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Konishiki Yasokichi

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This article is about the ōzeki. For the 19th century yokozuna, seeKonishiki Yasokichi I.
Konishiki Yasokichi
Tiểu cẩm bát thập cát
Konishiki in 2015
Personal information
BornSaleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e
(1963-12-31)December 31, 1963(age 60)
Honolulu,Oahu,Hawaii,U.S.
Height1.84 m (6 ft1⁄2in)
Weight287 kg (633 lb; 45.2 st)
Career
StableTakasago
Record733–498–95
DebutJuly 1982
Highest rankŌzeki (July 1987)
RetiredNovember 1997
Elder nameSanoyama
Championships3 (Makuuchi)
2 (Jūryō)
1 (Jonidan)
1 (Jonokuchi)
Special PrizesOutstanding Performance (4)
Fighting Spirit (5)
Technique (1)
Gold Stars2 (Chiyonofuji,Takanosato)
* Up to date as of June 2020.

Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e(born December 31, 1963), better known by his stage name,Konishiki Yasokichi(Tiểu cẩm bát thập cát,Konishiki Yasokichi),is an American-born Japanese former professionalsumowrestler.[1][2]He was the first non-Japanese-born wrestler to reachōzeki,the second-highest possible rank in the sport. During his career he won the top division championship on three occasions and came very close to becoming the first foreign-born grand champion, oryokozuna,prompting a social debate in Japan as to whether a foreigner could have the necessary cultural understanding to be deemed acceptable in sumo's ultimate rank. At a peak weight of 287 kg (633 lb) he was also at the time theheaviest wrestler ever in sumo,earning him the nicknames "Meat Bomb" and, most famously, "The Dump Truck".[2][3][4]

Early career[edit]

Playing truant from school one day, Yasokichi, already 170kg at the age of 18, was spotted on the beach in Hawaii by a sumo talent scout and was offered the chance to go to Japan to train. He entered sumo in July 1982, recruited by another Hawaiian-born wrestler,Takamiyamaof theTakasago stable.A promising student at theUniversity High SchoolinHonolulu,he initially wanted to be a lawyer and was also offered a music scholarship toSyracuse University.[5]His father had regular work with theUS Navybut had to support eight children. Yasokichi regardedTakamiyamaas a local hero and found the opportunity to travel to Japan too good to resist, although his parents were reluctant for him to do so.[5]

Due to his potential he was given the name Konishiki, after the 17th Yokozuna,Konishiki Yasokichi I(seeList of yokozuna) who came from the same training stable at the end of the 19th Century (during theMeiji periodin Japan) andKonishiki Yasokichi II(akomusubiin the beginning of the 20th century). Yasokichi was the sixth "Konishiki" in history, though he was the third to reach the top division. He rose to the privilegedsekitoriranks in just eight tournaments, a remarkably rapid rise.

He made his debut in the topmakuuchidivision in July 1984, and in the following tournament in September he defeated twoyokozuna,ChiyonofujiandTakanosato,and was runner-up with a 12–3 record. He was promoted tokomusubifor the first time in May 1985 andsekiwakein July 1985. However, he suffered an injury to hiscoccyx(caused by a stool collapsing underneath him)[5]and had to sit out all the next tournament. In May 1986 he suffered another injury, this time in competition, during a bout withFutahaguro.[5]Konishiki came back strongly from this setback and three consecutive double figure scores in 1987 earned him promotion toōzeki.

Original tegata (handprint and signature ) of sumo wrestler Konishiki

Ōzeki[edit]

Many people expected Konishiki to quickly make his push foryokozunapromotion. His stablemaster, the 46th YokozunaAsashio Tarō III,had predicted Konishiki would reach the top rank by his 25th birthday.[6]However, his increasing weight caused a strain on his knee, exacerbated by previous high-school football injuries, which badly affected his performances. After a string of mediocre 8–7 scores he turned in a disastrous 3–12 in September 1988. His problems continued in 1989 and a 5–10 mark in September left him in danger of demotion fromōzekionce again. He made a spectacular comeback in November 1989, taking his first tournament championship with a 14–1 record. He was the first foreigner to win a top division title since Takamiyama in 1972. In March 1990 he took part in a three-way playoff for the title but he was outshone byAsahifuji,who earned promotion toyokozunain July. In May 1991 Konishiki won 14 consecutive bouts but was beaten in a playoff on the final day by Asahifuji.

Close toyokozuna[edit]

By late 1991 Konishiki was a strongyokozunacandidate. He had overcome his injuries and showed much more consistency.YokozunaChiyonofujiandŌnokunihad both recently retired, and Asahifuji andHokutoumiwere struggling with illness and injury. Konishiki took advantage by winning two championships (his 2nd and 3rd overall) in November 1991 and March 1992, with a record in the last three tournaments of 38 wins and 7 losses. However, he was denied promotion toyokozunanormally awarded to those with two consecutive tournament wins or an equivalent achievement (Konishiki had three non-consecutive wins), with the chairman of theYokozuna Deliberation Committee,Hideo Ueda, announcing, "We wanted to make doubly sure that Konishiki is worthy to be a grand champion. Therefore, we decided to wait for another tournament."[7]Another member of the committee, Noboru Kojima, said in an interview in the April issue ofBungei Shunjūthat Konishiki did not possesshinkaku(Phẩm cách), a word derived fromhinmeaning "grace, elegance and refinement".[7]His remarks were given the headline, "We Don’t Need a Foreign Yokozuna" in the magazine.[7]The controversy arose whenThe Nihon Keizai Shimbunreported that Konishiki in an interview had alleged racial discrimination was the reason for his being denied promotion.[8]The New York Timessubsequently quoted Konishiki as saying, "If I were Japanese, I would be yokozuna already." TheJapan Sumo Associationdemanded an apology. Konishiki held a press conference during which he made his apology and tearfully denied making the remarks. He insisted thatThe Nihon Keizai Shimbunhad misinterpreted his remark, and that he had not spoken to The New York Times, and instead a Hawaiian apprentice Koryu had impersonated him on the telephone.[8][9]Despite the denial, the damage had been done.[5]The media furore hampered his preparations for the forthcoming tournament which resulted in a mediocre 9–6 record. Konishiki never came close to promotion again.

Later career[edit]

Konishiki and his entourage, May 1996

Konishiki retained hisōzekiranking for 39 tournaments over more than six years, but he eventually lost it in November 1993 after two consecutive losing records. However, he continued to compete in the top division as amaegashirafor another four years. Now weighing over 600 pounds (270 kg), his knee injury and mobility issues meant he was susceptible to belt throws and slap downs by lighter and more agile opponents. Even though he enjoyed less success, he became progressively more popular with Japanese fans due to his continuous fighting spirit, distinctive bulk and warm, amiable personality. In November 1997, he faced demotion to the secondjūryōdivision and announced his retirement after 15 years in sumo. In addition to his chronic knee problems he had been suffering from gout and a stomach ulcer. He said that in spite of his setbacks "I'm glad that I've continued with sumo, because I've learned a lot from sumo, and I've also learned the Japanese language and life style."[10]He had spent 81 consecutive tournaments in the top division and won 649 bouts there.

Fighting style[edit]

Early in his career, under the instruction of his first stablemaster, Konishiki was primarilyoshi-sumospecialist, preferring pushing and thrustingtechniquessuch asoshi-dashiandtsuki-dashithat would win the bout as quickly as possible. Following his knee problems in 1988 and 1989, his balance suffered and as his weight continued to increase he began to change his style, preferring to bide his time by grabbing the opponent'smawashiand rely on his huge weight advantage to wear them out. By 1992 he was winning virtually all his matches byyori-kiri(force out), and his lack of ability to change tack once he had been sidestepped was one of the concerns raised by the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee when he was up for promotion.[7]His peak weight of 285 kilograms (628 lb) recorded in March 1996 was theheaviest ever for a sumo wrestleruntil surpassed byŌrorain 2017.

Life after sumo[edit]

Konishiki remained in the Japan Sumo Association as anelderfor a short time under the name of Sanoyama, before branching out as aJapaneseentertainerunder the name "KONISHIKI" (the capitalization is an effort to reflect the association's requirement to write his name in the Roman alphabet, after prohibition of spelling it out in Japanese characters after his retirement from sumo).

In 2000Shinichi Watanabe,director ofExcel SagaandPuni Puni Poemy,created an anime series calledDotto! Koni-chan,in which Koni, the protagonist, is a fat child who strongly resembles Konishiki.

In January 2004 he married his girlfriend of two years, former medical worker Chie Iijima.[11]He had previously married former modelSumika Shiodain 1992, but they divorced amicably in December 2000.[12]

In 2006, he played in the filmCheck It Out, YoChekeraccho!!and also made a short appearance in the filmThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

He is the host of anNHKchildren's program calledNihongo de Asobo(にほんごであそぼ) which teaches children traditional and colloquialJapanese.He is known as "Koni-chan" on the show.[13]

Although he continued toDJfor hisFM YokohamashowKony Island,he took a hiatus from Japanesecelebritylife for a year in 2007, returning to Hawaii to prepare forgastric bypasssurgery. Although he did not havehigh blood pressureor any heart problems, he had not lost much weight since his retirement, and underwent the operation in February 2008.[14]He announced on his website that the operation went smoothly and that he had since lost 70 kg (150 lb). He returned to Japan in May 2008.

After sumo, he began to turn his talents to music, most notably with his collaboration with Rimi Natsukawa as well asL-Burnaon the song "Livin Like Kings". He often sings and raps in a mixture ofEnglishandJapanese.He can also play theukulele.In 2000, he released a hip-hop album calledKms,including songs "Island Girl", "Sumo Stomp", and the old-school classic "Sumo Gangsta".[15]

Following the 2011 earthquake, Konishiki was a high-profile fund-raiser for disaster relief in the stricken regions of Japan.

He started the Konishiki Kids Foundation to help underprivileged children from Hawaii to experience Japanese culture.

In June 2022 he celebrated the 40th anniversary of his arrival in Japan with a party attended by chairman of the Japan Sumo AssociationHakkaku,former yokozunaWakanohana IIIand around 300 others.[16][17]

Career record[edit]

Konishiki Yasokichi[18]
Year January
Hatsu basho,Tokyo		 March
Haru basho,Osaka		 May
Natsu basho,Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho,Nagoya		 September
Aki basho,Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho,Fukuoka
1982 x x x (Maezumo) East Jonokuchi #32
7–0
Champion
 West Jonidan #56
7–0
Champion
1983 West Sandanme #50
6–1
 West Sandanme #2
6–1
 West Makushita #28
6–1
 West Makushita #8
4–3
 East Makushita #6
6–1–P
 West Jūryō #12
11–4–P
1984 East Jūryō #3
4–5–6
 West Jūryō #10
13–2
Champion
 East Jūryō #2
11–4
Champion
 East Maegashira #11
8–7
 West Maegashira #6
12–3
OF★★		 West Sekiwake #1
5–6–4
1985 West Maegashira #1
6–9
 West Maegashira #3
8–7
 West Komusubi #1
12–3
F		 West Sekiwake #1
9–6
 East Sekiwake #1
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 West Maegashira #9
11–4
F
1986 West Komusubi #1
10–5
 East Komusubi #1
12–3
FT		 West Sekiwake #1
3–6–6
 East Maegashira #4
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 East Maegashira #4
12–3
O		 West Sekiwake #1
10–5
O
1987 East Sekiwake #1
10–5
O		 East Sekiwake #1
11–4
 East Sekiwake #1
12–3
F		 West Ōzeki #1
9–6
 West Ōzeki #1
12–3
 East Ōzeki #1
8–7
1988 East Ōzeki #2
13–2
 West Ōzeki #1
8–7
 West Ōzeki #1
8–7
 West Ōzeki #1
8–7
 East Ōzeki #2
3–12
 West Ōzeki #2
10–5
1989 East Ōzeki #2
3–9–3
 West Ōzeki #2
10–5
 West Ōzeki #2
9–6
 West Ōzeki #2
8–7
 West Ōzeki #2
5–10
 West Ōzeki #2
14–1
1990 East Ōzeki #1
10–5
 East Ōzeki
13–2–PPP
 East Ōzeki #1
12–3
 West Ōzeki #1
10–5
 East Ōzeki #1
9–6
 West Ōzeki #1
10–5
1991 West Ōzeki #1
0–1–14
 West Ōzeki #1
9–6
 East Ōzeki #1
14–1–P
 East Ōzeki #1
12–3
 East Ōzeki #1
11–4
 West Ōzeki #1
13–2
1992 East Ōzeki #1
12–3
 East Ōzeki #1
13–2
 East Ōzeki #1
9–6
 West Ōzeki #1
10–5
 West Ōzeki #1
9–6
 East Ōzeki #1
0–2–13
1993 West Ōzeki #1
10–5
 West Ōzeki #1
9–6
 West Ōzeki #1
7–8
 West Ōzeki #1
9–6
 East Ōzeki #2
0–2–13
 East Ōzeki #2
6–9
1994 West Sekiwake #2
2–13
 East Maegashira #9
8–7
 East Maegashira #5
5–10
 East Maegashira #12
8–7
 East Maegashira #10
8–7
 East Maegashira #5
6–9
1995 West Maegashira #8
8–7
 East Maegashira #3
5–10
 West Maegashira #7
5–10
 West Maegashira #13
9–6
 East Maegashira #5
5–10
 West Maegashira #10
8–7
1996 East Maegashira #8
7–8
 East Maegashira #9
6–9
 East Maegashira #14
10–5
 West Maegashira #8
8–7
 East Maegashira #4
4–11
 East Maegashira #9
6–9
1997 East Maegashira #13
8–7
 West Maegashira #10
6–7–2
 East Maegashira #14
8–7
 West Maegashira #9
8–7
 West Maegashira #2
0–11–4
 East Maegashira #14
Retired
5–9
Record given aswins–losses–absenciesTop division championTop division runner-upRetiredLower divisionsNon-participation

Sanshōkey:F=Fighting spirit;O=Outstanding performance;T=Technique Also shown:★=Kinboshi;P=Playoff(s)
Divisions:Makuuchi—Jūryō—Makushita—Sandanme—Jonidan—Jonokuchi

Makuuchiranks:Yokozuna—Ōzeki—Sekiwake—Komusubi—Maegashira

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Shapiro, Margaret (26 May 1990)."The Outsider With Lots Of Muscle".The Washington Post.Retrieved20 September2020.
  2. ^abFranz Lidz"Meat Bomb",05.18.92 -Sports Illustrated
  3. ^Abelson, Edward (1997-11-29)."Best way to grapple with sumo".The Independent.London.Retrieved2010-05-07.
  4. ^"Common ground".The Guardian.London.Retrieved2010-05-07.
  5. ^abcdeSharnoff, Lora (1993).Grand Sumo.Weatherhill.ISBN0-8348-0283-X.
  6. ^Patmore, Angela (1990).The Giants of Sumo.MacDonald & Co.ISBN0-356-18120-0.
  7. ^abcdGould, Chris (April 2007)."Konishiki".Sumo Fan Magazine.Retrieved30 July2009.
  8. ^abDelfs, Robert (21 May 1992). "Weighty Problem".Far Eastern Economic Review.pp. 17–18.
  9. ^Sanger, David (April 24, 1992)."American Sumo Star Denies Accusing the Japanese of Racism".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon 26 May 2015.Retrieved10 August2016.
  10. ^Kristof, Nicholas (November 23, 1997)."Sumo's Mt. Everest Retires, Giving Japan and Its Sport Pause".The New York Times.Retrieved10 August2016.
  11. ^"Japan sumo star weds".BBC NewsOnline. 2004-01-12.Retrieved2007-08-17.
  12. ^"Konishiki to divorce".Honolulu Star Bulletin.2000-12-18.Retrieved2007-08-17.
  13. ^Lewis, Ferd (6 May 2018)."Sumo legend Akebono in the middle of his biggest battle yet".Honolulu Star Advertiser.Retrieved10 May2018.
  14. ^"Former Sumo Wrestler Gets Life Changing Surgery".KNHL.2008-02-16.Retrieved2008-02-16.
  15. ^Azpiri, Jon (May 9, 2000)."Konishiki, KMS".AllMusic.RetrievedNovember 2,2020.
  16. ^"Former Ozeki Konishiki talks about the 40th anniversary of his visit to Japan".The Mainichi(in Japanese). 18 June 2022.Retrieved18 June2022.
  17. ^"Pioneering sumo great Konishiki marks 40 years in Japan".The Mainichi.23 June 2022.Retrieved23 June2022.
  18. ^"Konishiki Yasokichi Rikishi Information".Sumo Reference.Retrieved2012-07-29.

External links[edit]

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