I found Sumo when my oldest was born. So my three kids have been watching Somo since birth. My youngest first word was "Abi!" My wife and I thought it was funny but no one else gets it. She would also line up for a tachiai whenever she was just in a diaper. It was so cute and of course, no one else got it. Thankfully she's finally stopped getting handprints on the tv. Because it used to be that whenever Aoiyama was on screen she would try to pinch his nips. 🤣 My oldest was the first to sit and watch each highlight day of the tournament with me. It's only 30 minutes but that's a lot of focus for a small kid. She just turned 8 and she already knows all the names of the wrestlers and most of the terms used in sumo. She's amazing at choosing the winners of each bout. She guesses 80%+ right on average. She has her own list of favorites and chooses them for reasons unknown to me. When Kotoshogiku retired she cried because he was her favorite at the time. She also has her little chants that she shouts for them. Ura has the pink mawashi. So he will shout, "Respect the pink! The pink don't stink!" The three kids can get quite crazy when watching the matches. I don't watch other sports and never did in the past. So, I'm happy to have found Sumo and for my kids and I to have something we can enjoy together. Because I can't watch one more episode of CocoMellon.
Wow thank you Ter for all the work that you do, you have an unique and amazing channel! I'm just happy that I could contribute to the Sumo Community especially to the new Sumo Fans just like me. Let's learn Sumo together!! Hakkeyoi!! 😤
One thing I'd like to add: it was very helpful to me to understand that there are no breaks for the rikishi. Knowing that they don't really ever get any time off to heal injuries, chase other endeavors, or even really just relax, makes me appreciate their efforts more and the seriousness of injury. I loosely follow boxing, and fights are cancelled/rescheduled all the time for relatively (to sumo) minor injuries. Also, I like the whippet.
Boxing (or mma) and sumo arent comparable because sumo has 6 set tournaments that happen with or without you. But thats the case of many combat sports. Top level judokas have their nationals and international (worlds, Olympics, continental) calendars set years in advance as well all the Grand Slam events. No one goes into tournaments fully healthy because there are so many and while you can miss a Grand Slam or open, missing your nationals, qualifiers, Olympic, continental, worlds, etc is a last resort measure that can be life changing.
I just got my 22 year old brother into Sumo this month, he's in College on a football scholarship I showed him Asashoryu like: "you wanna see power" and even he could not stop laughing and saying "calm down dude". He now call Hoshoryu "Uncle" and says he always looks mean...
I got into Sumo because a friend I do martial arts with sent me a link last July and just a simple "bro you have to watch this" we've been hooked ever since. Also
I wish this video was made 2 years ago when i started watching Sumo at the start of the pandemic. I hope someone else see's this and finds it easier to spectate sumo and get into the sport.
I have to say You have one of the most famaleish voices I have ever heard, that said your channel is great source of news in sumo. Great to be here since the early beginning.
Hi Sumostew! Very nice video in terms of aesthetics. The combination of the visual presentation, background music, voice-over/narration result in an experience worth spending time experiencing. I imagine it takes quite a bit of time. Thanks!
Thank you so much for noticing the aesthetics of the video. It does take me some time to produce. I try to experiment a lot with the styles of my videos. I am discovering video production as much as I am discovering sumo in every video for sure! I can only hope to do better!
I want (and need) more sumo friends! I agree that the sumo community is very welcoming. I have enjoyed learning about sumo over the last 2 years from this group and have felt so supported. Thank you for another great video!
The biggest thing for me when I started watching Sumo was understanding the importance of Kachi-Kochi, or the winning score each wrestler is going for during each tournament. It helps to know where your favourite Rikishi are standing in the rankings, who's having a great run, who's struggling, and who's likely to drop in rankings. It also explained why injured wrestlers would come back to attempt so desperately to get that 'one more win' which baffled me at first
So I’ve always been into anime and Japan and understanding the culture outside of the anime realm or how anime is somewhat a reflection of desire to break cultural boundaries. My husband is not an anime fan and doesn’t really care for Japan or Japanese culture. This was gut wrenching for me and then one day he saw me watching sumo on NHK and was actually interested in what I was watching. Since then, he’s tuned into every tournament and believe it or not, he found a favorite wrestler just by the name (Wakatakakage). I think it was 2 bashos before he won the March tournament and he just followed him because he thought his name was fun to say. Turns out he’s actually a pretty decent rikishi. Now, every 2 months we make it a thing to DVR and watch sumo each day of the tournament and guess the winner of each bout and the technique they used. Sumo is a really special part of our marriage now and it’s something we look forward to! Personally, my favorites are Kotoeko and Ishiura, but Ishiura has been riddled with injury I doubt he’ll still be in the top division by the time he’s healthy enough to compete again. Inadvertently, I also really like Kotonowaka (we call him weird tiities please don’t judge us, you just…his moobs are quite different from the norm so that’s what we call him) and Kotoshoho. Just learned literally 2 days ago they’re all from the same stable so every wrestler in that particular one has Koto- something in their ring name. Both my husband and I have come to learn many things about sumo. To hear him use actual Japanese terms like tachiai and yonikiri makes my heart swell because this man knew not a lick of Japanese and he didn’t care to. He saw wrestling that was different and it got his attention and he wanted to learn the terms to communicate about the sport he grew to love. That cultural development is everything to me. I apologize for the novel but if anyone managed to read all the way through, thank you, and I hope you find a love or a kindred spirit in sumo! I’ve learned so many things from watching and learning to understand to sport and it has honestly been a wholesome and educational experience! It’s allowed me and my husband to bond in a really special way and I hope that it does for you all as well! 😁😎❤️
Sadly, you are right about Ishiura. Even if he makes it back in July, he will be in Juryo. I hope he will be recovered from his neck injury and will be able to get back to Makuuchi pronto. He's one of my favorites.
Thank you very much! I love NattoSumo and Don Don for catching up with the basho especially on busy days. For lower divisions and socializing with the best chat out there, I use midnight sumo stream on twitch!
I wish i knew about watching sumo sooner. It used to come on espn 2 in 2000s but they stopped. I missed out on the rise of Asashoryu as Yokozuna to seeing Hakuho in his prime before his injuries took its toll on him. Damn, man. Screwed that up
If NHK could bring the tournaments to global TV it would basically revive the sport. But it is not even as popular in Japan (according to my Japanese friend). Most people who watch it are of older generations. It is mostly lost on the majority of younger Japanese people.
The thing I wish I'd known is that it was available to watch at all these days. I used to watch on ESPN (very late at night) in the late 90s or early 2000s. (I remember watching Musashimaru, and he retired in 2003.) Then as you say ESPN dropped it, maybe because there weren't any Americans in the top ranks any more. I stumbled on to it again last year and have been watching ever since.
L2NGaming Just search here in RUclips for Asashoryu vs Hakuho and Chiyonofugi as Yokazuna Etc. All earlier matches are here for us. Just have to be willing to search 😊
Oh I see, forgot adding the sponsors :D Great video! The advice of watching the entirety of Sumopedia from Grand Sumo Highlights is top notch! The wrestlers in the videos I don't think are active anymore, but it's great source nonetheless!
I think the only inactive wrestler in this video is Hakuho as he retired recently. But if I remember correctly, all of them are active and Ive even used some clips of the May 2022 basho!
Check out the "Becoming a Sumo Wrestler" video. There is a glimpse of Takayasu fighting, if I recall correctly. Among the group of hopefuls being tested are Kiribayama, Ura, Mitakeumi, and Hokutofuji. Also, the "Mawashi" segment famously features Ura and his cherry-blossom pink mawashi.
One suggestion for a future video (or videos) can be talking about some of the exciting/weird nuances of sumo like dame-oshi (pushing after the rikishi is already out or down) and nekodamashi (the technique recently used by Takakeisho in a very funny fashion).
Thank you for the primer on sumo, I just returned from my first trip to JP and of the many things that fascinated me, this sport was definitely up there!
When I first got into sumo I knew it was going to be a forever thing. Very similar to when I first found MMA in the mid to late 2000s! It was a breathe of fresh air and a much more calming (yet still very exciting) experience than watching an MMA or Boxing bout. Nowadays with such a busy schedule my time with the sport has shrunk but I still find time to watch it live! Despite the huge time zone difference. Loved that sponsor plug! I’ll definitely try it out to enhance my enjoyment of the sport. Great video and let’s go Enho!!!
I dont personally follow other sports as closely as sumo. mma and boxing are not as calming as you said, and I just want a good balance of exciting and relaxing and I found that's the sport for me.
My wife and I just got sucked into sumo last weekend, a NHK video of matches showed up in my feed and we were hooked. Thanks for your videos. They are wonderful help.
Yes PLEASE. Her identity has been theorized for about three years now. Her large fan base of hormone driven men is large. Whoever interviews her on video or finally tells the truth about her will be EVERYBODY'S HERO.
I spy Shishi! Love watching the lower division matches. Definitely enjoying his matches particularly as well. Thanks for the video, enjoyable as always!
@@Sumostew I would like to see him climb higher. I think he needs to copy Tochinoshin's workout and build his upper body. He's got the legs, but his upper body is about half the size of Tochi's. He is having trouble getting over the hump in mid-upper Makushita.
Yeah, Shishi is definitely proving himself more and more with each competition. It's a highlight watching him during the lower division matches for sure.
This is such an amazing channel with funny edits and the nicest voice to listen to, Its seriously the whole package. I cannot believe i've only just found this gem. Thank you so much for the effort you put into all this!
The first basho I watched was March 2021, I was shocked how quickly I became a huge fan. Between your content, NattoSumo and ChrisSumo it's all sumo every other month in my home. Keep making these great videos!
LOL, the hand heart for Ura. Great video too. Thank you. I’m not going to like going back to the States. The access to Sumo here has spoiled me. Yes! Watching a whole day worth, even once, is totally worth it.
It’s a great sport. I’ve gotten one friend who follows it almost as much as I do. I’ve gotten nibbles from others. I like the fact there is so much decorum among the rickshi. Anger is displayed with a stare and winning with maybe the hint of a smile. Hakuho was the most expressive wrestler with his trade mark sort of fist pump. It’s a great sport and I don’t miss a Basho. I started watching Juryo bouts on RUclips it’s in Japanese but I see those on the way down, recovering from injury and those on the way up. Keep the videos coming they’re great:)
I love your videos! Thank you for all the work you put into them. As a newer fan of sumo myself it's really helped me understand some of the nuance I would have had a hard time picking up on my own.
Thank you very much! The channel is definitely for all of us who are still trying to find, as you said, nuances in this ancient sport. I hope you enjoy your journey and I'm happy to be here with you!
I just started watching recently, waka is my favorite. I've been following a few high ranked guys and looked back on recent history to see how they've gained ranks over time.
There are 3 Waka brothers. Wakamotoharu has also been doing well. The oldest brother, Wakatakamoto, hasn't been able to make it out of Makushita, but I think most everyone is rooting for all 3 of them.
Enjoyed your video. I began watching sumo when I spent two weeks in Naha, Okinawa. The first week I was there was the second week of the may 2023 grand sumo. I started looking on RUclips for the July tournament.
I was never really into watching sports before other than WWE wrestling as a kid. Could never get into football or any other western sport like that - but when I started watching sumo it just felt right and ticked all the boxes for me as the perfect sport. (Of course it has its flaws though) I love the ceremonial and ritualistic aspect of it. The rikishi really do go through a lot of hard training to get to where they are, and you can feel their fighting spirit during the bouts. It can inspire you to be more like them, always striving to do better and succeed. I've even heard stories of people that have exercised and lost weight because of sumo! Thanks for another great video, Ter!
Great job young lady, I think we’ve been watching sumo for about the same time,,, I loved it when I was in Japan but never got to go to a basho, thank you for all the work you’ve done to put this together.
Great video! I've been watching professional sumo for over 14 years. I love it so much my two brothers and I compete in amateur sumo here in the USA. Tournaments are usually held in Salt lake city, Texas, Florida, Las Vegas and are super fun! Granted not as exciting as sumo in Japan of course but still exciting to participate. My brother and I will be competing in Birmingham Alabama for the 2022 World Games in Sumo. Keep up the great work. I just wanted to share my thoughts.
There's a Japanese restaurant in my town that shows reruns of the Basho during dinner time for the duration of the tournament. I'll skip watching live and avoid online to watch there in the evenings if I ever feel like making it a whole experience. Nowadays, with my new overnight job, I keep the stream up at work and watch bits and pieces when I have time, then catch up when I get off. Can't get enough of this sport.
I remember catching the sumo highlights show a few years back when Tochinoshin was still Ozeki but I didn’t know how the tournament schedule worked so I would only watch it when I would be flipping through channels and it happened to be on. Now, my DVR’s set up to record them every tournament!
@@Sumostew I really wish I knew more about sumo at that time because he was the 1st rikishi that drew my interest. It’s too bad he got injured so I didn’t get to really see him in his prime but it’s good to see him winning again!
@@Sumostew Second only to the TRUE identity of the so-called Mystery Woman that her fans call: Posture Princess, Lady In White, etc. Not the Japanese model/actress who looks similar. She's a mystery.
Natto Sumo is a very helpful channel for everyone. Compresses 2 hours into 30 min. videos. Editing is also quite funny at times. Which baffles me sometimes. Certain editing choices are clearly possible due to Natto understanding Japanese, and yet, sometimes he would write something like "no info on injury" when announcer literally explained everything about it 10 seconds prior. In the video. The explanation isn't cut out in editing. Other than those strange instances, it's a very good, quality content.
Before my family and I moved to Japan, from England, we invited our friends over to watch the highlights on NHK and they loved it and helped show that the sumo weren't just fat men in their pants. Now we have lived in Japan since 2019 and both of my boys want to be sumo and one of them just had their first jr basho. All of the folks here and online are really great and it makes me happy to see an ancient sport with such loving and friendly fans worldwide.
NattoSumo's channel does a great job. First stumbled into Chris Sumo's channel and they hooked me into wanting to watch it, then Natto's for the day to day during a basho.
I love the dog!!!!! Thanks for the nice video. I like sumo but most of my favorites have retired. I was stationed on Okinawa in 1985/86. Thanks to the internet I am able to enjoy sumo and Japan now as a old man.
You are really nice and kind, Ter. :) If I were to answer the same question you asked the others, I would also recommend that you start watching the lower divisions, before the makuuchi, because otherwise you run the risk of "getting used to" the level of the champions, which makes it difficult to get passionate about the stories and matches of the wrestlers in the lower divisions. The difference between Makuuchi and Juryo is very nuanced, much more so than that between maegashira and san'yaku, for example. Clearly, if you start watching a sport in which the strongest ever is competing, it is even more difficult.
I’ve missed your videos!!!!!! So happy!!!! You and Chris Sumo should collaborate about attracting younger audiences! I love your insight from new (me!) fans!
I got into Sumo because I like Wrestern Pro Wrestling and occasionally a former Sumo competitor would show up, and I eventually became curious about it. Now I think it is the most unique sport there is.
This has been an exciting and topsy turvy basho. I thought by your passion you would have been a fan of sumo much longer than I have, but I was mistaken. The best part of being a sumo fan is finding another sumo fan in the wild. Great video as always. I'm already looking forward to the next one.
Aww that's too bad. I have friends who know I love sumo and sometimes they are still glad to watch a video or two about my favorites fights of the tournament!
I first saw a Documentary about Hakuho Sho called the Mongolian Eagle, but the real kicker was when the sumo-pedia popped up in my youtube feed and it was all over from there! Then I found Jason's sumo channel(R.I.P.!) and he helped foster my love for sumo and to really understand the terminology! I hardly watch any other sports these days!
@@Sumostew i was stuck in a youtube rabbithole "researching" Akebonos kickboxing and mma career and i was wondering what he was actually good at. Come to find out he was a grand champion of an amazing sport and it was 3-4ish in the morning and the 2018 fall basho happened to be live and Hakuho was smashing and ive been hooked ever since.
come july is my 1st year anniversary watching sumo. I'm still very grateful to have caught Hakuhō competeing one last time. anyway, I'm good at the names, but i need to get more familiar with the technique names. I still gotta learn Japanese so I can understand the commentary, just need to find the time.
Happy sumoniversary! I am also good at the wrestlers names now. But yes, I have to work on my kimarite. That's why Dondon sumo is such a great resource as there is an English description of the kimarite and also a breakdown of how it happened exactly.
Was seriously ill last year and started watching sumo to pass the time so I've been into it about the same amount of time as you. I'd watched it a year earlier on tv in Japan but forgot about it for a while b/c I usually hate sports. I was enthralled by Hakuho but came in right when his heya was out b/c of covid so I completely missed seeing him live. Now every other month, I spend 2 weeks with my favorite pirates online watching the entire basho & hope to go to Japan again when they open.
Johnny Depp court photos 😏😎👍! 😁Anyway, Really on point video Ter👏! I'm also surprised to hear you're also a newer sumo fan, I never would have known. I'm even more impressed by your vids. Thanks for the suggestions you've given, so far Wikipedia and RUclips/Reddit comments have been my go to for tidbits. I like how passionate the community is, makes it easy to not be completely lost in what's going on in the sumoverse😊.
Hi Ter, I messaged you on Reddit but I was wondering if you’d like to make a video on how to read/understand Japanese for sumo. I can explain it for you but I don’t know how to make a decent video. Many people who watch in Japanese don’t understand it but listen for phrases or terms and still don’t really understand. As someone who understand a bit of Japanese who watches sumo with a mom who doesn’t know any Japanese, being able to read what’s on the screen REALLY helps
I dont really check out reddit anymore. 😅 Nevertheless I also am trying my best to learn Japanese too. But I think I need to take it more seriously and put time and effort into it. If you got tips fire away!
@@Sumostew I got ya. I’ve never really put time into learning Japanese either and just pick it up here and there. I don’t really have any tips for self learning but I do know a decent amount as I can read and understand pretty much anything that pops up on screen as well as a bit of commentary. Basically, I’d like to make a video that explains everything that appears on screen during sumo as it really helps with understanding what’s going on and I know many people can’t read it at all. It’s less about translating and more about understanding *“this is where the scores are, this is the kimarite, this means the wrestler is absent”* etc. There’s tons of overlays used but the information is actually really repetitive. I’m not good at making videos and you already have a growing audience of beginner sumo fans, so I was hoping you could make the video, but I’m not sure how much you know about the overlays. I have a rough script (with images for reference) on my phone and can send it to you if you’re interested.
I have been binge watching all things sumo over the past two weeks. I cannot even remember what started this rabbit hole deep dive, but here I am. I have two observations/questions that I think are tied together. Why didn't Chiyonofuji's approach to sumo transform the sport? 270 pounds of pure muscle and technique earned him incredible success, yet I do not see anyone trying to replicate his approach. Tsuyoshi had obvious muscular development that allowed him to dominate, but he did not have the same technical ability as The Wolf. Why do we not see more solidly built sub-300 pounders in the sport? This ties into my second question. Is the sport nothing more than a traditional re-enactment (meaning it refuses to evolve)? During my deep dive of videos, I've seen a long long list of wrestlers who continue the status quo and do not look at all impressive in the ring. Along with them are the true greats that stand out: Chiyonofuji stands out in a lineup for obvious reasons and he won, Hakuho was only 340ish, but his technique and willingness to do the henka and other non-traditional things won out (imagine him with The Wolf's physical ability). I'm sure this question will incite some heated responses, but I am only asking as newbie. If you compare UFC which has a much shorter history, it has so much more evolution in technique and approach than Sumo does over a much longer period of time. Why hasn't sumo become more technical? Why haven't people like Chiyonofuji and Hakuho impacted the sport in a way that changes it? It seems more like certain wrestlers come in and dominate, and they leave at a certain point in time and the sport just resets back to how it was prior to them. I don't really know where else to post these questions, and I do not have anyone to talk to about it. I am thankful for all responses.
Mark Ball Really good questions. There are two sumo channels that I know of where you MIGHT get answers...if not from the channel person himself, maybe the sumo community will step up. Try JASON'S ALL SUMO and DON DON Also once the basho is on go to NATTO SUMO and ask there. There are a few longtime sumo experts there who might be willing to answer your interesting questions. Have fun cutting and pasting 😄.
White guy from Portland USA...i just started watching this year. The NHK daily posts of this year's new years tournament. I'm really interested and i figured out a fair bit just from watching every day , but I'm really stoked to find a channel to help me find my way watching Sumo.
It's kind of been the funniest thing telling people about me getting into Sumo, because I'm not remotely the sporty type. Seeing their reactions is brilliant. It just grabs my attention more than a ball sport, which always feels so slow and stacked with complicated rules. Sumo is easy to follow by comparison. Two big lads beating each other up, you fall down you lose, you still standing, you win. Then it's all about the hundreds of different techniques to achieve that. That's a sigh of relief for me to follow along. It's been nice actually enjoying a sport for once.
Thank you for all your videos. I really love your channel! I have a question for sumo fans! I've been following sumo since May and I'm more and more passionate about this sport and this culture. small question: where can I find the summaries of the tournaments of the juryo division please? I can easily find the recap of the Makuuchi division but I can't find the recap of the second division. can you give me some links and advice please ? Thank you
Oh good! The picture of Hokutofuji giving a baseball mascot the stink eye made the video. Some Ryuden dunks, too. 😁 You hit the nail on the head about needing to watch a full day of sumo at least once. You really see the natural progression of everything. Jonidan is in slow motion compared to the top division. You begin rooting for the people, or for an aesthetically pleasing performance, rather than the victory. It's fun to watch young rikishi grow and improve over time, too.
I recently got into sumo and have religiously watched the past 3 basho. My 2 year old son randomly started lining up with me for a tachiai sometime between the March and May basho and he has an absolute blast with it. My fiance doesn't like it unfortunately, especially after he lined up for a tachiai with his pediatrician at his last doctor appointment
![[Sumo wrestlers slurping noodles] 🍜Special thick tsukemen with everything, egg noodles](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/uM_QtpnEIgo/mqdefault.jpg)
I found Sumo when my oldest was born. So my three kids have been watching Somo since birth. My youngest first word was "Abi!" My wife and I thought it was funny but no one else gets it. She would also line up for a tachiai whenever she was just in a diaper. It was so cute and of course, no one else got it. Thankfully she's finally stopped getting handprints on the tv. Because it used to be that whenever Aoiyama was on screen she would try to pinch his nips. 🤣 My oldest was the first to sit and watch each highlight day of the tournament with me. It's only 30 minutes but that's a lot of focus for a small kid. She just turned 8 and she already knows all the names of the wrestlers and most of the terms used in sumo. She's amazing at choosing the winners of each bout. She guesses 80%+ right on average. She has her own list of favorites and chooses them for reasons unknown to me. When Kotoshogiku retired she cried because he was her favorite at the time. She also has her little chants that she shouts for them. Ura has the pink mawashi. So he will shout, "Respect the pink! The pink don't stink!" The three kids can get quite crazy when watching the matches. I don't watch other sports and never did in the past. So, I'm happy to have found Sumo and for my kids and I to have something we can enjoy together. Because I can't watch one more episode of CocoMellon.
Wow! Are you in Japan?
@@carlwatson281 nope
This is the greatest comment of all time. Your family is awesome, and I hope my family can emulate. My daughter is about to turn 2. =]
Thanks for telling this cute little story
Wow thank you Ter for all the work that you do, you have an unique and amazing channel! I'm just happy that I could contribute to the Sumo Community especially to the new Sumo Fans just like me. Let's learn Sumo together!! Hakkeyoi!! 😤
Thank you so much for YOUR hard work. Your compilations are amazing and they have helped me so much.
I'm a new fan and new subscriber Mr Don don. Thanks to miss Ter. I'm glad.
One thing I'd like to add: it was very helpful to me to understand that there are no breaks for the rikishi. Knowing that they don't really ever get any time off to heal injuries, chase other endeavors, or even really just relax, makes me appreciate their efforts more and the seriousness of injury. I loosely follow boxing, and fights are cancelled/rescheduled all the time for relatively (to sumo) minor injuries.
Also, I like the whippet.
Whippets are amazing! That's true! Let the comment section be sumo fans also sharing their own "I wish I knew" experience!
Boxing (or mma) and sumo arent comparable because sumo has 6 set tournaments that happen with or without you. But thats the case of many combat sports. Top level judokas have their nationals and international (worlds, Olympics, continental) calendars set years in advance as well all the Grand Slam events. No one goes into tournaments fully healthy because there are so many and while you can miss a Grand Slam or open, missing your nationals, qualifiers, Olympic, continental, worlds, etc is a last resort measure that can be life changing.
I just got my 22 year old brother into Sumo this month, he's in College on a football scholarship I showed him Asashoryu like: "you wanna see power" and even he could not stop laughing and saying "calm down dude". He now call Hoshoryu "Uncle" and says he always looks mean...
Asashoryu is the GOAT!
It's hard not to like Asashoryu. He is a beast! There's no presence just quite like his!
My all time favorite!
It’s interesting you bring up Fantasy teams. I often suggest people pick a faction when getting into NewJapan Pro Wrestling. It really works!
I got into Sumo because a friend I do martial arts with sent me a link last July and just a simple "bro you have to watch this" we've been hooked ever since. Also
As a Brazilian sumo fan, i need to wake up at 4:00 am to watch Hoshoryu bouts. Its tough, but enjoyable
Yup, I'm on the east coast here in the states, and I'm up 4am to at least catch the middle of the top division compete.
I wish this video was made 2 years ago when i started watching Sumo at the start of the pandemic. I hope someone else see's this and finds it easier to spectate sumo and get into the sport.
I have to say You have one of the most famaleish voices I have ever heard, that said your channel is great source of news in sumo.
Great to be here since the early beginning.
Thank you? Hahaha. And I am glad you like my videos!
Hi Sumostew! Very nice video in terms of aesthetics. The combination of the visual presentation, background music, voice-over/narration result in an experience worth spending time experiencing. I imagine it takes quite a bit of time. Thanks!
Thank you so much for noticing the aesthetics of the video. It does take me some time to produce. I try to experiment a lot with the styles of my videos. I am discovering video production as much as I am discovering sumo in every video for sure! I can only hope to do better!
I want (and need) more sumo friends! I agree that the sumo community is very welcoming. I have enjoyed learning about sumo over the last 2 years from this group and have felt so supported.
Thank you for another great video!
Here is the link to a sumo community if you are on discord -> discord.gg/TmbqVcYskf
Shoutout to midnightsumo for not only streaming the basho’s but for the incredible community it has.
This is how I found Sumo!
The biggest thing for me when I started watching Sumo was understanding the importance of Kachi-Kochi, or the winning score each wrestler is going for during each tournament. It helps to know where your favourite Rikishi are standing in the rankings, who's having a great run, who's struggling, and who's likely to drop in rankings. It also explained why injured wrestlers would come back to attempt so desperately to get that 'one more win' which baffled me at first
So I’ve always been into anime and Japan and understanding the culture outside of the anime realm or how anime is somewhat a reflection of desire to break cultural boundaries. My husband is not an anime fan and doesn’t really care for Japan or Japanese culture. This was gut wrenching for me and then one day he saw me watching sumo on NHK and was actually interested in what I was watching. Since then, he’s tuned into every tournament and believe it or not, he found a favorite wrestler just by the name (Wakatakakage). I think it was 2 bashos before he won the March tournament and he just followed him because he thought his name was fun to say. Turns out he’s actually a pretty decent rikishi. Now, every 2 months we make it a thing to DVR and watch sumo each day of the tournament and guess the winner of each bout and the technique they used. Sumo is a really special part of our marriage now and it’s something we look forward to!
Personally, my favorites are Kotoeko and Ishiura, but Ishiura has been riddled with injury I doubt he’ll still be in the top division by the time he’s healthy enough to compete again. Inadvertently, I also really like Kotonowaka (we call him weird tiities please don’t judge us, you just…his moobs are quite different from the norm so that’s what we call him) and Kotoshoho. Just learned literally 2 days ago they’re all from the same stable so every wrestler in that particular one has Koto- something in their ring name.
Both my husband and I have come to learn many things about sumo. To hear him use actual Japanese terms like tachiai and yonikiri makes my heart swell because this man knew not a lick of Japanese and he didn’t care to. He saw wrestling that was different and it got his attention and he wanted to learn the terms to communicate about the sport he grew to love. That cultural development is everything to me.
I apologize for the novel but if anyone managed to read all the way through, thank you, and I hope you find a love or a kindred spirit in sumo! I’ve learned so many things from watching and learning to understand to sport and it has honestly been a wholesome and educational experience! It’s allowed me and my husband to bond in a really special way and I hope that it does for you all as well! 😁😎❤️
Sadly, you are right about Ishiura. Even if he makes it back in July, he will be in Juryo. I hope he will be recovered from his neck injury and will be able to get back to Makuuchi pronto. He's one of my favorites.
Loving the nods to NattoSumo and Don Don ❤ Your videos truly do keep getting better and better 😃
I love both of them so much! Their channels are a staple to my basho viewings!
Thank you very much! I love NattoSumo and Don Don for catching up with the basho especially on busy days. For lower divisions and socializing with the best chat out there, I use midnight sumo stream on twitch!
I've learned so much from Don Don and sumostew!
@@Sumostew Best folks around; they're nice to noobs and happily answer questions!
@@dominicarcher5946 Don Don kept me from having to slow down and stop other sumo vids to try to figure out what happened!
I train hard everyday hopefully i can reach yokozuna someday.. now i am in komusubi..
I wish i knew about watching sumo sooner. It used to come on espn 2 in 2000s but they stopped. I missed out on the rise of Asashoryu as Yokozuna to seeing Hakuho in his prime before his injuries took its toll on him. Damn, man. Screwed that up
If NHK could bring the tournaments to global TV it would basically revive the sport. But it is not even as popular in Japan (according to my Japanese friend). Most people who watch it are of older generations. It is mostly lost on the majority of younger Japanese people.
The thing I wish I'd known is that it was available to watch at all these days. I used to watch on ESPN (very late at night) in the late 90s or early 2000s. (I remember watching Musashimaru, and he retired in 2003.) Then as you say ESPN dropped it, maybe because there weren't any Americans in the top ranks any more. I stumbled on to it again last year and have been watching ever since.
L2NGaming
Just search here in RUclips for
Asashoryu vs Hakuho and
Chiyonofugi as Yokazuna
Etc. All earlier matches are here for us. Just have to be willing to search 😊
@@joannaedwards6325 already watched them.. What I missed was watching it live. I got my father and a few friends into watching sumo.
I had no idea about the live Sumo being offered on certain sites. Thank you so much for helping me find them. I appreciate you! Love your videos❤
Oh I see, forgot adding the sponsors :D Great video! The advice of watching the entirety of Sumopedia from Grand Sumo Highlights is top notch! The wrestlers in the videos I don't think are active anymore, but it's great source nonetheless!
I think the only inactive wrestler in this video is Hakuho as he retired recently. But if I remember correctly, all of them are active and Ive even used some clips of the May 2022 basho!
Check out the "Becoming a Sumo Wrestler" video. There is a glimpse of Takayasu fighting, if I recall correctly. Among the group of hopefuls being tested are Kiribayama, Ura, Mitakeumi, and Hokutofuji. Also, the "Mawashi" segment famously features Ura and his cherry-blossom pink mawashi.
@@Sumostew OH no! I didn't mean YOUR video! I was talking about the Sumopedia videos!
@@LauraJdogmom I think I will, thanks for the hot tip!
One suggestion for a future video (or videos) can be talking about some of the exciting/weird nuances of sumo like dame-oshi (pushing after the rikishi is already out or down) and nekodamashi (the technique recently used by Takakeisho in a very funny fashion).
Thank you for the primer on sumo, I just returned from my first trip to JP and of the many things that fascinated me, this sport was definitely up there!
its nice that theres dedicated people who take their time to translate, stream, put together ranking info about the sumo tournaments.
When I first got into sumo I knew it was going to be a forever thing. Very similar to when I first found MMA in the mid to late 2000s! It was a breathe of fresh air and a much more calming (yet still very exciting) experience than watching an MMA or Boxing bout. Nowadays with such a busy schedule my time with the sport has shrunk but I still find time to watch it live! Despite the huge time zone difference. Loved that sponsor plug! I’ll definitely try it out to enhance my enjoyment of the sport. Great video and let’s go Enho!!!
I dont personally follow other sports as closely as sumo. mma and boxing are not as calming as you said, and I just want a good balance of exciting and relaxing and I found that's the sport for me.
My wife and I just got sucked into sumo last weekend, a NHK video of matches showed up in my feed and we were hooked. Thanks for your videos. They are wonderful help.
Great content as always! PLEASE do a special video on "Elegant Lady" (Ghost girl)!
Yes PLEASE. Her identity has been theorized for about three years now. Her large fan base of hormone driven men is large.
Whoever interviews her on video or finally tells the truth about her will be EVERYBODY'S HERO.
Thanks for your videos! Commenting so your channel pops up in more searches!
Thank you Ter!! I'm just finding my way back to sumo this year after missing a bunch of years. Your vids are delightful and informative. Love em!
As a new fan of sumo, this was such a welcome video. Thank you so much for this! Love the channel!
I love your videos! Thanks for supporting and sharing this amazing sport!
I spy Shishi! Love watching the lower division matches. Definitely enjoying his matches particularly as well. Thanks for the video, enjoyable as always!
shishi is great! can't wait to see his climb up!
@@Sumostew I would like to see him climb higher. I think he needs to copy Tochinoshin's workout and build his upper body. He's got the legs, but his upper body is about half the size of Tochi's. He is having trouble getting over the hump in mid-upper Makushita.
Yeah, Shishi is definitely proving himself more and more with each competition. It's a highlight watching him during the lower division matches for sure.
Thanks for the videos. I had only started watching sumo about 1.5 years, so around the same amount as you! I really appreciate these videos.
Another amazing video, and at this point I expect nothing less! Getting close to that 20k mark!
My friend just got me into sumo and it’s cool as hell, cant wait to put aside couple of days during the tournaments to watch them live
Best use of sponsorship in RUclips I've seen. Great video as always!!
They are great sponsors and I do honestly think the snacks upgrade my basho experience!
the boxes look great!
J Bon
I agree. Those snacks and THE PACKAGING look really interesting. One of the few commercials I enjoy.
This is such an amazing channel with funny edits and the nicest voice to listen to, Its seriously the whole package. I cannot believe i've only just found this gem. Thank you so much for the effort you put into all this!
The first basho I watched was March 2021, I was shocked how quickly I became a huge fan. Between your content, NattoSumo and ChrisSumo it's all sumo every other month in my home. Keep making these great videos!
More sumo channels:
Kintamayama
Don Don
D Annoying Rikishi
Jason's All Sumo
Mr. Jwags channel ON THE DOJHO
Sumo Sumo Sumo
and more.
Amazing production quality!!
Thank you very much!
I super love the Rikishi stickers that you brought out🥺
What a lovely presentation! Everything on your chanel is so well done!
LOL, the hand heart for Ura. Great video too. Thank you. I’m not going to like going back to the States. The access to Sumo here has spoiled me. Yes! Watching a whole day worth, even once, is totally worth it.
It’s a great sport. I’ve gotten one friend who follows it almost as much as I do. I’ve gotten nibbles from others. I like the fact there is so much decorum among the rickshi. Anger is displayed with a stare and winning with maybe the hint of a smile. Hakuho was the most expressive wrestler with his trade mark sort of fist pump. It’s a great sport and I don’t miss a Basho. I started watching Juryo bouts on RUclips it’s in Japanese but I see those on the way down, recovering from injury and those on the way up. Keep the videos coming they’re great:)
I love your videos! Thank you for all the work you put into them. As a newer fan of sumo myself it's really helped me understand some of the nuance I would have had a hard time picking up on my own.
Thank you very much! The channel is definitely for all of us who are still trying to find, as you said, nuances in this ancient sport. I hope you enjoy your journey and I'm happy to be here with you!
I just started watching recently, waka is my favorite. I've been following a few high ranked guys and looked back on recent history to see how they've gained ranks over time.
There are 3 Waka brothers. Wakamotoharu has also been doing well. The oldest brother, Wakatakamoto, hasn't been able to make it out of Makushita, but I think most everyone is rooting for all 3 of them.
@@the_mowron Wakatakakage
Sumostew: "I don't have any problems with pirates, I love pirates." **shows picture of Johnny Depp**
Me: "...aaand subscribed."
*gives you a high 5!
This was a great video Stew, please keep them coming !!!
@3:55
Those comments about Ryuden in the chat! 😂😂😂😂😂 I guess he's my favorite now.
Also, "custard coefficient" 🤣
Just getting into Sumo myself. Great channel!
Enjoyed your video. I began watching sumo when I spent two weeks in Naha, Okinawa. The first week I was there was the second week of the may 2023 grand sumo. I started looking on RUclips for the July tournament.
love the video!! (an year later lol) I just fell in love with the sport last month and this was very usefull! cheers from brazil!
Just been deep diving this channel for a week
I was never really into watching sports before other than WWE wrestling as a kid. Could never get into football or any other western sport like that - but when I started watching sumo it just felt right and ticked all the boxes for me as the perfect sport. (Of course it has its flaws though) I love the ceremonial and ritualistic aspect of it. The rikishi really do go through a lot of hard training to get to where they are, and you can feel their fighting spirit during the bouts. It can inspire you to be more like them, always striving to do better and succeed. I've even heard stories of people that have exercised and lost weight because of sumo! Thanks for another great video, Ter!
Great job young lady, I think we’ve been watching sumo for about the same time,,, I loved it when I was in Japan but never got to go to a basho, thank you for all the work you’ve done to put this together.
Excellent video as usual! Love this
Great video as always! They just get better and better. Appreciate your work so much!
Sumo is tremendous!!! Ter has such a beautiful voice.
Great video! I've been watching professional sumo for over 14 years. I love it so much my two brothers and I compete in amateur sumo here in the USA. Tournaments are usually held in Salt lake city, Texas, Florida, Las Vegas and are super fun! Granted not as exciting as sumo in Japan of course but still exciting to participate. My brother and I will be competing in Birmingham Alabama for the 2022 World Games in Sumo. Keep up the great work. I just wanted to share my thoughts.
Thank you very much! I would love to attend an ama-sumo tournament in the future and I hope to see you there winning all the trophies!
There's a Japanese restaurant in my town that shows reruns of the Basho during dinner time for the duration of the tournament. I'll skip watching live and avoid online to watch there in the evenings if I ever feel like making it a whole experience. Nowadays, with my new overnight job, I keep the stream up at work and watch bits and pieces when I have time, then catch up when I get off.
Can't get enough of this sport.
Wonderful editing! 👌 You're really great and i love your voice.
Thanks for helping this old man learn a new passion!
I remember catching the sumo highlights show a few years back when Tochinoshin was still Ozeki but I didn’t know how the tournament schedule worked so I would only watch it when I would be flipping through channels and it happened to be on. Now, my DVR’s set up to record them every tournament!
Tochinoshin as ozeki is iconic!
@@Sumostew I really wish I knew more about sumo at that time because he was the 1st rikishi that drew my interest. It’s too bad he got injured so I didn’t get to really see him in his prime but it’s good to see him winning again!
Sumo is the best sport in the world. That's always the line I use to make people get into it X) (Hey, it's worked a few times!)
Only thing I wish I knew when I started watching Grand Sumo wrestling is who the hell is professor Takara Leben.
The greatest mystery of all.
@@Sumostew
Second only to the TRUE identity of the so-called Mystery Woman that her fans call: Posture Princess, Lady In White, etc.
Not the Japanese model/actress who looks similar. She's a mystery.
Natto Sumo is a very helpful channel for everyone. Compresses 2 hours into 30 min. videos. Editing is also quite funny at times. Which baffles me sometimes. Certain editing choices are clearly possible due to Natto understanding Japanese, and yet, sometimes he would write something like "no info on injury" when announcer literally explained everything about it 10 seconds prior. In the video. The explanation isn't cut out in editing. Other than those strange instances, it's a very good, quality content.
Love your videos, keep up the great work
Before my family and I moved to Japan, from England, we invited our friends over to watch the highlights on NHK and they loved it and helped show that the sumo weren't just fat men in their pants. Now we have lived in Japan since 2019 and both of my boys want to be sumo and one of them just had their first jr basho. All of the folks here and online are really great and it makes me happy to see an ancient sport with such loving and friendly fans worldwide.
NattoSumo's channel does a great job. First stumbled into Chris Sumo's channel and they hooked me into wanting to watch it, then Natto's for the day to day during a basho.
Natto and his graphics are the best. I prefer watching his highlights because of it. The amount of effort he does on the videos is just phenomenal
I watch the exact same way you do... thanks for not mentioning it! NHK are meanies, though I can't really blame them 😀
I love the dog!!!!! Thanks for the nice video. I like sumo but most of my favorites have retired. I was stationed on Okinawa in 1985/86. Thanks to the internet I am able to enjoy sumo and Japan now as a old man.
Your videos are dope, thanks for the content
thank you so much!!!
You make great videos, wish you had more subscribers
You are really nice and kind, Ter. :)
If I were to answer the same question you asked the others, I would also recommend that you start watching the lower divisions, before the makuuchi, because otherwise you run the risk of "getting used to" the level of the champions, which makes it difficult to get passionate about the stories and matches of the wrestlers in the lower divisions. The difference between Makuuchi and Juryo is very nuanced, much more so than that between maegashira and san'yaku, for example. Clearly, if you start watching a sport in which the strongest ever is competing, it is even more difficult.
I’ve missed your videos!!!!!! So happy!!!! You and Chris Sumo should collaborate about attracting younger audiences! I love your insight from new (me!) fans!
I got into Sumo because I like Wrestern Pro Wrestling and occasionally a former Sumo competitor would show up, and I eventually became curious about it. Now I think it is the most unique sport there is.
To being able to watch a sumo tournament with you, has been become one of my lastest dreams haha. As always, a great video. Cheers from Chile!
This has been an exciting and topsy turvy basho. I thought by your passion you would have been a fan of sumo much longer than I have, but I was mistaken. The best part of being a sumo fan is finding another sumo fan in the wild. Great video as always. I'm already looking forward to the next one.
Thank you for the video!
Thank you for watching!!
Thank you, great video!!!!
Great content! I try to get my friends irl to get into sumo. They all find it interesting and all, but never get into it like I did.
Aww that's too bad. I have friends who know I love sumo and sometimes they are still glad to watch a video or two about my favorites fights of the tournament!
Sunday catch up? Hell, I've been watching every day at work!! 🤣🤣🤣
I first saw a Documentary about Hakuho Sho called the Mongolian Eagle, but the real kicker was when the sumo-pedia popped up in my youtube feed and it was all over from there! Then I found Jason's sumo channel(R.I.P.!) and he helped foster my love for sumo and to really understand the terminology! I hardly watch any other sports these days!
You're an angel for not mentioning channels and streamers by name. They are all we have here on the other side of the world.
They are the real MVPs for connecting international fans to the sumo tournaments!
@@Sumostew i was stuck in a youtube rabbithole "researching" Akebonos kickboxing and mma career and i was wondering what he was actually good at. Come to find out he was a grand champion of an amazing sport and it was 3-4ish in the morning and the 2018 fall basho happened to be live and Hakuho was smashing and ive been hooked ever since.
Great video!
come july is my 1st year anniversary watching sumo. I'm still very grateful to have caught Hakuhō competeing one last time. anyway, I'm good at the names, but i need to get more familiar with the technique names. I still gotta learn Japanese so I can understand the commentary, just need to find the time.
Happy sumoniversary! I am also good at the wrestlers names now. But yes, I have to work on my kimarite. That's why Dondon sumo is such a great resource as there is an English description of the kimarite and also a breakdown of how it happened exactly.
Hey there Alex
SUMOPEDIA's Sumo Techniques.
Also search here in RUclips Land for SUMO TECHNIQUES 😊
Well Im glad I found this video so soon into my fandom. Me and my fiancè will be playing fantasy sumo for our very first Basho in July.
Was seriously ill last year and started watching sumo to pass the time so I've been into it about the same amount of time as you. I'd watched it a year earlier on tv in Japan but forgot about it for a while b/c I usually hate sports. I was enthralled by Hakuho but came in right when his heya was out b/c of covid so I completely missed seeing him live. Now every other month, I spend 2 weeks with my favorite pirates online watching the entire basho & hope to go to Japan again when they open.
Johnny Depp court photos 😏😎👍! 😁Anyway, Really on point video Ter👏! I'm also surprised to hear you're also a newer sumo fan, I never would have known. I'm even more impressed by your vids. Thanks for the suggestions you've given, so far Wikipedia and RUclips/Reddit comments have been my go to for tidbits. I like how passionate the community is, makes it easy to not be completely lost in what's going on in the sumoverse😊.
3:55 "Ryuden enjoys other people's farts"
love Sumo wrestling. Fantasy Sumo sounds amazing.
In Portugal NHK streams live through my service provider and on top of that gives me a resume of the day later in the night.
Lucky!
Love your videos
Hi Ter, I messaged you on Reddit but I was wondering if you’d like to make a video on how to read/understand Japanese for sumo. I can explain it for you but I don’t know how to make a decent video.
Many people who watch in Japanese don’t understand it but listen for phrases or terms and still don’t really understand.
As someone who understand a bit of Japanese who watches sumo with a mom who doesn’t know any Japanese, being able to read what’s on the screen REALLY helps
I dont really check out reddit anymore. 😅 Nevertheless I also am trying my best to learn Japanese too. But I think I need to take it more seriously and put time and effort into it. If you got tips fire away!
@@Sumostew I got ya. I’ve never really put time into learning Japanese either and just pick it up here and there.
I don’t really have any tips for self learning but I do know a decent amount as I can read and understand pretty much anything that pops up on screen as well as a bit of commentary.
Basically, I’d like to make a video that explains everything that appears on screen during sumo as it really helps with understanding what’s going on and I know many people can’t read it at all. It’s less about translating and more about understanding *“this is where the scores are, this is the kimarite, this means the wrestler is absent”* etc. There’s tons of overlays used but the information is actually really repetitive.
I’m not good at making videos and you already have a growing audience of beginner sumo fans, so I was hoping you could make the video, but I’m not sure how much you know about the overlays.
I have a rough script (with images for reference) on my phone and can send it to you if you’re interested.
Thank you, so cool to see Shishi from my lovely Ukraine while he was in low divisions !
I have been binge watching all things sumo over the past two weeks. I cannot even remember what started this rabbit hole deep dive, but here I am. I have two observations/questions that I think are tied together. Why didn't Chiyonofuji's approach to sumo transform the sport? 270 pounds of pure muscle and technique earned him incredible success, yet I do not see anyone trying to replicate his approach. Tsuyoshi had obvious muscular development that allowed him to dominate, but he did not have the same technical ability as The Wolf. Why do we not see more solidly built sub-300 pounders in the sport?
This ties into my second question. Is the sport nothing more than a traditional re-enactment (meaning it refuses to evolve)? During my deep dive of videos, I've seen a long long list of wrestlers who continue the status quo and do not look at all impressive in the ring. Along with them are the true greats that stand out: Chiyonofuji stands out in a lineup for obvious reasons and he won, Hakuho was only 340ish, but his technique and willingness to do the henka and other non-traditional things won out (imagine him with The Wolf's physical ability). I'm sure this question will incite some heated responses, but I am only asking as newbie. If you compare UFC which has a much shorter history, it has so much more evolution in technique and approach than Sumo does over a much longer period of time. Why hasn't sumo become more technical? Why haven't people like Chiyonofuji and Hakuho impacted the sport in a way that changes it? It seems more like certain wrestlers come in and dominate, and they leave at a certain point in time and the sport just resets back to how it was prior to them.
I don't really know where else to post these questions, and I do not have anyone to talk to about it. I am thankful for all responses.
Enho is another great example of technique. Again, imagine if he focused on muscular development as much as Chiyonofuji!
Mark Ball
Really good questions.
There are two sumo channels that I know of where you MIGHT get answers...if not from the channel person himself, maybe the sumo community will step up.
Try JASON'S ALL SUMO and
DON DON
Also once the basho is on go to NATTO SUMO and ask there. There are a few longtime sumo experts there who might be willing to answer your interesting questions. Have fun cutting and pasting 😄.
White guy from Portland USA...i just started watching this year. The NHK daily posts of this year's new years tournament. I'm really interested and i figured out a fair bit just from watching every day , but I'm really stoked to find a channel to help me find my way watching Sumo.
As always good shit my dude
Thank you my man
What I love about sumo is that on any given day the impossible may happen.
That's absolutely right!
It's kind of been the funniest thing telling people about me getting into Sumo, because I'm not remotely the sporty type. Seeing their reactions is brilliant. It just grabs my attention more than a ball sport, which always feels so slow and stacked with complicated rules. Sumo is easy to follow by comparison. Two big lads beating each other up, you fall down you lose, you still standing, you win. Then it's all about the hundreds of different techniques to achieve that. That's a sigh of relief for me to follow along. It's been nice actually enjoying a sport for once.
Thank you for all your videos. I really love your channel!
I have a question for sumo fans! I've been following sumo since May and I'm more and more passionate about this sport and this culture.
small question: where can I find the summaries of the tournaments of the juryo division please? I can easily find the recap of the Makuuchi division but I can't find the recap of the second division. can you give me some links and advice please ?
Thank you
Oh good! The picture of Hokutofuji giving a baseball mascot the stink eye made the video. Some Ryuden dunks, too. 😁
You hit the nail on the head about needing to watch a full day of sumo at least once. You really see the natural progression of everything. Jonidan is in slow motion compared to the top division. You begin rooting for the people, or for an aesthetically pleasing performance, rather than the victory. It's fun to watch young rikishi grow and improve over time, too.
I recently got into sumo and have religiously watched the past 3 basho. My 2 year old son randomly started lining up with me for a tachiai sometime between the March and May basho and he has an absolute blast with it. My fiance doesn't like it unfortunately, especially after he lined up for a tachiai with his pediatrician at his last doctor appointment