Chiyonofuji
From OTMWiki
Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (千代の富士貢, June 1, 1955-) is a former champion sumo wrestler, the 58th Yokozuna of the sport. He was born in Hokkaido, Japan.
Chiyonofuji was one of the greatest yokozuna of recent times, winning 31 tournament championships, second only to Taiho. He was particularly remarkable for his longevity in sumo's top rank. He won more tournaments in his thirties than any other wrestler and retired in his late thirties, in contrast to most recent yokozuna who have tended to retire around 30. He is the only professional sumo wrestler to have scored more than 1000 wins over his professional career, with over 800 of them coming in Makuuchi, sumo's top division.
In a sport where weight is often regarded as vital, Chiyonofuji was quite light at around 125 kg. He relied on a superior technique and muscle to defeat opponents. His nickname was "The Wolf" due to the piercing stare he gave his opponents in the pre-bout rituals. This nickname also seems to capture his character in his day to day life- many have spoken of him as a man most comfortable in times of solitude.
His name (千代の富士貢), was given to him by his stable master and is an ode to his determination. As a young wrestler, Chiyonofuji was plagued by shoulder injuries. He was remarkable in his willingness to go the extra mile and train relentlessly beyond the level of his peers. Literally translated, 千代富士 means in English '10,000 generations of Fuji'. '10,000 generations' is an idiom for 'forever', and Fuji (Mount Fuji) is a national symbol sometimes associated with heriosm. Hence, his master asked him to take the moniker as a challenge and a request- Chionofuji may be translated as 'Please, always be our hero'.
After his retirement, he assumed the position of head (oyakata) of the Kokonoe-beya, which is a heya ("stable") of wrestlers. His name is now Kokonoe-oyakata. Under his direction, the Kokonoe-beya has produced some fine wrestlers, including Chiyotaikai and Chiyotenzan, both (as of March 2005) in the top division of sumo.
External links
de:Chiyonofuji Mitsugu eo:Chiyonofuji Mitsugu fr:Mitsugu Chiyonofuji it:Chiyonofuji ja:千代の富士貢
