Toki Susumu
Encyclopedia
Tōki Susumu is a former sumo
wrestler from Ichikawa
, Chiba Prefecture
, Japan
. His highest rank was komusubi. He is now a sumo coach.
. Just like ex-sekiwake Takamiyama, who was a member of the same heya during the 1970s and 80s, Tōki wore long sideburns
as a distinctive feature.
In 1998 Tōki managed to enter the top makuuchi
division for the first time and quickly became a regular maegashira, although his results were not sufficient to make him a sanyaku wrestler (although he was a komusubi for one tournament in September 2003, he could not retain this rank). He was not a great challenge to the top wrestlers in his Makuuchi days, losing every bout he fought against both Musashimaru
and Takanohana
. He never managed to defeat a yokozuna or win a special prize
.
On December 18, 2000 in Osaka
Tōki was behind the wheel of a car which hit a pedestrian and killed her. He should not have been driving at all because the Sumo Association had banned all wrestlers from doing so following a previous incident. Tōki was forced to sit out the January 2001 tournament as a result, and fell to the jūryō division. This left the Takasago stable without any top division wrestlers for the first time in its 123 year history. However, Tōki was immediately promoted back to makuuchi following his return to the ring in March 2001.
In 2004, Tōki suffered a shoulder injury which eventually led to him dropping to jūryō once more. He did not succeed in making a sustained comeback to makuuchi, although he managed to return temporarily twice. He suffered increasingly from back problems related to spinal stenosis
, which was the reason why he missed six days of the January 2006 tournament. This also reduced the power of his pushes and thrusts to his opponents. After a disastrous make-koshi in March, Tōki was demoted to makushita in May 2006 and announced his retirement on the day the tournament started.
. He won only eight matches in his career by yori-kiri, or force out, and lost 132. His most common winning kimarite
were the slap down, hataki-komi, and the pull down, hiki-otoshi.
. Until January 2010 he used the name Sanoyama Oyakata. However, the elder
stock is owned by the stable's former ozeki Chiyotaikai, and upon Chiyotaikai's retirement Toki switched to the Asakayama name owned by Kaiō
. He changed once again, to Oshiogawa Oyakata, in September 2010.
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 Ichikawa
Ichikawa, Chiba
is a city located in northwest Chiba, Japan, approximately 20 kilometers from the center of Tokyo. The city was founded on November 3, 1934. As of January 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 474,586 and a density of 8,259.42 persons per km². The total area is 57.46 km²...
, Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, 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 komusubi. He is now a sumo coach.
Career
Tōki began his career in January 1991 after joining the Takasago stableTakasago stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables.It is correctly written in Japanese as "髙砂部屋", but the first of these kanji is rare, and is more commonly written as "高砂部屋"....
. Just like ex-sekiwake Takamiyama, who was a member of the same heya during the 1970s and 80s, Tōki wore long sideburns
Sideburns
Sideburns or sideboards are patches of facial hair grown on the sides of the face, extending from the hairline to below the ears and worn with an unbearded chin...
as a distinctive feature.
In 1998 Tōki managed to enter 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 and quickly became a regular maegashira, although his results were not sufficient to make him a sanyaku wrestler (although he was a komusubi for one tournament in September 2003, he could not retain this rank). He was not a great challenge to the top wrestlers in his Makuuchi days, losing every bout he fought against both Musashimaru
Musashimaru Kōyō
, is a former sumo wrestler. He was the second foreign-born wrestler in history to reach the rank of yokozuna. He won over 700 top division bouts and took twelve top division tournament championships during his career. Musashimaru's sheer bulk combined with of height made him a formidable...
and 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...
. He never managed to defeat a yokozuna or win a special 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:...
.
On December 18, 2000 in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
Tōki was behind the wheel of a car which hit a pedestrian and killed her. He should not have been driving at all because the Sumo Association had banned all wrestlers from doing so following a previous incident. Tōki was forced to sit out the January 2001 tournament as a result, and fell to the jūryō division. This left the Takasago stable without any top division wrestlers for the first time in its 123 year history. However, Tōki was immediately promoted back to makuuchi following his return to the ring in March 2001.
In 2004, Tōki suffered a shoulder injury which eventually led to him dropping to jūryō once more. He did not succeed in making a sustained comeback to makuuchi, although he managed to return temporarily twice. He suffered increasingly from back problems related to spinal stenosis
Spinal stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves at the level of the lumbar vertebra. This is usually due to the common occurrence of spinal degeneration that occurs with aging. It can also sometimes be caused by spinal disc...
, which was the reason why he missed six days of the January 2006 tournament. This also reduced the power of his pushes and thrusts to his opponents. After a disastrous make-koshi in March, Tōki was demoted to makushita in May 2006 and announced his retirement on the day the tournament started.
Fighting style
Tōki relied almost exclusively on slapping and pushing techniques, making his style very predictable, yet often surprisingly successful. However, he was very vulnerable when his opponents got hold of his 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:...
. He won only eight matches in his career by yori-kiri, or force out, and lost 132. 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...
were the slap down, hataki-komi, and the pull down, hiki-otoshi.
Retirement from sumo
Tōki had his official retirement ceremony on January 27, 2007 and is now working as a coach at Kokonoe stableKokonoe stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It was formed in 1967 and is located in Ishiwara, Sumida, Tokyo. As of April 2008 it had 16 sumo wrestlers.-History:...
. Until January 2010 he used the name Sanoyama Oyakata. However, the elder
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...
stock is owned by the stable's former ozeki Chiyotaikai, and upon Chiyotaikai's retirement Toki switched to the Asakayama name owned by Kaiō
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...
. He changed once again, to Oshiogawa Oyakata, in September 2010.
Top division record
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 past sumo wrestlers