Kokkai Futoshi
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Kokkai Futoshi (born March 10, 1981 as Levan Tsaguria, ka, ლევან ცაგურია) is a former professional
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
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
. He began his career in May 2001. He is the first
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''
rikishi A , or, more colloquially, , is a professional sumo wrestler. follow and live by the centuries-old rules of the sumo profession, with most coming from Japan, the only country where sumo is practiced professionally. Participation in official t ...
'' to reach sumo's highest division, ''
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 ...
,'' which he achieved in 2004. His highest rank was ''
komusubi , 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 ...
,'' which he reached in 2006. He earned two special prizes for Fighting Spirit and two gold stars for defeating ''
yokozuna , 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 ...
''. He wrestled for
Oitekaze stable The is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It was established in its modern incarnation on 1 October 1998 by former ''maegashira'' Daishōyama, who is the stable's current head coach. He had marrie ...
.


Early life and sumo background

Kokkai was born as Levan Tsaguria in
Sukhumi Sukhumi (russian: Суху́м(и), ) or Sokhumi ( ka, სოხუმი, ), also known by its Abkhaz name Aqwa ( ab, Аҟәа, ''Aqwa''), is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of ...
, Abkhaz Autonomous Republic in then-
Soviet Georgia The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR; ka, საქართველოს საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა, tr; russian: Грузинская Советская Соц ...
. The secessionist war in Abkhazia forced his family to move to
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...
, capital of Georgia, in 1992. He started amateur wrestling from the age of six, being taught by his father who represented the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in the sport. Levan enrolled in the National Academy of Sports of Georgia and quickly got interested in sumo, taking part in the World Amateur Sumo Championships in
Riesa Riesa is a town in the district of Meißen in Saxony, Germany. It is located on the river Elbe, approximately northwest of Dresden. History The name ''Riesa'' is derived from Slavic ''Riezowe''. This name, romanised as "Rezoa", appears first i ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. In January 2001, he arrived in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, and joined a local sumo school. He made his professional debut in May 2001, joining
Oitekaze stable The is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It was established in its modern incarnation on 1 October 1998 by former ''maegashira'' Daishōyama, who is the stable's current head coach. He had marrie ...
. His stablemaster, former ''
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 ...
'' Daishoyama, gave him 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 ...
'', or ring name, of Kokkai, named after the word for
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in
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
. He quickly rose through the lower divisions, winning the ''
jonidan 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. Fo ...
'' and ''
sandanme 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 ...
'' championships with perfect 7–0 records. Another tournament title in the ''
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 in January 2003 followed by a 5–2 score at ''Makushita'' 1 saw him reach elite ''
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 ...
'' status in May 2003. After winning 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 championship with a 14–1 record in November 2003 he was promoted to 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 January 2004, just 16 tournaments after his debut.


Top division career

Kokkai steadily climbed the ''maegashira'' ranks, reaching the #1 position in November 2004 before slipping back slightly. One of his best performances came in July 2005 when he defeated ''
yokozuna , 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 ...
'' Asashōryū for the first time, scored nine wins and was awarded the Fighting Spirit prize. He made his ''
san'yaku The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...
'' debut in September 2006 at ''komusubi'' rank and held it with a solid 8–7 record, but he fell back to the ''maegashira'' ranks after a back injury restricted him to a poor 3–12 mark in November. In March 2007 he turned in an impressive 10–5 score but he struggled again in May 2007, only managing three wins at the rank of ''maegashira'' 2. After another losing score in July of that year he fell to ''maegashira'' 12 in September, his lowest-ever top-division rank. He managed nine wins in November 2007, his first ''
kachi-koshi The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...
'', or winning score, since March. After a solid 9–6 performance in January 2008, in the following tournament he produced his best-ever top-division result, a 12–3 score from the rank of ''maegashira'' 5, which earned him joint runner-up honours behind Asashōryū and his second Fighting Spirit prize. However, in the May 2008 tournament he could only manage three wins from the ''maegashira'' 1 ranking. Demoted to ''maegashira'' 10 for July, he struggled again, winning only five bouts. He was disqualified from his final match against
Kimurayama Kimurayama Mamoru (born 13 July 1981 as Mamoru Kimura) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 7. He is now a coach at Kasugano stable. He was the only wrestler in the elite ran ...
after his was judged to have pulled his opponent's topknot, which is a ''
kinjite are various fouls that a sumo wrestler might commit that will cause him to lose the bout. They are: * Striking the opponent with a closed fist. * Grabbing the opponent's hair. * Jabbing at the opponent's eyes or solar plexus. * Simultaneously st ...
'', or foul. Kokkai maintained it was accidental as the tape on his fingers had stuck to Kimurayama's hair. He continued to move up and down the ''maegashira'' rankings in 2009, alternating between 8–7 and 5–10 records. Having not missed a bout since his debut, in July 2010 he fought his 600th consecutive top-division match. Troubled by an elbow injury, he lost his top division status after the January 2011 tournament when he could only score 3–12 at ''maegashira'' 15, ending a run of 43 consecutive tournaments ranked in ''makuuchi''. Back in ''jūryō'' for the May Technical Examination Tournament, he struggled to a 5–10 score. He returned to the top division in September 2011, but his stay was short-lived after a disastrous 1–14 performance in November. He was forced to pull out of the May 2012 tournament with an injury sustained in a defeat to Takanoyama on Day 10, breaking a run of 882 consecutive appearances since his professional debut in 2001, the most amongst active wrestlers. He was, however, able to return to the tournament and secured his majority of wins on the final day. Kokkai was joined in the top division by several wrestlers from Eastern Europe, including Kotoōshū from
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
,
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from
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, and
Baruto Kaido Höövelson, (known professionally as Baruto Kaito ; born 5 November 1984) is an Estonian politician and former professional sumo wrestler. Making his debut in May 2004, he reached the top division after just two years in sumo in May 2006 ...
from
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
. In May 2008 a fellow Georgian,
Tochinoshin ; ) is a Georgian professional sumo wrestler from Mtskheta. He is a member of the Kasugano stable and made his professional debut in March 2006. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division just two years later in May 2008. After a long hiatus due t ...
, was also promoted to '' makuuchi'', and Kokkai defeated him in their first match that July. Kokkai is also good friends with former top-division wrestler Kakizoe. He has knowledge of four languages:
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,
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
,
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and
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
. He is a devout
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
and prays every day. He would sometimes choose not to shave during a tournament for superstitious reasons and would therefore build up stubble, unusual for sumo wrestlers who are normally clean-shaven. He once also appeared with prominent
sideburns Sideburns, sideboards, or side whiskers are facial hair grown on the sides of the face, extending from the hairline to run parallel to or beyond the ears. The term ''sideburns'' is a 19th-century corruption of the original ''burnsides'', named ...
for a few days, before he was told by his stablemaster to shave them off. In 2010 he was awarded the Honor Medal by Georgian President
Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil Saakashvili ( ka, მიხეილ სააკაშვილი ; uk, Міхеіл Саакашвілі ; born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist.
in recognition of raising the profile of his country abroad.


Retirement from sumo

During the September 2012 tournament, Kokkai's stablemaster announced his retirement due to multiple injuries to his body over his sumo career, which had prevented him from training for the last few months. He went back to his native Georgia to work in the private sector. In April 2018 he was voted by unanimous decision to be the president of the Georgian Sumo Federation for a term of four years.


Fighting style

Due to a neck injury, Kokkai was forced to change his sumo style. He began to fight more on the ''
mawashi In sumo, a is the loincloth that (sumo wrestlers) wear during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a as part of the ring entry ceremony or . For top ranked professional , it is made of silk and comes in a var ...
'', gripping his opponent's belt, switching from the pushing and thrusting
techniques Technique or techniques may refer to: Music * The Techniques, a Jamaican rocksteady vocal group of the 1960s *Technique (band), a British female synth pop band in the 1990s * ''Technique'' (album), by New Order, 1989 * ''Techniques'' (album), by M ...
he used earlier in his career. His profile at 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 ...
still lists ''tsuki/oshi'' as his favoured techniques, and his most common winning
kimarite ''Kimarite'' ( ja, 決まり手) is the technique used in sumo by a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) to win a match. It is officially decided or announced by the ''gyōji'' (referee) at the end of the match, though judges can modify this decision. The rec ...
was ''oshi-dashi'', or push-out, followed by ''yori-kiri'', or force-out. He was also fond of using the slap-down (''hataki-komi'') and the pull-down (''hiki-otoshi'').


Family

Kokkai's younger brother George also became a professional sumo wrestler in September 2005 under the name Tsukasaumi, but quit after just a year following the death of their mother, returning to Georgia to take over the family business. Kokkai was married to a 22-year-old from his native Georgia in August 2011.


Career record


See also

*
List of sumo tournament top division runners-up The table below lists the runners up ('' jun-yusho'') in the top ''makuuchi'' division at official sumo tournaments or ''honbasho'' since the six tournaments per year system was instituted in 1958. The runner up is determined by the wrestler(s) w ...
*
List of sumo tournament second division champions This is a list of wrestlers who have won the sumo second division ''jūryō'' championship since 1909, when the current championship system was established. These official tournaments are held exclusively in Japan. The wrestler who has won the mo ...
*
Glossary of sumo terms The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...
*
List of non-Japanese sumo wrestlers This is a list of foreign-born professional sumo wrestlers by country and/or ethnicity of origin, along with original name, years active in sumo wrestling, and highest rank attained. Names in bold indicate a still-active wrestler. There are 186 w ...
*
List of past sumo wrestlers This is a list of prominent past wrestlers (either retired or deceased) in the sport of professional sumo. They are listed in order of the year and tournament month that they made their professional debuts. The information listed below was gleaned ...
*
List of komusubi This is a list of all sumo wrestlers whose pinnacle in the sport has been the fourth highest rank of ''komusubi'' and who held the rank in the modern era of sumo since the 1927 merger of the Tokyo and Osaka organizations. There are usually two ac ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kokkai, Futoshi 1981 births Living people Sportspeople from Sukhumi Mingrelians Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in Japan Sumo wrestlers from Georgia (country) Komusubi