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Oniyama
7th August 2003, 04:46
I went to California to "get the lay of the land" and, boy, did I. It was quite an eye opener. A humbling experience, but one I needed.

Here is how the the weekend went:

On Saturday we had the clinic with Akebono. At the end of the of the clinic there were practice bouts. I lost a few but I also won two or three. I thought I was doing ok. In hindsight, I suspect that most people I went up against were taking it easy and saving themselves for Sunday.

Then Sunday came around...

Here is a breakdown of who I fought:

For the Heavy Weight Competition -
Kelly Gneiting - Age 33, 6' 0" 420 lbs. 2001 US Open Silver, 2001 North America Silver
Mosi Humpfrey - Age 28, 6' 1" 2003 Tourney 1 Bronze 2003 Touney #2 Silver
Randi Stirm - Age 46 5'9 240 lbs. (Don't quote me on Randi's height and weight. I could be wrong) Randi has been doing sumo training in Japan for several years.

For the Open Weight Competition -
Kena Hefferman - 6' 0'' 250 lbs. North American Gold, Sumo - 8 years

Sadly, I did not win one of these matches. I have to acknowledge that Trent Sabo was there and giving me good advice. However, everytime I hit the dohyo, some how I didn't put that advice into action. After the match I was really troubled. I hadn't expected to win the Gold at my first national competition, but I thought that I might have at least won one or two bouts. Such was not to be. I had been training for months yet I found I was completely unprepared for the level of competition I faced on Sunday. I pondered the issue at length and came to the following conclusions:

1) Previous martial arts training got in the way -
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, Judo and Aikido all have a common theme of waiting for the attack, observing that attack and THEN move to respond. Great for other martial arts. Bad for Sumo. You can't wait and see in Sumo, at least not initially. Everything happens so fast in the Tachiai (Initial Clash) that you really don't have time for observation. You have a small amount of time just before the tachiai to get a feel for your opponent but no time (or really the distance) to see you opponent in action.

2) Coming off the line too slow and too soft -
This could be an effect of the "wait and see" I was doing. Even so, in
retrospect I can see that I do need to train to come off the line faster and harder.

3) Not staying low enough -
This is something that was common to the other martial arts, especially Budo Taijutsu. There were a couple of time I let my center come up and was then easily pushed out.

4) Trying to step to the side instead of going straight in -
I suspect that if I had gone straight in instead of stepping to the side I would have fared better. In hindsight, side stepping, throwing and the like are much more advanced tehniques than I had realized.

5) Not enough "time in the saddle" -
In conversations with Bart Harris, he mentions that despite the number of techniques or throws you learn, you won't really be able to use them until you get comfortable. The only way to get comfortable is to just do a lot of Sumo. I can definitely see after this weekend where that would be true.

6) Training too "nice" and not training with people larger than myself -
Unfortunately for me, I am the biggest person in our little Sumo club here in Round Rock. In fact I outweigh everyone else by 100 lbs. Also, I have somewhat held back to give my training partners more training time in the ring. It may help them but it is not helping me.

Moving Forward
1) Work toward a more explosive and harder hitting tachiai.
2) Travel more and go up against with larger competitors
3) Redouble effors to get more (and especailly larger) people into our local Sumo club.
4) Work on getting lower
5) Stop training "nice"

The big conclusion I have come to is that we in Texas are about two to four years behind the competitors in California. Well, we have to start somewhere. This does not mean that we won't eventually catch up, but we will definitely have to work at it.

Take care,
John Hidalgo

Prince Loeffler
7th August 2003, 06:24
Hi John,

I was there at the tournament, if this means anything at all, I think alll you guys won for just being there. That was the first time I have witness a Sumo event. Watching Akebono go thru several rounds with other sumotori really heightens my respect for those who practices sumo.

The Dancers and the Taiko drummers who entertained us during intermissions were fantastic.

one my of my favorite part was when they brought in the kids to fight the big guys..I thought that was hilarious !

By the way John, Looking at your picture, I was actualy sitting right behing your wife or girlfriend or friend as you came to the audience seats.

Regarless, you guys put on one great show that Sunday !

Guts
7th August 2003, 09:46
Hi John,

I think you wrote a great post, and it sounds like you learned a lot. Some times learning can be rough, especially in an art like Sumo. I've got a lot of respect for Sumo competitors, I know how tough have to be to just be in their art.

It sounds like you know a lot more then me. All I can recommend is find some heavier people to train with, and work on a more aggressive, low to the ground style.

Good luck to you, and congratulations on your first tournament.

Oniyama
7th August 2003, 19:21
Yo! Prince Loeffler!


By the way John, Looking at your picture, I was actualy sitting right behing your wife or girlfriend or friend as you came to the audience seats

Are sure that was me that you saw? I was there by my lonesome. No wife or girlfriend or friend with me.

Next time you see me please feel free to say hello. I'd be glad to meet you.

Take care,
John Hidalgo

Mitch Saret
7th August 2003, 21:06
I am a sumo fan and I even have a Japanese exchange student in my dojo who has mom send her tapes of the basho for me.

John, my curiosity is getting to me. How big are you? You probably covered this earlier in the category, and if you dod, I missed it.

Oniyama
7th August 2003, 22:12
John, my curiosity is getting to me. How big are you? You probably covered this earlier in the category, and if you dod, I missed it.

I am 5'10" and 285 lbs.

Hope that helps

Oniyama
7th August 2003, 22:14
Photos from US Open

Oniyama
7th August 2003, 22:16
Photos from US Open 2

Oniyama
7th August 2003, 22:16
Photos from US Open 3

Oniyama
7th August 2003, 22:20
Photos from US Open 4

Prince Loeffler
8th August 2003, 17:42
Originally posted by Oniyama
Yo! Prince Loeffler!



Are sure that was me that you saw? I was there by my lonesome. No wife or girlfriend or friend with me.

Next time you see me please feel free to say hello. I'd be glad to meet you.

Take care,
John Hidalgo

John,

I could be wrong about the wife,girlfriend stuff. I know I saw you. Anyway next time you're in California email me, be great to say Hi to you !

jeffbruner
8th August 2003, 22:08
John:

Thanks for your honest and forthright account of your competition. Something we can all learn from, no matter what art we study, are the lessons learned from competition. Your account drove home the point that win or lose, the competitor grows by having gained valuable experience and insight.

If we all approach competition as an opportunity to grow, we will always win on one level.

Of course, it's always nice to win spiritually AND physically.....


-JB