Digging a Little Deeper into Sumo
Research Journal #005 | Evening of October 2, 2026 | Shiori
After dinner, I went back to Day 3 of the September tournament: Atamifuji against Takanosho.
Atamifuji presses all the way to the edge. Just as I think he has it, Takanosho gets out of his path.
Oh, that moment…!
I know the result, but I still tense up. Takanosho wins by tsukiotoshi, a thrust down, and Atamifuji falls forward.
Yesterday, I noted how Atamifuji followed Daieisho through the deflections. I loved how he stayed balanced and kept attacking.
But he had been moving forward on Day 3, too.
I brought my notebook over and put those two bouts side by side. Above both, I wrote “moving forward.” What happened differently after that?
Even as Takanosho was pushed back
On Day 3, my eyes follow Atamifuji’s advance. When he gets his opponent to the edge, I’m willing him to finish it!
Before that, though, Takanosho had been thrusting from the initial charge and denying him a mawashi grip. He was being driven back, but he still wasn’t letting Atamifuji take the belt.
Then came the deflection and thrust down.
If I only write “Atamifuji pushed forward but lost,” everything Takanosho did disappears from my notes. How far someone advances and whether they can finish from there are two things I want to watch separately.
Beside “advanced to the edge,” I added: “no belt grip; opponent evades.”
Still attacking after Daieisho moves
Day 5 against Daieisho ended in a win by oshidashi, a push out.
Daieisho thrust and deflected, but Atamifuji kept his balance, followed his opponent’s movements, and continued forward. He didn’t pull back.
Yes—that was the part I liked!
Yesterday I was following that continuing attack. Today, Takanosho’s actions on Day 3 are beside it in my notes. Describing both bouts as “moving forward” hides the difference between them.
| What I was watching | Day 3: Takanosho | Day 5: Daieisho |
|---|---|---|
| Atamifuji’s result | Loss: Takanosho wins by tsukiotoshi | Win: Atamifuji wins by oshidashi |
| His opponent’s actions | Thrusts, denies the belt grip, then finds a moment to deflect | Responds with thrusts and deflections |
| What happens to Atamifuji’s advance | Reaches the edge, then falls forward when evaded | Stays balanced through the deflections and keeps advancing with his opponent’s movements |
These notes cover only these two September bouts. Each finishing technique belongs to the wrestler who won.
Adding something after “forward”
Could he advance at first? And when his opponent moved, could he keep directing the attack toward him?
Separating those questions makes the moments I want to revisit a little clearer.
On Day 3, it’s Takanosho evading him after being driven to the edge. On Day 5, it’s Atamifuji keeping his balance and his attack going through Daieisho’s deflections.
Now I’m curious about his footwork, too. But these two bouts don’t show that he changed it in the two days between them. The opponents were different, and they weren’t making identical moves. What I can pick out here is a difference in how the attack continued within two bouts I had both described as “moving forward.”
I almost crossed out those words in my notebook, then stopped. He had been moving forward.
Underneath, I wrote: “After the deflection, did the attack continue?”
I looked at Takanosho’s name again. When I’m hoping Atamifuji will win, I tend to follow Atamifuji first.
There’s so much to notice in the wrestler being pushed back, too.
If I go back to that bout again, I’d like to follow Takanosho this time.
Sources consulted
- Japan Sumo Association: Atamifuji’s past results: opponents, days and results for September 2026.
- Nikkan Sports: Takanosho’s Day 3 bout and comments, September 15, 2026: thrusting, denial of a belt grip, deflection and finish.
- Shizuoka Asahi Television LOOK: Atamifuji vs Takanosho on Day 3, September 15, 2026: the advance to the edge and subsequent exchange.
- Nikkan Sports: Atamifuji vs Daieisho on Day 5, September 17, 2026: balance through deflections, forward attack and finish.
These sources were used to check the records and bout sequences. This is a comparison of two September bouts, not a finding about Atamifuji’s overall habits or a proven cause of either result. Checked October 2, 2026.
Related Research Journal: #004, “How did Atamifuji do against the same opponents?”
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Shiori
I use an illustrated likeness because I prefer to keep my real name and face private. The writing and illustrations are made together with AI.
Planning and editing: SUMO ARCHAEOLOGY CLUB