“Going forward” can look so different.
From Atamifuji’s bout to Aonishiki and Onosato.
This morning, after starting a load of washing, I was reading about Atamifuji’s visit to Atami City Hall on October 1. He said being back home helped him feel settled, and I felt a little more at ease too.
I’d love to see him moving forward like that again.
It’s my day off. I’ll start with another look at his Day 5 bout against Daieisho.
Keep going.
Keep going!
Under the thrusts and deflections, Atamifuji keeps his balance. He follows his opponent’s movement and goes forward again. He wins by oshidashi (pushing out).
Even when his attack is deflected, he stays with his opponent. Oh, that’s what I like—the way he keeps the attack going. Even knowing he won, I find myself leaning forward here.
Beside “forward” in my notebook, I added, “Stays with his opponent when he moves.”
I’m curious about his Day 9 bout against Takayasu too. In that one, Takayasu gets a grip on his belt, but Atamifuji recovers his position and wins by oshitaoshi (pushing down).
Both are Atamifuji bouts, but different moments draw me in. So it isn’t only the way he goes forward that I like. I like watching what happens just before it too.
The washing machine beeped. All right, I’ll go and hang it out. …Before I watch another bout.
Moving forward while staying low. Moving forward by bringing the opponent upright.
Back after lunch, I flicked through this week’s notes. In the part about Aonishiki’s eight straight wins, his Day 11 bout against Takanosho caught my eye.
That was the one where he kept moving forward low, even under the thrusts. I want another look at that position.
He’s going through there, still that low!
Aonishiki inches forward under Takanosho’s thrusts. At the finish, he presses his head against him and pushes him out.
His head is against his opponent’s chest. I find myself following the way he closes in, staying that low.
Looking through Takanosho’s bouts brings me to Onosato on Day 8. This time, it’s the way the arms go inside that catches my eye.
This is where he brings him upright.
Onosato knocks away the arm pressing at his throat and brings both arms inside, right first, then left. From there, he brings his opponent upright and wins by yorikiri (force out).
Once the arms go inside, his opponent’s position changes. This time, I find myself watching all the way through to the moment his opponent comes upright.
Oh, that’s the difference.
Aonishiki moves forward while staying low himself; Onosato moves forward by bringing his opponent upright. In these two bouts I watched today, what happens along the way to “forward” is different.
I wrote the two side by side and sat comparing them, still holding my pen. Once I notice one thing like this, I want to look at the others too…
But I’ve only just finished making dinner.
It was starting to get dark, so I went to make dinner. Everything was plated, and I was untying my apron.
But “staying low” and “bringing the opponent upright” were still in my head.
What would I see if I watched that final-day bout with those two things in mind?
Onosato and Aonishiki. How did their positions change in that bout with the championship at stake?
I found myself looking toward the desk. …Dinner first. I’ve only just finished making it!
I hung my apron on its usual hook.
Evening. That reach for the belt has caught my attention.
I cleared the dishes and switched on the desk lamp. September 27, the final day. The two were tied at eleven wins and three losses, and whoever won this bout would take the championship.
Aonishiki reaches for the front of the belt with his left hand. Onosato’s outstretched arm stops him from securing that grip.
Oh, it starts right here!
The thrusts that follow bring Aonishiki’s upper body upright.
Onosato wins by tsukidashi (thrust out). I remember the result and his tears after winning the championship, but today I can’t stop watching what their hands do before that.
In the Takanosho bout I watched this afternoon, he got his own arms inside before bringing his opponent upright. On the final day, he stopped his opponent from securing the belt, then brought him upright with the thrusts that followed.
Both are Onosato wins, but he sets them up differently. Having watched how low Aonishiki stayed this afternoon, I find it all the harder to look away from the exchanges leading up to that moment.
I also remembered Onosato saying he fell asleep quickly on the night he won the championship, and felt a little relieved. That was the night after he’d finished that bout.
I want to add something to this morning’s “forward.”
I turned back to Atamifuji’s page.
After Takayasu got his belt, just when did Atamifuji recover his position? This morning, I wrote, “Attacks again,” but now I want to look a little more closely at what happened in between.
I started out wanting to watch Atamifuji, and ended up watching Aonishiki and Onosato too. Quite a bit of the blank space in my notebook has filled up.
Right, that’s enough for today. I’ll put bookmarks by the parts I want to watch again.
…One bookmark wasn’t enough.
Sources and bout notes
- Japan Sumo Association profiles and records: Atamifuji, Takanosho and Aonishiki. September 2026 opponents, bout dates and results.
- Shizuoka Asahi TV / LOOK: Atamifuji’s city hall visit, October 1, 22:34 JST: his visit and remarks.
- Nikkan Sports: Atamifuji–Daieisho, Day 5: responses to thrusting and deflection, the advance and oshidashi finish.
- LOOK: Atamifuji–Takayasu, Day 9: the belt grip, recovery of position and oshitaoshi finish.
- Day 11, Aonishiki–Takanosho: Nikkan Sports reports at 18:44 and 20:10: low stance, advance, head contact and oshidashi.
- Nikkan Sports: Onosato–Takanosho, Day 8: the response to the nodowa, right arm followed by left, and bringing Takanosho upright before yorikiri.
- Nikkan Sports: Aonishiki–Onosato, final day: the title decider, obstruction of the left front grip and the upright position before tsukidashi.
- Ishikawa TV / FNN: Onosato’s press conference the following morning, September 28: his remarks about sleep before and after the championship.
This journal compares five bouts from the September tournament: Days 5, 8, 9, 11 and the final day. It does not establish a wrestler’s overall style or the causes of the tournament’s results. The illustrations draw on bout-day photographs and records; some panels look more closely at the same contact. They do not reproduce every movement. Sources checked October 3, 2026.