Tochinowaka Michihiro
Encyclopedia
Tochinowaka Michihiro is a sumo
wrestler from Hyogo, Japan. His father is a Zainichi Korean
and his mother is a Korean immigrant. He made his professional debut in 2007 and has steadily risen through the ranks and has begun to establish himself as a top division presence. The highest rank he has reached is maegashira 4.
in the 2007 January tournament. After posting a strong 5-2 record in his first official tournament, he achieved a perfect 7-0 record to face fellow up and coming wrestler Yamamotoyama to whom he lost the playoff bout for the jonidan championship or yusho
. Promoted to sandanme in the following tournament, he posted a 6-1 record and a 5-1 record in the following tournament, garnering him promotion to makushita.
He continued fulfilling the expectations of a former high school yokozuna with four consecutive kachi-koshi or winning records. However, upon reaching upper makushita his progress slowed and he finally posted a make-koshi or losing record of 2-5, his first such record in nine tournaments in sumo. In the next tournament he only achieved a 3-4, marking the only time so far in his sumo career that he has had consecutive losing records. It was during this period of struggle that he changed to his current shikona
or ring name of Tochinowaka, which is the former ring name of his stable coach
, Tochinowaka Kiyotaka
. His ring name
up to this time had been his simple one character Korean family name of 李 or Lee. This had apparently been somewhat of a challenge for the yobidashi
who are required to announce every wrestler's name in a drawn out singsong style of voice and very rarely, if ever, had to call out a ring name consisting of just one syllable.
His fortunes after his name change did not change right away, and after several tournaments alternating between winning and losing records, with an early withdrawal in the March 2009 tournament, he finally achieved two consecutive winning records in upper makushita to grant him promotion to sekitori
level, the second highest jūryō division. In contrast to his struggles previously, he soared through jūryō in just three tournaments, narrowly losing the championship in playoffs in two consecutive tournaments.
His promotion to the top makuuchi
in March 2011 was ill-timed as this tournament was cancelled, the first such cancellation in the history of sumo, due to the bout fixing scandal of that year. Though there was no tournament and no official banzuke
, he and fellow makuuchi promotee Kaisei
did receive compensation as top division wrestlers for the period of that tournament. He only managed a 7-8 record in the following May "technical examination tournament" but has since posted two consecutive winning records, making him one of the more promising recently promoted makuuchi wrestlers. In November 2011 he reached his highest rank to date, maegashira 4.
and his mother is a Korean immigrant, Tochinowaka chose to take Japanese citizenship. This also enabled Kasugano stable to accept him despite already having a foreigner, Georgian Tochinoshin.
. His favourite grip is hidari-yotsu, with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms. Nearly half his career victories to date have been achieved with just two kimarite
or techniques, yori-kiri (force out) and oshi-dashi (push out), the two most common in sumo.
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 Hyogo, Japan. His father is a Zainichi Korean
Zainichi Korean
Koreans in Japan are the ethnic Korean residents of Japan. They currently constitute the second largest ethnic minority group in Japan. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans, also often known as Zainichi for short, who are the permanent ethnic Korean residents of Japan...
and his mother is a Korean immigrant. He made his professional debut in 2007 and has steadily risen through the ranks and has begun to establish himself as a top division presence. The highest rank he has reached is maegashira 4.
Early life
Lee was active in judo and also began doing sumo in his second year of primary school. In his third year at Hotoku Gakuen High School he achieved the status of national high school yokozuna.Career
He entered professional sumo as a wrestler for Kasugano stableKasugano stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi group of stables. As of November 2007 it had 24 wrestlers. It is currently one of the most successful stables, with five sekitori wrestlers, including the Georgian Tochinoshin and the Korean born Tochinowaka, who uses the current head coach's...
in the 2007 January tournament. After posting a strong 5-2 record in his first official tournament, he achieved a perfect 7-0 record to face fellow up and coming wrestler Yamamotoyama to whom he lost the playoff bout for the jonidan championship or yusho
Yusho
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...
. Promoted to sandanme in the following tournament, he posted a 6-1 record and a 5-1 record in the following tournament, garnering him promotion to makushita.
He continued fulfilling the expectations of a former high school yokozuna with four consecutive kachi-koshi or winning records. However, upon reaching upper makushita his progress slowed and he finally posted a make-koshi or losing record of 2-5, his first such record in nine tournaments in sumo. In the next tournament he only achieved a 3-4, marking the only time so far in his sumo career that he has had consecutive losing records. It was during this period of struggle that he changed to his current 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...
or ring name of Tochinowaka, which is the former ring name of his stable coach
Toshiyori
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...
, Tochinowaka Kiyotaka
Tochinowaka Kiyotaka
Tochinowaka Kiyotaka is a former sumo wrestler from Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1985, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1987. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was a runner-up in one tournament and earned six special prizes and four kinboshi...
. His ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
up to this time had been his simple one character Korean family name of 李 or Lee. This had apparently been somewhat of a challenge for the yobidashi
Yobidashi
The yobidashi calls a professional sumo wrestler, or rikishi, to the dohyō immediately prior to his bout...
who are required to announce every wrestler's name in a drawn out singsong style of voice and very rarely, if ever, had to call out a ring name consisting of just one syllable.
His fortunes after his name change did not change right away, and after several tournaments alternating between winning and losing records, with an early withdrawal in the March 2009 tournament, he finally achieved two consecutive winning records in upper makushita to grant him promotion to 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...
level, the second highest jūryō division. In contrast to his struggles previously, he soared through jūryō in just three tournaments, narrowly losing the championship in playoffs in two consecutive tournaments.
His 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....
in March 2011 was ill-timed as this tournament was cancelled, the first such cancellation in the history of sumo, due to the bout fixing scandal of that year. Though there was no tournament and no official banzuke
Banzuke
This article is about the banzuke document, for a list of wrestlers as ranked on an actual banzuke see List of active sumo wrestlersA , officially called is a document listing the rankings of professional sumo wrestlers published before each official tournament or honbasho. The term can also...
, he and fellow makuuchi promotee Kaisei
Kaisei
Kaisei may refer to:*Kaisei , the STS Kaisei*Kaisei, Kanagawa, a town in Japan*Kaisei Academy, a Japanese boys' school*Kaisei Ichirō, a Brazilian professional sumo wrestler...
did receive compensation as top division wrestlers for the period of that tournament. He only managed a 7-8 record in the following May "technical examination tournament" but has since posted two consecutive winning records, making him one of the more promising recently promoted makuuchi wrestlers. In November 2011 he reached his highest rank to date, maegashira 4.
Family
Though his father is Zainichi KoreanZainichi Korean
Koreans in Japan are the ethnic Korean residents of Japan. They currently constitute the second largest ethnic minority group in Japan. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans, also often known as Zainichi for short, who are the permanent ethnic Korean residents of Japan...
and his mother is a Korean immigrant, Tochinowaka chose to take Japanese citizenship. This also enabled Kasugano stable to accept him despite already having a foreigner, Georgian Tochinoshin.
Fighting style
Tochinowaka is a yotsu sumo wrestler who prefers techniques involving grabbing 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:...
. His favourite grip is hidari-yotsu, with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms. Nearly half his career victories to date have been achieved with just two 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...
or techniques, yori-kiri (force out) and oshi-dashi (push out), the two most common in sumo.