At 05:47, you might notice a weird cut. This was done in order to correct a bad mistake i made regarding the rank of Yokozuna. I hope the rest of the video is enjoyable anyway ❤ Thanks to @RealSpaceHobo for being the first to point out the mistake
I don't really know anything about Sumo, but I do think it is remarkable how it keeps traditions alive. A Sumo event seems like a glimpse into the Edo period. That's something you'd never see in any other sport. I shouldn't be surprised there is Yakuza involvement. It seems like everything in Japan, especially sports and entertainment has Yakuza ties.
Keep making this content! It’s amazingly well researched, well produced and I can’t get enough! Exactly the type of content that I’ve been searching for 💯💯💯
Sumo was such a daunting topic to get into, given its cultural significance and history! Glad i was able to entertain someone who's a fan of the sport 😁 Thanks for watching! 🙏🏻
Konishiki is a fantastic guy, i've seen some interviews with him! I only used him for the thumbnail because i think that photo of him is the most striking Sumo photo out there and it really draws a lot of attention as soon as you see it 😊 no hard feelings towards the guy at all
I would love to see you do a full history of sumo video if you could. Discovered you channel the other day and I love your video style and subject matter!
As a Sumo fan from the UK I soon realised I had to put my cultural bias at the door. Yes there are many aspects of Sumo like the act of breaking a wrestler in public training sessions that are brutal sometimes, but every wrestler goes through it, it is agreed by everyone involved, harsh but fair. It is looked on as a trial of your power and endurance. The beating of young wrestlers in private however is just plain bullying to the point of murder and is not a tradition, it's a state of mind.
I've watched every sumo tournament since 2019 and I like to think that modern Sumo, especially during the Hakuho era and after it, is clean. I mean I can't imagine things were fixed when Tamawashi won his 2nd basho. I'm sure there are guys who throw their matches because of pain or wanting a friend to get a better score but I think the behind the scenes match fixing is gone. If things were being fixed, Japan would of had a Japanese born Yokozuna by now. But they don't because the Mongolians continue to dominate the sport.
I really hope so! Also, I think throwing a match because of pain is a valid excuse in Sumo, these guys are constantly putting their bodies through the wringer, they deserve to heal up every now and then at least
The book “Freakanomics” did a really interesting study of the statistical evidence for cheating in sumo matches (I.e. wrestlers will throw a match if they have attained their desired rank to let a lower rank sumo get his needed wins in exchange for the lower rank guy throwing their next meet) it’s pretty interesting and the authors go into the mysterious deaths you mention in this great episode as well. Keep up the great work!
I think it must be quite difficult for individual Sumo wrestlers to really resist Yakuza ties. I imagine those thugs are quite skilled at inserting themselves into situations they want to be involved in. In order to address it, you really need a proper police-based crackdown
Alsp, I didn't even mention it in the video, but I read that only 10% of all ranks in Sumo actually receive a salary, basically only the higher ranks. Imagine you get an injury, drop down the ranks and won't even get paid for your hard work anymore. That's were working with the Yakuza probably seems pretty attractive for many wrestlers, it's kinda sad
@@anikihistory That's definitely sad, although it's also kind of a chicken and egg problem. If you didn't have the support from gangsters, I think there would either be more pressure to reform the pay structure or fewer fighters lingering around in the sport that weren't elite athletes. And even if that's not true, I feel like it's more sad that the Yakuza seem to have such a stranglehold on the country, and there seems to be no real political will to root them out.
@@magicman9552 Well said, the Yakuza are the way bigger problem obviously since they directly influence the whole country negatively. Hope that both Japan and Sumo can make some meaningful changes in that regard
Awesome, found your sumo video, but to answer the question in the start YES definitely do a deep dive. Ever since playing street fighter II as a kid I've always been very curious about sumo. Also wondering what the connection if there is one to Japan's gigantic wrestling boom with baba and onita etc. Also foreigners in sumo like john tenta.
The production quality of your videos is very good! Please keep making content and thank you for shouting out Chris Sumo and Sumostew. NattoSumo is another great Sumo proponent who edits and posts nearly every day of a basho in Makuuchi, Juryo, and Makushita. He does not monetize the content. Also JSA started the SUMO PRIME TIME youtube channel a year or two ago, hosted by Hiro Morita.
Thank you so much! Glad you're liking the content! And thanks for the channel recommendations! Some good stuff in there for sure, especially now with the Aki Basho going on 🔥
Guess I got this vid due to the sumo content I consume but good vid man. nice to see you giving a shoutout to sumo stew and chris sumo as well. Great channels 👍🏾
ZAMN, banger as always. I don’t know why I didn’t think about Sumo being a part of the yakuza but obviously it is. They are everywhere (as I’ve learned from this guy named ANIKI) [that’s you btw] will be asking my friend if he ever was apart if it when he grew up and part took in it. Also I would LOVE the history of Sumo since I can trust you to have a university level of research as always! 😁
I honestly can't wait to get into more Sumo history, so much to learn about this stuff. Will probably be a pretty long video as well haha Pretty interesting that you have a friend who actually did Sumo btw, was he in Japan for it? I know there's some Sumo stables in other countries like the US too but i guess they're pretty damn rare 🤔
I watched the Netflix series Sanctuary and let me tell ya I knew nothing about Sumo in general but I think it's definitely up there as one of the absolute best Sumo related show ever made. Also I have tremendous respect to the cast for the incredible efforts and rigorous training they gone through for the show!
something I know about sumo is that the referee always holds a knife on his waist to show he is willing to commit suicide in case in case he fails to do his job properly, I wonder how many of these referees kept their word after all these matchmaking scandals
Amazing content! This is a serious story, but am I the only one amused that the place where Sumo wrestlers live and train, a Heya, is translated into English as a "stable"?🤣😂🏇🐴🐎
Nick Zappetti "The King of Roppongi" of La Cosa Nostra might interest you, Aniki. .... Btw. I wrote this just prior to watching this video. Would not surprise me if you mentioned him already 😁
I would love to know more about the history, origins, ... of sumo/sumo wrestlers and its connections to shinto religion! 😃 Are there female sumo wrestlers I wonder? 🤔
I'm looking forward to exploring the topic even more in the future 🫡 I think i stumbled upon an article about female wrestlers while researching this video, i'll look into it 😎
Professional sports are always tough, but i think Sumo might be up there with the toughest of them. Absolutely crazy the amount of abuse that both their bodies and minds have to go through
You are talking so much non sense, and am only 5 min in. The rankings chart, or banzuke, is not particularly difficult to understand, not at all. There are 6 divisions in pro sumo, you gotta be in the top 2 divisions to earn a salary and be considered a full-fledged sumo wrestler. Recently there were 4 yokozunas at the same time, there regularly are periods with multiple yokozuna active, you saying there can be only one at a time makes zero sense, it's just false and it shows you have no idea about sumo. You are talking about something that you obviously know next to nothing about and it is cringe.
Thanks for the comment. Regarding the ranking system, it seems like you might be speaking from the perspective of someone who is familiar with Sumo and its ranks. For people not all that familiar with the sport (like me, admittedly), the ranking system is quite confusing. The way you explained it is a condensed overview of how it works, sure, but how do you go up and down in rank, what does it take to become Yokozuna or Ozeki? What about the East and West divisions? Seems to me like there's many nuances to the ranks in Sumo, as shown by this video which takes a whole 13 minutes to explain it all -> ua-cam.com/video/T-7GMEGxA6Y/v-deo.htmlsi=PuQnpaNMWHzpzwyZ The Yokozuna claim was completely wrong and a misunderstanding of the ranking system on my part, that much is true
@@anikihistoryTo become an ozeki, you must: - achieve the rank immediately beneath (Sekiwake); -have at least 33 wins through three consecutive tournaments at that rank. An overall tournament championship (yusho) helps, but isn't required. Becoming a Yokozuna requires being an ozeki, and winning at least one yusho (but preferably two consecutively) and having at least 11 wins at any tournament you don't win outright in a 3-4 tournament run (about 6- 8 months). There are other political-type considerations too, yes; but the performance I describe would be a virtually ironclad case for the white rope.
The late wrestler John Tenta who in America wrestled as Earthquake was a former Sumo wrestler(one of the few Western Sumo). He did well but transitioned to pro wrestling because he had a tatoo of the LSU Tiger(his college's mascot) on his bicep. In lower ranks he was allowed to cover it up with bandages. However he was told that if he wanted to enter the higher ranks he would hace to have it removed due to the "yakuza stigma" tatoos had in Japan at that time.
I once saw a blind Bakuto/Masseuse have a run of at least a dozen wins, without leaving the circle, at a festival near Edo back in the day.
At 05:47, you might notice a weird cut. This was done in order to correct a bad mistake i made regarding the rank of Yokozuna. I hope the rest of the video is enjoyable anyway ❤
Thanks to @RealSpaceHobo for being the first to point out the mistake
I don't really know anything about Sumo, but I do think it is remarkable how it keeps traditions alive. A Sumo event seems like a glimpse into the Edo period. That's something you'd never see in any other sport.
I shouldn't be surprised there is Yakuza involvement. It seems like everything in Japan, especially sports and entertainment has Yakuza ties.
For sure! Kinda sad to see crime creep its way into something so historically significant though
Keep making this content! It’s amazingly well researched, well produced and I can’t get enough! Exactly the type of content that I’ve been searching for 💯💯💯
I don't plan on stopping anytime soon! Glad you are enjoying watching it as much as i do making it 😁🙏🏻
Great video! As an avid sumo enthusiast I was very happy you decided to produce this amazing piece! Thank you!
Sumo was such a daunting topic to get into, given its cultural significance and history!
Glad i was able to entertain someone who's a fan of the sport 😁 Thanks for watching! 🙏🏻
Why did you use Konishiki's photo when speaking of dishonoured?! He does so much charity work since retirement. He was never dishonorable!!!
Konishiki is a fantastic guy, i've seen some interviews with him! I only used him for the thumbnail because i think that photo of him is the most striking Sumo photo out there and it really draws a lot of attention as soon as you see it 😊 no hard feelings towards the guy at all
Love your content and I'm sure your channel will blow up!
Glad you like it! I hope it will 😁🙏🏻
I would love to see you do a full history of sumo video if you could. Discovered you channel the other day and I love your video style and subject matter!
Glad you say so, i really wanna do that Sumo history video in the future!
Thanks for tuning in btw, much appreciated 😌
As a Sumo fan from the UK I soon realised I had to put my cultural bias at the door. Yes there are many aspects of Sumo like the act of breaking a wrestler in public training sessions that are brutal sometimes, but every wrestler goes through it, it is agreed by everyone involved, harsh but fair. It is looked on as a trial of your power and endurance.
The beating of young wrestlers in private however is just plain bullying to the point of murder and is not a tradition, it's a state of mind.
I've watched every sumo tournament since 2019 and I like to think that modern Sumo, especially during the Hakuho era and after it, is clean.
I mean I can't imagine things were fixed when Tamawashi won his 2nd basho. I'm sure there are guys who throw their matches because of pain or wanting a friend to get a better score but I think the behind the scenes match fixing is gone.
If things were being fixed, Japan would of had a Japanese born Yokozuna by now. But they don't because the Mongolians continue to dominate the sport.
I really hope so! Also, I think throwing a match because of pain is a valid excuse in Sumo, these guys are constantly putting their bodies through the wringer, they deserve to heal up every now and then at least
Multiple Yokozuna is common, so your statement that only one Yokozuna is possible ay a time is not true.....sorry...🙂
I just checked and you are completely right! I guess i got something wrong about the ranking system 🥲 Apologies, but thanks for clarifying!
yeah it's actually pretty rare for there to only be one, usually there are two or three active yokozuna at a given time.
The book “Freakanomics” did a really interesting study of the statistical evidence for cheating in sumo matches (I.e. wrestlers will throw a match if they have attained their desired rank to let a lower rank sumo get his needed wins in exchange for the lower rank guy throwing their next meet) it’s pretty interesting and the authors go into the mysterious deaths you mention in this great episode as well. Keep up the great work!
Sounds like something i might have to read, i'm super interested in Sumo now!
Glad you liked it btw, thanks for watching and commenting 🫡
There can be more than one Yokozuna at a time. Many times there’s been two or sometimes even three Yokozuna active simultaneously.
I think it must be quite difficult for individual Sumo wrestlers to really resist Yakuza ties. I imagine those thugs are quite skilled at inserting themselves into situations they want to be involved in. In order to address it, you really need a proper police-based crackdown
Alsp, I didn't even mention it in the video, but I read that only 10% of all ranks in Sumo actually receive a salary, basically only the higher ranks.
Imagine you get an injury, drop down the ranks and won't even get paid for your hard work anymore. That's were working with the Yakuza probably seems pretty attractive for many wrestlers, it's kinda sad
@@anikihistory That's definitely sad, although it's also kind of a chicken and egg problem. If you didn't have the support from gangsters, I think there would either be more pressure to reform the pay structure or fewer fighters lingering around in the sport that weren't elite athletes.
And even if that's not true, I feel like it's more sad that the Yakuza seem to have such a stranglehold on the country, and there seems to be no real political will to root them out.
@@magicman9552 Well said, the Yakuza are the way bigger problem obviously since they directly influence the whole country negatively. Hope that both Japan and Sumo can make some meaningful changes in that regard
Awesome, found your sumo video, but to answer the question in the start YES definitely do a deep dive. Ever since playing street fighter II as a kid I've always been very curious about sumo. Also wondering what the connection if there is one to Japan's gigantic wrestling boom with baba and onita etc. Also foreigners in sumo like john tenta.
Really enjoying your content. I love to learn about these different aspects of Japanese society and culture.
The production quality of your videos is very good! Please keep making content and thank you for shouting out Chris Sumo and Sumostew. NattoSumo is another great Sumo proponent who edits and posts nearly every day of a basho in Makuuchi, Juryo, and Makushita. He does not monetize the content. Also JSA started the SUMO PRIME TIME youtube channel a year or two ago, hosted by Hiro Morita.
Thank you so much! Glad you're liking the content!
And thanks for the channel recommendations! Some good stuff in there for sure, especially now with the Aki Basho going on 🔥
Great video buddy. Was thoroughly entertaining!!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching 😌
Love this channel, have watched all the videos so far.
That's so great to hear! Always nice to see familiar names here in the comments too 🙏🏻
I appreciate the recommended channels I’ll be sure to check them out and great video as always love this channel
Oh yeah, please do check them out, they deserve it!
And thank you very much for watching and commenting, glad you're enjoying the content 🫶🏻
Enjoying the content mate hope you keep them coming..
Already working on more stuff 🫡 thanks for watching!
Guess I got this vid due to the sumo content I consume but good vid man. nice to see you giving a shoutout to sumo stew and chris sumo as well. Great channels 👍🏾
Glad that the algorithm did its job in recommending me to you, thanks for watching my friend! 🙏🏻
Another enjoyable video, thank you for teaching me a bit about something I know very little about
Thanks for watching! There's actually a tournament starting this week i think, super exciting to watch that after researching all this stuff
ZAMN, banger as always. I don’t know why I didn’t think about Sumo being a part of the yakuza but obviously it is. They are everywhere (as I’ve learned from this guy named ANIKI) [that’s you btw] will be asking my friend if he ever was apart if it when he grew up and part took in it. Also I would LOVE the history of Sumo since I can trust you to have a university level of research as always! 😁
I honestly can't wait to get into more Sumo history, so much to learn about this stuff. Will probably be a pretty long video as well haha
Pretty interesting that you have a friend who actually did Sumo btw, was he in Japan for it? I know there's some Sumo stables in other countries like the US too but i guess they're pretty damn rare 🤔
I watched the Netflix series Sanctuary and let me tell ya I knew nothing about Sumo in general but I think it's definitely up there as one of the absolute best Sumo related show ever made. Also I have tremendous respect to the cast for the incredible efforts and rigorous training they gone through for the show!
Ngl im mad this doesnt have way more views
Great video, my friend!
Thanks buddy! 😁
I'm sorry to always call out the music you use in these videos...but...is....that the jazz version of Bakamitai playing right now? Lol ❤
Dont worry, i'm glad everytime someone points out the music 😁 and you're correct! Feel free to sing along, i do the same thing every time haha
Great content my guy
Thanks dude!
More SUMO videos please!
Gotcha! 🫡
Every sport is kinda fucked at the professional level.
Please make a " history of Sumo" video. Thank you.
something I know about sumo is that the referee always holds a knife on his waist to show he is willing to commit suicide in case in case he fails to do his job properly, I wonder how many of these referees kept their word after all these matchmaking scandals
Amazing content!
This is a serious story, but am I the only one amused that the place where Sumo wrestlers live and train, a Heya, is translated into English as a "stable"?🤣😂🏇🐴🐎
I thought the same thing when i read that it's just "room" in Japanese but we chose to call it a goddamn stable 🤣
American boxing trainers use the same nomenclature
Nick Zappetti "The King of Roppongi" of La Cosa Nostra might interest you, Aniki. .... Btw. I wrote this just prior to watching this video. Would not surprise me if you mentioned him already 😁
Haven't mentioned him yet, but that one is on the list for sure, might even one of my next few topics 👀
background music, Chrono Trigger OST ,12000 BCE
We need a fmw story
Congrats on another "Bangor" 😂🎉
Haha thanks! Appreciate it 😁
@@anikihistory "Bangor" = "Banger" ("Bangor" Dome from Chrono Trigger--bc you used a Chrono Trigger song).
@@mariomene2051 Omg hahaha i can't believe i missed that, that's actually brilliant 🤣
Always some Kudo-Kai around 🤠
The goddamn Yamaguchi-gumi in general seems to creep its way into every video i make, those guys were truly everywhere lmao
I would love to know more about the history, origins, ... of sumo/sumo wrestlers and its connections to shinto religion! 😃 Are there female sumo wrestlers I wonder? 🤔
I'm looking forward to exploring the topic even more in the future 🫡
I think i stumbled upon an article about female wrestlers while researching this video, i'll look into it 😎
To me being a sumo wrestler always looked like it kinda sucked.
Professional sports are always tough, but i think Sumo might be up there with the toughest of them. Absolutely crazy the amount of abuse that both their bodies and minds have to go through
@@anikihistoryTruly.
Don’t use my picture take out off as soon possible.
You are talking so much non sense, and am only 5 min in.
The rankings chart, or banzuke, is not particularly difficult to understand, not at all. There are 6 divisions in pro sumo, you gotta be in the top 2 divisions to earn a salary and be considered a full-fledged sumo wrestler.
Recently there were 4 yokozunas at the same time, there regularly are periods with multiple yokozuna active, you saying there can be only one at a time makes zero sense, it's just false and it shows you have no idea about sumo.
You are talking about something that you obviously know next to nothing about and it is cringe.
Thanks for the comment.
Regarding the ranking system, it seems like you might be speaking from the perspective of someone who is familiar with Sumo and its ranks. For people not all that familiar with the sport (like me, admittedly), the ranking system is quite confusing. The way you explained it is a condensed overview of how it works, sure, but how do you go up and down in rank, what does it take to become Yokozuna or Ozeki? What about the East and West divisions? Seems to me like there's many nuances to the ranks in Sumo, as shown by this video which takes a whole 13 minutes to explain it all -> ua-cam.com/video/T-7GMEGxA6Y/v-deo.htmlsi=PuQnpaNMWHzpzwyZ
The Yokozuna claim was completely wrong and a misunderstanding of the ranking system on my part, that much is true
@@anikihistoryTo become an ozeki, you must:
- achieve the rank immediately beneath (Sekiwake);
-have at least 33 wins through three consecutive tournaments at that rank. An overall tournament championship (yusho) helps, but isn't required.
Becoming a Yokozuna requires being an ozeki, and winning at least one yusho (but preferably two consecutively) and having at least 11 wins at any tournament you don't win outright in a 3-4 tournament run (about 6- 8 months). There are other political-type considerations too, yes; but the performance I describe would be a virtually ironclad case for the white rope.
The late wrestler John Tenta who in America wrestled as Earthquake was a former Sumo wrestler(one of the few Western Sumo). He did well but transitioned to pro wrestling because he had a tatoo of the LSU Tiger(his college's mascot) on his bicep. In lower ranks he was allowed to cover it up with bandages. However he was told that if he wanted to enter the higher ranks he would hace to have it removed due to the "yakuza stigma" tatoos had in Japan at that time.
Sumo Jason - www.youtube.com/@sumojason