Tamaasuka Daisuke
Encyclopedia
Tamaasuka Daisuke is a sumo
wrestler from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
, Japan
. His highest rank has been maegashira 9. After falling from the top division in 2005 through injury, he won promotion back in 2009.
, he started sumo in the fourth grade of elementary school. He was enrolled by his father in the Choyko Sumo Club, based in the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
where the annual Nagoya honbasho
is held. At Hibino Middle School, he became Middle School Yokozuna in 1997. He made his professional debut in March 1998, joining Tamanoi stable
. Just weeks beforehand, his father had died of a heart attack. It had been he who had chosen Tamaasuka's shikona
and had driven him to become a rikishi by installing a rigorous training program for him. His father's death only made Tamaasuka more determined to succeed in professional sumo.
After six years of steady but unspectacular progress in the lower ranks, Tamaasuka was promoted to the second highest jūryō division in November 2004 after winning the makushita championship with a perfect 7-0 record. In his jūryō debut he scored eight wins against seven losses by winning and then losing on alternate days, an oddity not seen in the top two divisions since 1988. He reached the top makuuchi
division in the Nagoya tournament in July 2005, making his debut alongside Hakurozan
. He was the first wrestler from Nagoya to reach the top division since Tochitsukasa in 1981.
Cheered on by his hometown fans, Tamaasuka scored nine wins in his top division debut. He would have received the Kantosho or Fighting Spirit prize
had he won on the final day, but he was defeated by Tokitenku
. He was promoted to maegashira 9, but could only manage a disappointing 4-11 record in the next tournament. On the fourth day of the November 2005 tournament he broke his left ankle and was forced to pull out. As a result, he was demoted back to the jūryō division. It was the first time in his career that he had missed any bouts. Since he had an enforced layoff, he decided to undergo eyesight corrective surgery
in December 2005. He had not fully recovered from either his injury or his surgery by the January 2006 tournament but felt he had to compete to try to prevent demotion to the unsalaried makushita division. However, in the event he withdrew once again after losing his first two bouts. He largely remained in the third division for the next three years.
In May 2008 he won his second makushita division championship, once more with a perfect 7-0 record. This performance returned him to the sekitori
ranks for the first time since November 2006. His return was not successful however, as he could only manage a 5-10 score at jūryō 13. He returned to the jūryō division once again for the November 2008 tournament; a 6-1 score at the rank of Makushita 4 East elevating him to jūryō 8. Although he turned in 5-10 again, it was enough on this occasion to keep him in the division. However a further 5-10 score in January 2009 saw him demoted once again. He scored 6-1 in March 2009, losing a playoff for the makushita division championship, which was enough for an immediate return to jūryō.
In May 2009 he not only made his first kachi-koshi at a sekitori rank in nearly four years but won his first jūryō championship with a 12-3 record. He followed up with another strong 11-4 record in July 2009, ensuring himself of a return to the top division for the first time in nearly four years. The 23 tournaments it took him to win back promotion is the fourth longest ever, behind Wakanoyama, Daihi and Daizen. In the September 2009 tournament, fighting from the maegashira 13 ranking, he recovered from 3-9 to win his last three matches and stay in the top division. He was forced to withdraw from the following tournament in November, his first absence since January 2006, after injuring his right ankle and he fell back to jūryō as a result. He won promotion back to the top division for July 2010 after a 10-5 score in May, but could manage only five wins on his return. Two poor performances of 5-10 and 4-11 saw him demoted to makushita for the first time since January 2009 after the November 2010 tournament, but he won promotion back to the sekitori ranks immediately.
In September 2011 Tamaasuka was promoted back to makuuchi after scoring 8-7 at Juryo 1 West in the preceding July tournament. He thus became the second wrestler (after Wakanoyama) to twice achieve the feat of returning to makuuchi after dropping to makushita.
is hidari-yotsu, a right hand outside, left hand inside position. His most often used winning kimarite
is yori-kiri (force out), followed by oshi-dashi (push 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 Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
, 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 has been maegashira 9. After falling from the top division in 2005 through injury, he won promotion back in 2009.
Career
Born in AtsutaAtsuta-ku, Nagoya
is one of the wards of the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the 2005 census it had a population of 63,608. Atsuta Shrine is well known. The rolling stock manufacturer Nippon Sharyo has its headquarters in the ward.-References:...
, he started sumo in the fourth grade of elementary school. He was enrolled by his father in the Choyko Sumo Club, based in the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
The is an all purpose gymnasium in Aichi, Japan, built in 1964. Located on the site of the secondary enclosure of Nagoya Castle, it is host to numerous concerts and events...
where the annual Nagoya honbasho
Honbasho
A is an official professional sumo tournament. There are six held each year, a system established in 1958. Only honbasho results matter in determining promotion and relegation for rikishi ....
is held. At Hibino Middle School, he became Middle School Yokozuna in 1997. He made his professional debut in March 1998, joining Tamanoi stable
Tamanoi stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. It was set up in 1990 by former sekiwake Tochiazuma Tomoyori, who branched off from Kasugano stable. He coached his son, who also wrestled under the name Tochiazuma, to ozeki rank. He reached retirement age in...
. Just weeks beforehand, his father had died of a heart attack. It had been he who had chosen Tamaasuka's 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...
and had driven him to become a rikishi by installing a rigorous training program for him. His father's death only made Tamaasuka more determined to succeed in professional sumo.
After six years of steady but unspectacular progress in the lower ranks, Tamaasuka was promoted to the second highest jūryō division in November 2004 after winning the makushita championship with a perfect 7-0 record. In his jūryō debut he scored eight wins against seven losses by winning and then losing on alternate days, an oddity not seen in the top two divisions since 1988. 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 in the Nagoya tournament in July 2005, making his debut alongside Hakurozan
Hakurozan Yuta
Hakurozan Yūta is a former sumo wrestler. The highest rank he reached was maegashira 2. His older brother is also a former sumo wrestler, under the name of Rohō of Ōtake stable...
. He was the first wrestler from Nagoya to reach the top division since Tochitsukasa in 1981.
Cheered on by his hometown fans, Tamaasuka scored nine wins in his top division debut. He would have received the Kantosho or 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:...
had he won on the final day, but he was defeated by Tokitenku
Tokitenku Yoshiaki
Tokitenkū Yoshiaki is a sumo wrestler. He made his professional debut in 2002, reaching the top makuuchi division just two years later. The highest rank he has reached is komusubi, which he has held for just two tournaments so far. He has one special prize, for Technique...
. He was promoted to maegashira 9, but could only manage a disappointing 4-11 record in the next tournament. On the fourth day of the November 2005 tournament he broke his left ankle and was forced to pull out. As a result, he was demoted back to the jūryō division. It was the first time in his career that he had missed any bouts. Since he had an enforced layoff, he decided to undergo eyesight corrective surgery
Eye surgery
Eye surgery, also known as orogolomistician surgery or ocular surgery, is surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa, typically by an ophthalmologist.-Preparation and precautions:...
in December 2005. He had not fully recovered from either his injury or his surgery by the January 2006 tournament but felt he had to compete to try to prevent demotion to the unsalaried makushita division. However, in the event he withdrew once again after losing his first two bouts. He largely remained in the third division for the next three years.
In May 2008 he won his second makushita division championship, once more with a perfect 7-0 record. This performance returned him to the 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 for the first time since November 2006. His return was not successful however, as he could only manage a 5-10 score at jūryō 13. He returned to the jūryō division once again for the November 2008 tournament; a 6-1 score at the rank of Makushita 4 East elevating him to jūryō 8. Although he turned in 5-10 again, it was enough on this occasion to keep him in the division. However a further 5-10 score in January 2009 saw him demoted once again. He scored 6-1 in March 2009, losing a playoff for the makushita division championship, which was enough for an immediate return to jūryō.
In May 2009 he not only made his first kachi-koshi at a sekitori rank in nearly four years but won his first jūryō championship with a 12-3 record. He followed up with another strong 11-4 record in July 2009, ensuring himself of a return to the top division for the first time in nearly four years. The 23 tournaments it took him to win back promotion is the fourth longest ever, behind Wakanoyama, Daihi and Daizen. In the September 2009 tournament, fighting from the maegashira 13 ranking, he recovered from 3-9 to win his last three matches and stay in the top division. He was forced to withdraw from the following tournament in November, his first absence since January 2006, after injuring his right ankle and he fell back to jūryō as a result. He won promotion back to the top division for July 2010 after a 10-5 score in May, but could manage only five wins on his return. Two poor performances of 5-10 and 4-11 saw him demoted to makushita for the first time since January 2009 after the November 2010 tournament, but he won promotion back to the sekitori ranks immediately.
In September 2011 Tamaasuka was promoted back to makuuchi after scoring 8-7 at Juryo 1 West in the preceding July tournament. He thus became the second wrestler (after Wakanoyama) to twice achieve the feat of returning to makuuchi after dropping to makushita.
Fighting style
Tammasuka is proficient in both yotsu-sumo (grappling) and oshi-sumo (pushing and thrusting) techniques. He uses oshi techniques at the beginning of a match to set up his preferred yotsu position, a basic sumo style. His favoured grip on his 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:...
is hidari-yotsu, a right hand outside, left hand inside position. His most often used 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...
is yori-kiri (force out), followed by oshi-dashi (push out).
Record since makuuchi entry
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 active sumo wrestlers