Ryūko Seihō
| 龍虎 勢朋 Ryūko Seihō | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Takakiyo Suzuki January 9, 1941 Tokyo, Japan |
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 132 kg (291 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Hanakago |
| Record | 357-330-40 |
| Debut | January, 1957 |
| Highest rank | Komusubi (March, 1970) |
| Retired | May, 1975 |
| Championships | 2 (Juryo) 2 (Makushita) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (4) |
| Gold Stars | 2 (Taiho, Kitanoumi) |
| * Up to date as of July 2007. | |
Ryūko Seihō (龍虎 勢朋, born January 9, 1941) is a former sumo wrestler with the Hanakago beya and an actor and celebrity in Japan. He was born in Ōta, Tokyo. His highest rank in sumo was komusubi.
Sumo
Ryūko made his tournament debut in the January 1957 basho. He reached the juryō division in March 1967, and makuuchi in March 1968. The following year, he defeated yokozuna Taihō, scoring the first of his two kinboshi. He was a runner-up in three top division tournaments, in March 1969, November 1969 and September 1970. His 1970 rise to sanyaku was followed by a 1971 torn achilles tendon, as a result of which he missed three successive tournaments and was demoted from makuuchi all the way down to the third makushita division. He returned to sumo, and after winning championships in the makushita and juryo divisions he regained his position in makuuchi in 1973. He scored his second kinboshi (against Kitanoumi) in 1974. He even managed a return to sanyaku at komusubi in January 1975, the first time that any wrestler had done this after dropping to makushita. Unfortunately, on the first match of the May tournament in that year, he tore the other achilles tendon, and retired from sumo. He once told an interviewer that he thought rikishi wrestled too much - "Ninety days a year, such a severe tension, it's too much for a human being."[1]
It was as a direct result of public sympathy for Ryūko's plummet down the rankings that the Japan Sumo Association introduced the kosho seido, or public injury system, whereby a wrestler injured during a tournament could sit out the next one without any effect on his rank.[2]
During his career, he earned several awards, taking the Shukunshō twice and the Kantōshō four times. His favourite techniques were tsuppari (thrusting attack), katasukashi (under-shoulder swing down), migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside mawashi grip), and sotogake (outer leg trip). He most commonly won by hataki-komi (slap down).
After his retirement he worked as a coach at his old stable under the toshiyori or elder name of Hanaregoma, but he left the Sumo Association in February 1977 to seek a new profession.
Acting
Ryūko played the station chief in the 1977 live-actor film version of Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo. He joined the cast of the jidaigeki Abarenbo Shogun during the first series (about 175 episodes), and continued through the second series (about 190 episodes). His character was a retired sumo wrestler named Ryūko. He also appeared as a guest star in an episode of the fifth series.
Top division record
| Year | January Hatsu basho, Tokyo |
March Haru basho, Osaka |
May Natsu basho, Tokyo |
July Nagoya basho, Nagoya |
September Aki basho, Tokyo |
November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | x | West Maegashira #9 11–4 F |
East Maegashira #3 2–13 |
West Maegashira #9 7–8 |
East Maegashira #10 9–6 |
East Maegashira #6 9–6 |
| 1969 | East Maegashira #3 4–11 |
West Maegashira #9 12–3 FO |
East Maegashira #2 8–7 O★ |
East Maegashira #1 8–7 |
East Maegashira #1 3–12 |
West Maegashira #6 11–4 F |
| 1970 | West Maegashira #1 9–6 |
West Komusubi 8–7 |
East Komusubi 5–10 |
East Maegashira #3 2–13 |
East Maegashira #11 13–2 F |
East Komusubi 6–9 |
| 1971 | East Maegashira #1 7–8 |
West Maegashira #1 6–9 |
West Maegashira #2 4–9–2 |
East Maegashira #6 9–6 |
West Maegashira #1 6–9 |
West Maegashira #3 1–6–8 |
| 1972 | Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
(Juryo) | (Makushita) | (Makushita) | (Makushita) | (Makushita) |
| 1973 | (Juryo) | (Juryo) | (Juryo) | West Maegashira #12 10–5 |
West Maegashira #5 6–9 |
West Maegashira #7 8–7 |
| 1974 | East Maegashira #5 7–8 |
East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
East Maegashira #5 7–8 |
West Maegashira #4 5–10 |
West Maegashira #9 9–6 ★ |
West Maegashira #5 9–6 |
| 1975 | West Komusubi 3–12 |
East Maegashira #8 8–7 |
West Maegashira #5 Retired 0–2 |
x | x | x |
| Record given as wins–losses–absencies Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) |
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See also
References
- ^ Moore, Kenny (May 27, 1974). "Pride In Bondage: Even in the present day, sacred rites of servitude bind sumo wrestlers to Japan's feudal past". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
- ^ Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
- ^ "Ryuko Seiho". sumodb.sumogames.com. Retrieved 2007-07-11.