Kyokutaisei Takuya Explained

Native Name:旭大星 託也
Kyokutaisei Takuya
Birth Name:Takuya Ōgushi
Birth Date:1989 10, df=yes
Birth Place:Asahikawa, Hokkaido
Height:1.84m (06.04feet)
Weight:152kg (335lb)
Heya:ŌshimaTomozunaŌshima
Debut:January 2008
Highestrank:Maegashira 8 (July 2018)
Prizes:1 (Fighting Spirit)
Update:1 November 2023

is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Asahikawa, Hokkaido. His debut in maezumō was in January 2008, and his first makuuchi division honbasho was the Natsu tournament in May 2018. His highest rank has been maegashira 8. He has one special prize for Fighting Spirit. He is a member of Ōshima stable.

Career

Early career

He was originally a judo practitioner, but was strongly encouraged by his father and sponsors from his hometown of Asahikawa to join sumo which he initially rejected. When asked again by his father after he finished high school, he agreed. He was then accepted to Ōshima stable by Ōshima-oyakata. He was light entering sumo at 83 kg so to add weight he would eat as much and as often as he could even waking up in the middle of the night for snacks to add on the calories. Because of him being so light his oyakata would tell him to imitate Ama later known as Harumafuji who also was a light wrestler. Early on he disliked sumo citing homesickness and the hard life style, he even ran away in the middle of the night to live with one of his friends to get away from sumo. This didn't last long though as he was talked into going back to the stable in time for the next tournament. He was the star of a French documentary, Tu Seras Sumo, or A Normal Life: Chronicle of a Sumo Wrestler,[1] released in 2013, which covered the first nine months of his sumo career in 2008. In July 2014 he made the sekitori ranks for the first time when he was promoted to the jūryō division, but he was demoted back to makushita after only two tournaments. He returned to jūryō in September 2015.

Makuuchi and later career

His first makuuchi division honbasho was the Natsu tournament in May 2018 which he debuted at maegashira 15. He was the first top division wrestler from Hokkaidō since the demotion of Kitakachidoki exactly 20 years earlier, in May 1998,[2] and the first Hokkaidō native to win promotion to makuuchi since Tatsuhikari in January 1992.[3] In his debut tournament he went 10–5 and was awarded the fighting spirit prize for his efforts, this is his first sanshō (special prize). He was promoted to his highest rank to date of maegashira 8 for the July 2018 tournament, where he scored a make-koshi 6–9. He withdrew from a tournament for the first time in his career in September, after injuring his knees in his Day 3 bout against Daieishō.[4] He returned to the tournament on Day 9, but withdrew again on Day 11 after aggravating the injury. He was demoted to the jūryō division in November 2018 and did not manage to return to makuuchi until almost two years later in September 2020.[5] He withdrew on Day 5 of the September tournament with an Achilles' tendon injury, resulting in demotion back to the second division.

He was forced to sit out the January 2021 tournament due to a wrestler at Tomozuna stable tested positive for COVID-19.[6] He withdrew from the September 2021 tournament after suffering ligament damage in his left knee,[7] and lost status after the November 2021 tournament when he could score only 2–13 at the rank of 9. He withdrew from both the January and March 2022 tournaments partway through after suffering injuries. After having surgery on his knee and sitting out three straight tournaments from May to September 2022, Kyokutaisei finally returned to competitive action in the November 2022 tournament, having fallen to jonokuchi 5 in the rankings. On Day 8 he defeated Takabahō to move to 4–0, his first kachi-koshi since March 2021, when he was ranked in jūryō.[8] During this tournament he also recorded a fifth win in a row, but missed out on the championship after being defeated on Day 11 by Takerufuji.[9]

Having begun his career at Ōshima stable, he was once again a member of Ōshima after February 2022 when his stablemaster renamed it from Tomozuna stable.[10]

Fighting style

Kyokutaisei is unusual in that he prefers a maemitsu grip on his opponent's mawashi or belt – grabbing the front part directly below the stomach area.[11] He is also fond of dashinage techniques, which involve throwing the opponent in a pulling motion.[11] His most common winning kimarite is oshi-dashi, or push out.[12]

Personal

Kyokutaisei registered his marriage to Yoshie Kobayashi on 18 September 2017.[13] The reception was held on 9 June 2018, about 450 guests attended with Hakuhō giving a speech.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ancient banzuke adds human touch to sumo. Gunning. John. 2 May 2018. Japan Times. 2 May 2018.
  2. Web site: 2018 May Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics. Japan Sumo Association. https://web.archive.org/web/20180502162116/http://sumo.or.jp/EnHonbashoTopics/banzuke_topics/. 2 May 2018.
  3. Web site: SUMO ABC (77) / Kyokutaisei becomes Hokkaido's 1st makuuchi debutant in 26 years. Miki. Shuji. 19 May 2018. Yomiuri Shimbun. 21 May 2018.
  4. Web site: Sumo: Undefeated Kisenosato tested again on Day 4 of Autumn meet. 12 September 2018. The Mainichi. https://web.archive.org/web/20180912184548/https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180912/p2g/00m/0sp/101000c. 12 September 2018.
  5. Web site: July champion Terunofuji climbs 16 spots in rankings. 31 August 2020. Japan Times. 17 September 2020.
  6. Web site: SUMO/ 65 wrestlers to stay away from tourney as 5 test positive for virus. 10 January 2021. Asahi Shimbun. 28 January 2021.
  7. Web site: 十両旭大星が休場 左膝外側側副靱帯損傷のため. 18 September 2021. Nikkan Sports. Japanese. 16 March 2022.
  8. Web site: Former Makuuchi Kyokutaisei wins a majority of bouts for the first time in 9 tournaments in his comeback. 20 November 2022. Yahoo! Japan. Japanese. 22 November 2022.
  9. Web site: 序ノ口・尊富士が元幕内の旭大星に堂々の勝利「ここを乗り越えないと優勝できない」. ja. 23 November 2022. Sports Nippon. 3 March 2024.
  10. Web site: 友綱部屋が「大島部屋」に名称変更 親方の名跡交換で約10年ぶり"再興". 27 January 2022. Nikkan Sports. Japanese. 16 March 2022.
  11. Web site: Rikishi Profile – Kyokutaisei Takuya. Sumo Association. 1 May 2018.
  12. Web site: Kyokutaisei bouts by kimarite. Sumo Reference. 1 May 2018.
  13. Web site: Kyokutaisei announces marriage. Sponichi News. 9 June 2018.