Takamisakari Seiken

Sumo wrestler infobox
wrestlername = 高見盛 精彦 Takamisakari Seiken


birthname = Seiken Katō
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1976|05|12
placeofbirth = Aomori, Japan
height = height|meters=1.88
weight = convert|140|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya = Azumazeki
rank = Maegashira 11
record = 393-359-46
debut = March 1999
highestrank = Komusubi (September 2002)
yushos = 1 (Jūryō)
prizes = Outstanding Performance (1)
Fighting Spirit (2)
Technique (2)
goldstars = 2 (Asashōryū, Musashimaru)
update = Sept 2008

Takamisakari Seiken (born May 12, 1976 as Seiken Katō in Aomori Prefecture, Japan), is a sumo wrestler. The highest rank he has reached is "komusubi". He is one of the most popular wrestlers in sumo today.

Career

Born in Itayanagi, Kitatsugaru District, Katō was an amateur sumo champion at Nihon University, winning the College Yokozuna title in his final year. He began his professional sumo career as a "makushita tsukedashi" (a promising amateur allowed to start at a level significantly higher than entry level) in March 1999, wrestling under his own name. He reached "jūryō", the second-highest division, in January 2000, at which point he changed his fighting name to Takamisakari.

Three tournaments later, in July of the same year, he was promoted to the top "makuuchi" division, becoming only the second wrestler from his Azumazeki stable to achieve this feat. In September he acted as "tsuyuharai" ("dew-sweeper", an honorary attendant) in stablemate "Yokozuna" Akebono's ring-entering ceremony, but he was injured on the third day of that tournament. Enforced absence from the next two tournaments saw him demoted all the way back to the unsalaried "makushita" division, where he had begun his career. It took him until March 2002 to work his way back up to the "makuuchi" division, and in September he reached "komusubi", his highest rank to date. He only held this rank for one tournament, however, dropping back to "maegashira" in November. He has earned five special prizes, and has two gold stars for defeating "yokozuna", both earned in the July 2003 tourament where he was also awarded the Outstanding Performance prize. Although he again reached "komusubi" in November 2003, he again failed to retain the rank and has been a middle-level "maegashira" since then.

Takamisakari again appeared in a "yokozuna"'s ring-entered ceremony in September 2005, when he replaced Asasekiryū, who was injured, as sword-bearer. On the first day he accidentally scraped the sword against the ceiling.

He came close to demotion from the top division after missing five bouts through injury in November 2007. However in the next tournament he achieved a majority of wins against losses from the "Maegashira" 14 ranking.

Takamisakari is a hugely popular wrestler. He builds himself up for each bout with a somewhat eccentric series of muscle flexes and slaps, and throws a copious amount of salt onto the "dohyō". In a culture where impassivity is sometimes seen as a sign of strength, he makes no attempt to hide his emotions, obviously elated after each win and inconsolably dejected after each loss (though even then often he will receive generous applause from the audience). Even though he usually performs in the middle to lower ranks, the winner of his matches are always greatly rewarded with "kensho" (prize money) provided by his sponsor, a food company.

He has a straightforward fighting style, rarely resorting to sidestepping at the initial charge. He favours "yotsu" techniques, preferring a right-hand grip on his opponent's "mawashi", and 26 of his 41 wins between July 2007 and May 2008 were by "yori-kiri", or a simple force out. [cite web|author=|title=Top Ten Techniques Used By Takamisakari During The Last Six Tournaments|publisher=Japan Sumo Association|url=http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi.php?A=120|date=|accessdate=2008-06-05]

In January 2008 he acquired the rights to the Furiwake "toshiyori-kabu", or elder name, indicating that he intends to stay with the Japan Sumo Association upon retirement.

In popular culture

*He is known in Japan as "Robocop". [cite web|author=Friedman, Gary|title=Sumo stars live large in L.A.|publisher=Los Angeles Times|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/asia/la-me-sumo8-2008jun08,0,3457504.story|date=2008-06-08|accessdate=2008-06-09] The nickname was given to him by former Yokozuna Akebono, who was his senpai, in reference to his robot-like movements at the "dohyō".

*He is a fan of the anime series Gundam Seed.

*He is also nearsighted, which explains why he squints a lot on the "dohyō". He wears glasses when outside of the ring.

Top division record

References

ee also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of active sumo wrestlers

External links

*Japanese Sumo Association Biography [http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi_120.html (English)] [http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi_120.html (Japanese)]
* [http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~sumo/profile/1/20000701.htm complete biography and basho results (Japanese)]