahifuji was...
. They were the first Mongolians to join professional sumo. In Mongolia he had had little experience of wrestling or judo, concentrating on basketball in junior high school. Six months after they came to Japan, due to cultural difference, language problems, and the extremely harsh training methods used in sumo, Kyokutenhō, Kyokushuzan and three others ran away and sought refuge in the Mongolian embassy. But he was persuaded by Kyokutenzan to return to his stable.
In March 1996, he was promoted to the second highest jūryō division, achieving 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 for the first time. After temporarily dropping down to makushita, he slowly climbed the jūryō division and first won promotion 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 January 1998. However, he did not establish himself in the division until May 1999. He won his first sanshō
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 in January 2000. He first achieved a sanyaku rank in January 2002 when he was promoted to komusubi. He has earned two kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
or gold stars for yokozuna upsets at maegashira rank, defeating Takanohana
Takanohana Koji
is a former sumo wrestler from Suginami, Tokyo, Japan. He was the 65th man in history to reach sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, and he won 22 tournament championships between 1992 and 2001, the fifth highest total ever...
in the latter's comeback tournament in September 2002 and fellow Mongolian 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...
in his first tournament as a yokozuna in March 2003. He has also beaten Asashōryū and Musashimaru whilst ranked in sanyaku. He made his sekiwake debut in July 2003 but he has not achieved a kachi-koshi or winning score in his three attempts at the rank.
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. He was punished for defying 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...
's ban on wrestlers driving cars by being forced to sit out the May tournament, resulting in demotion to the jūryō division. This broke a string of over 700 consecutive top division bouts dating from his re-entry into makuuchi in May 1999, the longest streak among active wrestlers. However, he won immediate promotion back to the top division with a 12-3 record in July. On his return to the top division in September he was runner-up to Yokozuna Hakuho, his first ever runner-up score in makuuchi. He was awarded his fifth Fighting Spirit prize. In March 2009 he was promoted to komusubi for the first time in 17 tournaments, and became the first former sanyaku wrestler since Mitoizumi in 1988 to drop to the jūryō division and make a return to the sanyaku ranks. He made komusubi once again in July 2009.
Following the retirement of Kaio
Kaio Hiroyuki
Kaiō Hiroyuki is a former professional sumo wrestler from Nōgata, Fukuoka, Japan.He made his debut in 1988, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1993. He held the second highest rank of ōzeki or champion for eleven years from 2000 to 2011, and is the longest-serving ozeki of all time in terms of...
in July 2011 Kyokutenho now has more career wins (772) than any active wrestler and is the longest serving member of the top division, with Wakanosato a close second.
Fighting style
Kyokutenho is a solidly yotsu-sumo wrestler, favouring 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...
which involve grabbing 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:...
or belt. He prefers a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip. Over half his career wins have come by a simple yori-kiri or force out, compared with an average of around 28 percent for all wrestlers.
Family
In 2005, Kyuokutenhō obtained JapaneseJapanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
with the support of his stable master, ex Ōzeki Asahikuni. This will enable him to take over the running of Ōshima stable when Asahikuni reaches the mandatory retirement age of 65 in 2012. His real name is now Masaru Ota. He is married to a Japanese woman and his first child, a girl, was born in September 2008.
Kyokutenhō's brother Robsandorj, nine years his junior, also became a sumo wrestler in 2000 under the name Fudoyama, but he never climbed higher than the third makushita division and retired in January 2008.