Aobajo Yukio
Encyclopedia
Aobajō Yukio is a former sumo
wrestler from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
, Japan
. He did not miss a single bout in his 22 year professional career, and holds the record for the most consecutive matches fought, at 1630. He is now a sumo coach.
. He reached the top makuuchi
division for the first time in January 1975. In only his fourth top division tournament he was a tournament runner-up, won a sansho
(for Fighting Spirit) and earned a kinboshi
for defeating a yokozuna. He was never to achieve any of those things again, but he fought in the top division for 62 tournaments in total. He made his sanyaku debut in September 1975 at komusubi and in October of that year he followed the former ozeki Daikirin to the newly established Oshiogawa stable. He dropped into the juryo division in 1981, but fought his way back, and an 8-7 score at maegashira 1 in May 1983 took him to his highest rank of sekiwake, which he held for just one tournament. This was his second and final appearance in the sanyaku ranks, 47 tournaments after his first - the longest such gap since the six tournaments per year schedule began in 1958. In 1985 he surpassed Fujizakura's record of 1543 consecutive career appearances, and when he retired in July 1986, having not missed any matches since his debut, he had set a new record of 1630 consecutive bouts. He was nearly 38 years old, having been an active wrestler for over 22 years.
of the Japan Sumo Association
(at Deputy Director level) under the name Shiranui Oyakata. He also works as a coach at Oguruma stable
.
. His most common winning kimarite
was yori-kiri (force out). He also regularly used tsuri-dashi (the lift out) and sukuinage (the scoop throw).
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestler from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He did not miss a single bout in his 22 year professional career, and holds the record for the most consecutive matches fought, at 1630. He is now a sumo coach.
Career
He made his debut in March 1964, joining Nishonoseki stableNishonoseki Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Nishonoseki group of stables named after it. It first appeared in the late eighteenth century and was re-established in its current form in 1935 by the 32nd Yokozuna Tamanishiki while still active...
. He reached the top makuuchi
Makuuchi
or is the top division of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers , ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments....
division for the first time in January 1975. In only his fourth top division tournament he was a tournament runner-up, won a sansho
Sansho (Sumo)
Sanshō are the three special prizes awarded to top division sumo wrestlers for exceptional performance during a sumo honbasho or tournament. The prizes were first awarded in November 1947.-Criteria:...
(for Fighting Spirit) and earned a kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
for defeating a yokozuna. He was never to achieve any of those things again, but he fought in the top division for 62 tournaments in total. He made his sanyaku debut in September 1975 at komusubi and in October of that year he followed the former ozeki Daikirin to the newly established Oshiogawa stable. He dropped into the juryo division in 1981, but fought his way back, and an 8-7 score at maegashira 1 in May 1983 took him to his highest rank of sekiwake, which he held for just one tournament. This was his second and final appearance in the sanyaku ranks, 47 tournaments after his first - the longest such gap since the six tournaments per year schedule began in 1958. In 1985 he surpassed Fujizakura's record of 1543 consecutive career appearances, and when he retired in July 1986, having not missed any matches since his debut, he had set a new record of 1630 consecutive bouts. He was nearly 38 years old, having been an active wrestler for over 22 years.
Retirement from sumo
He is now an elderToshiyori
A toshiyori is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association. Also known as oyakata, former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible...
of the Japan Sumo Association
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Rikishi , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
(at Deputy Director level) under the name Shiranui Oyakata. He also works as a coach at Oguruma stable
Oguruma Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. In its modern form it dates from 1987 when it was founded by Kotokaze, a former Sadogatake stable wrestler. He gives all his new recruits shikona with the suffix "kaze" , taken from his own fighting name. The first wrestler...
.
Fighting style
Aobajo was a yotsu-sumo wrestler, preferring a hidari-yotsu, or right hand outside, left hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashiMawashi
In sumo, a mawashi is the belt that the rikishi wears during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a keshō-mawashi as part of the ring entry ceremony or dohyo-iri.-Mawashi:...
. His most common winning kimarite
Kimarite
Kimarite are winning techniques in a sumo bout. For each bout in a Grand Sumo tournament , a sumo referee, or gyoji, will decide and announce the type of kimarite used by the winner...
was yori-kiri (force out). He also regularly used tsuri-dashi (the lift out) and sukuinage (the scoop throw).
Top division record
See also
- List of sumo tournament second division winners
- List of past sumo wrestlers
- List of sumo record holders