Musashimaru Kōyō
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is an American-born Japanese-naturalized 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 th ...
wrestler. He was born in
American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...
, before moving to
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
at the age of 10. At 18 he moved to
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
and made his professional sumo debut in 1989, reaching the top ''
makuuchi , or , is the top division of Professional sumo divisions, 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 ...
'' division in 1991. After reaching the rank of '' ōzeki'' in 1994 his progress seemed to stall, but in 1999 he became only the second foreign-born wrestler in history to reach the sport's highest rank of ''
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 o ...
''. Musashimaru won over 700 top division bouts and took twelve top division tournament championships during his career. His sheer bulk combined with 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 Saigō Takamori (; 23 January 1828 – 24 September 1877) was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate ...
. After becoming a Japanese national in 1996 and retiring in 2003, he became an elder of the
Japan Sumo Association The , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...
and founded the
Musashigawa stable Musashigawa is an elder name in sumo, and may refer to: *Musashigawa stable ** Musashigawa stable, a stable established in 2013 ** Fujishima stable (2010), known as Musashigawa stable from 1981 until 2010 *Musashigawa oyakata **Musashimaru Kōyō, ...
in 2013.


Early career

Fiamalu Penitani was born in
American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...
, the fourth son of a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
Tongan father and a Portuguese Samoan mother. The family moved to
Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
when he was ten years old. While attending
Waianae High School Waianae High School is a public, coeducational secondary school in the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, on the leeward (western) coast of the island of Oahu, Oahu. The school about northwest of central Honolulu CDP. Waianae Hi ...
in
Waianae Waianae () is a census-designated place (CDP) in the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 13,614. Its name means "waters of the mullet". Its etymology is shared with the far norther ...
he played
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
and was offered a scholarship to
Pasadena City College Pasadena City College (PCC) is a Public college, public community college in Pasadena, California. It was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. History Pasadena City College was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. It originally o ...
, but he also had success in
Greco-Roman wrestling Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), or classic wrestling (Euro-English) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been i ...
, and his wrestling coach encouraged him to give sumo a try. He moved to Japan and joined former ''yokozuna''
Mienoumi is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Matsusaka, Mie. He was the 57th ''yokozuna'' of the sport. After retiring he founded the Musashigawa stable and was a chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. He was the first rikishi in hist ...
's
Musashigawa stable Musashigawa is an elder name in sumo, and may refer to: *Musashigawa stable ** Musashigawa stable, a stable established in 2013 ** Fujishima stable (2010), known as Musashigawa stable from 1981 until 2010 *Musashigawa oyakata **Musashimaru Kōyō, ...
in June 1989, initially on a trial basis only. This proved to be successful and he formally made his professional debut that September, adopting the ''
shikona A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Muromachi period and established itself during the Edo period, where they were used as a means to hide the identities of the . Given by the master to his di ...
'' or ring name of Musashimaru Kōyō. He moved up the ranks quickly, becoming an 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 fr ...
'' wrestler in July 1991 upon promotion 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. Fo ...
'' division. He reached the top ''
makuuchi , or , is the top division of Professional sumo divisions, 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 ...
'' division just two tournaments later in November 1991. He made ''
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 o ...
'' in May 1992 and ''
sekiwake , 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 o ...
'' in July. After a superb 13–2 record and runner-up honors in November 1993, and a 12–3 score the following January, he was promoted to '' ōzeki'' alongside
Takanonami Takanonami Sadahiro (born Sadahiro Namioka October 27, 1971 – June 20, 2015) was a Japanese sumo wrestler and coach from Aomori. He held sumo's second highest rank of '' ōzeki'' from 1994 until 2000. He won two tournament championships, and wa ...
.


''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 (''
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. ''Yūs ...
'') in July 1994 with a perfect 15–0 record, but in the following tournament he could manage only 11 wins and 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 The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
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''

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
Konishiki Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e (born December 31, 1963), better known by his stage name, , is an American-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler. Franz LidzMeat Bomb, 05.18.92 - ''Sports Illustrated'' He was the first non-Japanese-born wrest ...
, and Musashimaru's record of never having missed a bout in his career was praised by the
Yokozuna Deliberation Council The , sometimes called Promotion Council, and usually abbreviated in Japanese as , is an advisory board, advisory body to the Japan Sumo Association. The council considers candidates for promotion to sumo's top rank of , before passing its reco ...
. After a respectable 12–3 performance in his ''yokozuna'' debut, he won two further titles that year. However, in January 2000 he had to pull out of the tournament with an injury on the fourth day, bringing to an end his record run of 55 consecutive tournaments with a majority of wins, dating from his 6–1 score 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. Fo ...
'' division in November 1990. This ''
kachi-koshi The following words are terms used in 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 oth ...
'' run ended just one tournament short of Kitanoumi's top division record. Akebono returned to form in 2000, and Musashimaru was also sidelined with injury in May. He won just one title that year, in September, although it was one of his most impressive results as he won his first 14 matches, just failing on the last day to become the first wrestler in four years to win with a perfect record. In 2001, although he did not have the injury problems of the previous year, he lost two playoffs to Takanohana in January and May, and had a mere 9–6 record in September, giving away five ''
kinboshi is a notation used in 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 oth ...
'' to ''
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 ...
'' ranked wrestlers, an all-time record for a single tournament. 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
tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue, dense fibrous connective tissue that connects skeletal muscle, muscle to bone. It sends the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system, while withstanding tensi ...
in his left wrist, an injury which proved to be career-ending. Forced to withdraw from that tournament, the chronic problem restricted him to just a handful of appearances in the whole of 2003. Overshadowed by new ''yokozuna'' Asashōryū, he entered the July tournament but pulled out after just six days. He did not compete again until November, when after suffering his fourth defeat on the seventh day, he announced his retirement. In an interview on November 16, 2003, he revealed that he had also injured his neck while playing
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
in high school and had been unable to move his left shoulder properly. Musashimaru was the last Hawaiian wrestler in sumo, ending a dynasty that began with Takamiyama in 1964 and at one point in 1996 saw four from the islands ranked in the top division. During his career he had won a total of twelve top division championships, one more than Akebono, and also won over 700 top division bouts, one of only six wrestlers to have achieved that feat to date. He officially retired on October 2, 2004, when he had his ''
danpatsu-shiki A , or, more colloquially, , is a sumo wrestler. Although used to define all wrestlers participating in sumo wrestling matches, the term is more commonly used to refer to professional wrestlers, employed by the Japan Sumo Association, who part ...
'', or retirement ceremony, at 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 first ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the premises of the Ekōin temple i ...
. Musashimaru has remained in the sumo world as an ''oyakata'', or coach. He did not initially acquire a permanent elder (''
toshiyori A , also known as an , is a sumo Elder (administrative title), elder exercising both Coach (sport), coaching functions with rikishi, active wrestlers and Management, responsibilities within the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). All are former wrest ...
'') name, going instead under the name of Musashimaru Oyakata, which as a former ''yokozuna'' he was entitled to do for a period of five years after retirement. In October 2008 he began using the name , and he then switched to the elder name of former ''ozeki''
Asahikuni , born , was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest rank was '' ōzeki''. After his retirement he set up Ōshima stable which he ran from 1980 until he left the Japan Sumo Association in 2012 upon reaching the age of 65. Car ...
in August 2012. In December 2012 it was announced that he would inherit the prestigious name upon his old stablemaster's retirement in February 2013, at which time he opened his own stable of wrestlers, Musashigawa. 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. He appeared alongside
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. In a Brad Pitt filmography, film career spanning more than thirty years, Pitt has received list of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt, numerous a ...
(who was playing his
personal assistant A personal assistant, also referred to as personal aide (PA) or personal secretary (PS), is a job title describing a person who assists a specific person with their daily business or personal task. It is a subspecialty of secretarial duties ...
) in two commercials for
Softbank is a Japanese multinational Investment company, investment holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, that focuses on investment management. The group primarily invests in companies operating in technology that offer goods and services ...
, a Japanese mobile phone company, in July 2009. They were directed by
Spike Jonze Adam Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze (), is an American Filmmaking, filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes films, commercials, music videos, skateboard videos and television. Jonze ...
.


Personal life

Musashimaru became a Japanese citizen on January 22, 1996. He took his ''shikona'' as his legal name. In April 2008, he married a
hula dance Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form expressing chant (''oli'') or song ( ''mele''). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance ...
instructor from Tokyo and the wedding ceremony took place that August in Hawaii. The couple have one son, Joey, born on June 28, 2014. Two of his nephews became wrestlers in his stable. The first, Fiamalu Musashimaru Penitani, turned professional in 2013 under the ''shikona'' (ring name) of Musashikuni before retiring in 2019. In October 2024, it was announced that Musashikuni's younger brother, Daniel Ailua, would also take the physical test at age 18 to become a professional wrestler, with his debut scheduled for January 2025. In April 2017, Musashimaru fell ill while golfing in
Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
and underwent a kidney transplant, with his wife as the donor.


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 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 . ''Mawashi'' ''Sekitori'' During competition For top ranked profess ...
'', 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 is the technique used in sumo by a (wrestler) to win a match. It is officially decided or announced by the (referee) at the end of the match, though judge (sumo), judges can modify this decision. The records of are then kept for statistical ...
'' 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


See also

*
List of yokozuna is the highest rank of sumo wrestling. It was not recorded on the until 1890 and was not officially recognised as sumo's highest rank until 1909. Until then, was merely a licence given to certain to perform the ceremony. It was not always the ...
*
List of sumo tournament top division champions This is a list of wrestlers who have won the top division (''makuuchi'') championship in professional sumo since 1909, when the current championship system was established. These official tournaments are held exclusively in Japan. 1958 to prese ...
*
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 ...
*
List of sumo record holders This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo. Only performances in official tournaments or '' honbasho'' are included here. Since 1958, six ''honbasho'' have been held every year, giving wrestlers from the modern era more oppor ...
*
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 heaviest sumo wrestlers The following is a list of the heaviest professional sumo wrestlers. Only wrestlers weighing or over are included. Wrestlers shown in bold are still active as of January 2023. {, class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders" !scope="col", Rank ...
*
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 sumo elders This is a list of toshiyori, elders of the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). More accurately called "elder stock" or ''toshiyori kabu,'' these names are a finite number of licenses that can be passed on, and are strictly controlled by the JSA. They all ...


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Musashimaru, Koyo 1971 births Living people American emigrants to Japan American people of German descent American people of Portuguese descent Sportspeople of Portuguese descent American sportspeople of Samoan descent American people of Tongan descent American sumo wrestlers Japanese people of German descent Japanese people of Portuguese descent Japanese people of Samoan descent Japanese people of Tongan descent Japanese sumo wrestlers Naturalized citizens of Japan Wrestlers from Hawaii Yokozuna Samoan people of German descent American people of German-Samoan descent