Ōikari Tsuyoshi (born 16 June 1972 as Tsuyoshi Saito) is a former

sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...

wrestler from

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1995, and reached the top division in November 1998. His highest rank was ''

maegashira , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the on ...

'' 11. He retired in November 2004, and as of 2016 he is an elder in the

Japan Sumo Association The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). ''Rikishi'' (active ...

under the name Kabutoyama.

Career

He was an amateur sumo wrestler at

Doshisha University , mottoeng = Truth shall make you free , tagline = , established = Founded 1875,Chartered 1920 , vision = , type = Private , affiliation = , calendar = , endowment = €1 ...

and upon turning professional in 1995 was given ''

makushita tsukedashi The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...

'' status, allowing him to begin in the third ''

makushita Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. For ...

'' division. He joined

Isenoumi stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze ''ichimon'' or group of stables. Its current head coach is former ''maegashira'' Kitakachidoki. As of January 2022 it had 12 wrestlers. History The name of Isenoumi stable relates to one of ...

, where another Doshisha University graduate,

Tosanoumi Tosanoumi Toshio (born February 16, 1972 as Toshio Yamamoto in Aki City, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan), is a former sumo wrestler. He first reached the top division of professional sumo in 1995, winning 13 special prizes and earning 11 ''kinboshi'' ...

, had joined the previous year. He was given the ''

shikona A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Edo period, where they were used as a means to attract customers and hide the identities of the ''rikishi''. Like standard Japanese names, a ''shikona'' co ...

'' of Ōikari (literally "large anchor"). He was promoted to the ''

jūryō Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. For ...

'' division in May 1997, becoming the first ''

sekitori A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a ''rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: ''makuuchi'' and ''jūryō''. The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fract ...

'' from Kyoto Prefecture since the retirement of

Daimonji , more commonly known as , is a festival in Kyoto, Japan. It is the culmination of the Obon festival on August 16, in which five giant bonfires are lit on mountains surrounding the city. It signifies the moment when the spirits of deceased fam ...

in July 1973, and he was to win two ''jūryō'' division championships or ''

yūshō is the term for a championship in Japanese. This article focuses on championships in the sport of professional sumo. It is awarded in each of the six annual '' honbasho'' or official tournaments, to the wrestler who wins the most bouts. ''Y� ...

'' in 1998 and 2001. He first reached the top ''

makuuchi , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the on ...

'' division in November 1998 but was demoted after only one tournament. He had two further stints the top division, a two tournament run in January and March 2000, and four tournaments from January until July 2002. His highest rank was ''

'' 11 and he had an overall win/loss record in ''makuuchi'' of 45–60. He was demoted back to the ''makushita'' division in September 2004 and announced his retirement after the following tournament in November.

Retirement from sumo

Ōikari's ''

danpatsu-shiki The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...

'' or official retirement ceremony was held in the ground floor of the

Ryōgoku Kokugikan , also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, is the name bestowed to two different indoor sporting arenas located in Tokyo. The fist ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the lands of the Ekōin temple in Ry ...

on May 28, 2005 with 230 invited guests including former '' ōzeki'' Musōyama. He has remained in sumo as a coach at Isenoumi stable under the elder name of Kabutoyama Oyakata. He has worked as a trainer and instructor in the sumo school for new recruits.

Fighting style

Ōikari was a pusher/thruster (''tsuki/oshi'') whose favourite techniques were ''oshi dashi'' (push out), ''tsuki otoshi'' (thrust over) and ''hiki otoshi'' (pull down).

Family

He was married in March 2004. His son Chugo Saito (斎藤忠剛) was born in 2006 and has competed in primary school amateur sumo at the Wanpaku Tournament (Grade 4 in 2016 and Grade 5 in 2017).

Career record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oikari, Tsuyoshi 1972 births Living people Japanese sumo wrestlers Sumo people from Kyoto Prefecture