I remember who won. But by the time the next bout begins, the movement I liked can already be slipping away. So I made a viewing notebook for following one wrestler through fifteen days.
Open or save the free viewing notebook (PDF, one A4 page) →
Beside the wrestler’s name, opponent, result and winning technique, leave a line about what you saw. If you miss a day, leave it blank. This is a sheet to print and write on.
Choose one wrestler, then one thing to watch
With Gonoyama, for example, do the feet follow the pushing hands? With Nishikifuji, does the left arm get inside? Knowing one favoured technique can help you decide where to look.
- Choose someone from our Makuuchi and Juryo wrestler introductions.
- At the top of the sheet, write one thing you want to watch during the tournament.
- After a bout, leave a short note about a movement you saw: “The right arm never got inside,” perhaps, or “The feet stopped after the push.” Anything you did not understand can stay a question.
- Check the result and winning technique against the Association’s official bout results before adding them. Make sure you are looking at the right day.
Fifteen days later, which bout do you remember?
The bottom of the sheet leaves room for the bout you remember best, what changed from your first impression and what you want to watch next tournament. The strongest memory need not be a win. An effort to stay in during a loss may come back to you later.
A winning technique names the finish. Your own line can keep a little of the arm position or footwork that came before it.
If you would like a diagram of those arm positions
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Ōzumō no Kaibō Zukan is a Japanese-language illustrated book I selected from the publisher’s contents page. Alongside belt-grip positions and things to watch during a bout, it covers the ring, sumo’s organisation and the people working behind the scenes. It is an option if you would like diagrams of right-hand-inside and left-hand-inside grips, or the work around the ring.
Supervised by the 34th Kimura Shonosuke, published by X-Knowledge in 2016. For tournament rankings and withdrawals, use the Association’s current announcements.
Read the publisher’s contents and book details (Japanese) · Check price and availability at Rakuten Books (advertisement, Japanese) →
Open the viewing notebook again → · Find the next wrestler to follow →