Musashimaru Kōyō

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In this Japanese name, the surname is Musashimaru.
Musashimaru Kōyō
武蔵丸 光洋
Musashimaru watching a sumo match in 2007
Personal information
BornFiamalu Penitani
(1971-05-02) May 2, 1971 (age 52)
American Samoa
Height1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in)
Weight235 kg (518 lb; 37.0 st)
Career
StableMusashigawa
Record779-294-115
DebutSeptember 1989
Highest rankYokozuna (May 1999)
RetiredNovember 2003
Elder nameMusashigawa
Championships12 (Makuuchi)
1 (Jūryō)
1 (Sandanme)
1 Jonokuchi
Special PrizesOutstanding Performance (1)
Fighting Spirit (1)
Technique (2)
* Up to date as of August 2007.

Musashimaru Kōyō (

yokozuna. Musashimaru won over 700 top division bouts and took twelve top division tournament championships during his career. His sheer 235 kg (518 lb) bulk combined with 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in) of height made him a formidable opponent, and he was remarkably consistent and injury-free for most of his career. An amiable personality, his fan base was helped by a surprising facial resemblance to Japanese warrior hero Saigō Takamori.[1] After becoming a Japanese national in 1996 and retiring in 2003, he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and founded the Musashigawa stable
in 2013.

Early career

Tegata (hand print autograph) of Musashimaru

Fiamalu Penitani was born in

Takanonami
.

Ōzeki

Musashimaru was ranked as an ōzeki for 32 tournaments. He showed great consistency, never missing any bouts through injury and always getting at least eight wins. However, he was unable to gain the successive championships needed to become a yokozuna. Musashimaru took his first top division championship (

Takanohana overtook him to become yokozuna at the end of the year, joining Akebono who had become the first foreign born yokozuna in 1993. Musashimaru seemed content just to maintain his rank, not winning another title until November 1996. Takanohana was absent from this tournament and Musashimaru won it after a five way playoff
with a score of 11–4, the lowest number of wins needed to take a top division title since 1972. His third championship came in January 1998.

Yokozuna

Musashimaru's ring entering ceremony at the May 2002 sumo tournament

In 1999, with Akebono and Takanohana both struggling with injury and loss of form, Musashimaru suddenly came alive with two consecutive tournament wins in March and May 1999 to earn promotion to yokozuna. There was little of the controversy that surrounded previous promotion drives by foreign wrestlers such as

maegashira ranked wrestlers, an all-time record for a single tournament.[5] He had to wait until November 2001 for his ninth title. In 2002, with Takanohana sidelined through injury, Musashimaru was dominant. Although he missed most of the January 2002 tournament after injuring himself against Kyokushūzan
on the third day, he won three tournaments that year, making 2002 his most successful year since 1999. His victory over the returning Takanohana in September 2002 was his twelfth and final championship and was also the last time either man would complete a tournament, making it the end of an era.

Retirement from sumo

In November 2002 Musashimaru tore a

danpatsu-shiki, or retirement ceremony, at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan.[9]

KUSI
with Phil Konstantin in 2005

Musashimaru has remained in the sumo world as an oyakata, or coach. He did not initially acquire a permanent elder (

Asahikuni in August 2012.[11] In December 2012 it was announced that he would inherit the prestigious Musashigawa (武蔵川) name upon his old stablemaster's retirement in February 2013, at which time he opened his own stable of wrestlers, Musashigawa.[12] This is not to be confused with the stable he fought out of as an active wrestler, which has since been renamed Fujishima stable. The stable has 19 wrestlers as of May 2021, and had previously included his nephew, who reached the makushita division and became the highest ranking member of the stable before retiring in 2019.[13]

He appeared alongside

Softbank, a Japanese mobile phone company, in July 2009. They were directed by Spike Jonze.[14]

Personal life

Musashimaru became a Japanese citizen on January 22, 1996.

Nara and underwent a kidney transplant, with his wife as the donor.[17]

Fighting style

In addition to his great size and strength, Musashimaru had a low center of gravity and excellent balance, which made him very difficult to beat. Earlier in his career he favored pushing and thrusting (tsuki/oshi) techniques, but he also began to fight more on the mawashi, simply wearing his smaller opponents out with his huge inertia. He usually used a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip. His most common winning technique or kimarite was oshidashi (push out), closely followed by yorikiri (force out). Together these two techniques accounted for about 60 percent of his career wins.

Career record

Musashimaru Kōyō[18]
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
1989 x x x x (Maezumo) West Jonokuchi #41
7–0
Champion
 
1990 East Jonidan #56
6–1
 		 West Sandanme #94
6–1
 		 East Sandanme #40
7–0–P
Champion
 		 East Makushita #25
5–2
 		 West Makushita #11
2–5
 		 West Makushita #24
6–1
 
1991 East Makushita #9
4–3
 		 West Makushita #4
4–3
 		 East Makushita #1
5–2
 		 East Jūryō #11
11–4
Champion
 		 East Jūryō #3
10–5
 		 East Maegashira #12
11–4
F
1992 East Maegashira #3
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #1
9–6
 		 West Komusubi #2
8–7
 		 East Komusubi #1
11–4
T		 West Sekiwake #1
10–5
 		 East Sekiwake #1
9–6
 
1993 East Sekiwake #2
10–5
 		 East Sekiwake #1
10–5
 		 East Sekiwake #1
9–6
 		 West Sekiwake #1
8–7
 		 East Sekiwake #1
8–7
 		 West Sekiwake #2
13–2–P
O
1994 East Sekiwake #1
12–3
T		 West Ōzeki #2
9–6
 		 East Ōzeki #2
12–3
 		 West Ōzeki #1
15–0
 		 East Ōzeki #1
11–4
 		 West Ōzeki #2
12–3
 
1995 West Ōzeki #1
13–2–P
 		 East Ōzeki #1
12–3
 		 East Ōzeki #1
12–3
 		 East Ōzeki #1
12–3
 		 East Ōzeki #1
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki #1
10–5
 
1996 West Ōzeki #1
9–6
 		 West Ōzeki #1
9–6
 		 East Ōzeki #2
9–6
 		 East Ōzeki #2
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki #2
11–4
 		 West Ōzeki
11–4–PPP
 
1997 West Ōzeki #1
12–3
 		 West Ōzeki #1
12–3–P
 		 East Ōzeki #1
9–6
 		 West Ōzeki #1
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki #1
13–2–P
 		 East Ōzeki #1
12–3
 
1998 West Ōzeki #1
12–3
 		 East Ōzeki #1
8–7
 		 West Ōzeki #1
10–5
 		 West Ōzeki #1
12–3
 		 East Ōzeki #1
11–4
 		 East Ōzeki #1
11–4
 
1999 East Ōzeki #1
8–7
 		 East Ōzeki #1
13–2
 		 East Ōzeki #1
13–2
 		 West Yokozuna #1
12–3
 		 West Yokozuna #1
12–3
 		 East Yokozuna #1
12–3
 
2000 East Yokozuna #1
2–2–11
 		 East Yokozuna #2
11–4
 		 East Yokozuna #2
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 East Yokozuna #2
10–5
 		 West Yokozuna #1
14–1
 		 East Yokozuna #1
11–4
 
2001 West Yokozuna #1
14–1–P
 		 West Yokozuna #1
12–3
 		 West Yokozuna #1
13–2–P
 		 West Yokozuna #1
12–3
 		 East Yokozuna #1
9–6
 		 East Yokozuna #1
13–2
 
2002 East Yokozuna #1
1–3–11
 		 East Yokozuna #1
13–2
 		 East Yokozuna #1
13–2
 		 East Yokozuna #1
10–5
 		 East Yokozuna #1
13–2
 		 East Yokozuna #1
4–2–9
 
2003 East Yokozuna #1
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 East Yokozuna #1
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 West Yokozuna #1
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 West Yokozuna
2–4–9
 		 West Yokozuna #1
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 West Yokozuna #1
Retired
3–5
Record given as wins–losses–absencies    Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation

Playoff
(s)
Divisions:
Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: 
Maegashira

See also

References

  1. Japan Times
    Online    . Retrieved 2007-06-30.
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-8348-0283-X
    .
  3. ^ "SUMO'S HAWAIIAN GIANT:Second Foreign Wrestler Reaches Highest Rank". Trends In Japan. 1999-08-06. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  4. ^ "Musashimaru stays on top". BBC News Online. 2000-09-18. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  5. ^ Hatano, Ryo (November 2001). "My Thoughts on the Aki Basho". Sumo World: 13.
  6. ^ "Musashimaru retires". The Japan Times. 2003-11-16. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  7. ^ "Musashimaru explains his reasons for bowing out". The Japan Times. 2003-11-17. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  8. ^ Kuehnert, Marty (2003-11-19). "The end of the Hawaiian era marks a huge blow to sumo". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
  9. ^ "Ceremony held for Musashimaru". The Japan Times. 2004-10-03. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  10. ^ Hueston, Dave (2010-07-24). "Musashimaru blasts gamblers". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  11. ^ "Oyakata (coaches) – goo sumo". Japan Sumo Association. 2012-08-28. Archived from the original on 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  12. ^ "Former yokozuna Musashimaru to open stable next year". Japan Times. 22 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  13. ^ Lewis, Ferd (6 May 2018). "Sumo legend Akebono in the middle of his biggest battle yet". Honolulu Star Advertiser. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  14. ^ "Spike Jonze-Directed Softbank Commercial Starring Brad Pitt". Slashfilm. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  15. Konishiki.net
    (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  16. ^ "武蔵川親方に待望の第１子・男の子誕生". Daily Sports (in Japanese). 30 June 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  17. ^ Lewis, Ferd (18 April 2017). "Former Hawaii sumotori Musashimaru and Akebono hospitalized in Japan". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  18. ^ "Musashimaru Koyo Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-07-25.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Musashimaru Kōyō.


Preceded by 67th Yokozuna
1999–2003 		Succeeded by
Yokozuna
 is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can hold the title at once
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