Sumo Quotations: Gemlike sayings left by yokozuna and great wrestlers. Passionate words etched into the dohyo

Because there was a humiliating defeat, my determination to absolutely win next time grew stronger.NEW!Kitanoumi Toshimitsu

Yokozuna Daishi Wajima and Toshimitsu Kitanoumi, who built the “Wajima-Kitanoumi era” in the 1970s and captivated many sumo fans.

In 2015, Kitanoumi said the following in a conversation published in Shukan Shincho.

It was about “the most memorable bout for the two of us,” their match on the final day of the Nagoya tournament in 1974.

At the time, Kitanoumi, then an ozeki, lost in a decisive bout where a win would have promoted him to yokozuna.

His words reflect the belief he held as a strong yokozuna: turning the bitterness of defeat into fuel and transforming it into a relentless drive for the next victory.

It begins with courtesy and ends with courtesy. More than the joy of victory, we value honoring the defeated. That is the way of sumo.NEW!Chiyonofuji Mitsugu

Chiyonofuji says that those who are called first-rate should be humble.

His words may well be a saying that leads to such a way of thinking.

When we seize victory, anyone would be filled with joy.

But even then, we must not forget compassion and courtesy toward the defeated.

A match is decided in an instant; it wouldn’t be strange for either side to win or lose.

And those standing on the dohyo are people who love the same sumo.

It is precisely when we win that we should act humbly, praise the loser’s valiant effort, and express our gratitude.

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Practice as if it were the real tournament; treat the real tournament as if it were practice.NEW!Futabayama Sadaji

When you practice, strive as if it were a match where a single loss ends it.

And when you’re in an actual match, treat it like practice and perform as you normally do.

Isn’t this what the words aim to teach—a lesson for winning? Futabayama lost sight in his right eye in childhood and, at age eleven, lost his right little finger in an accident.

Yet he built up extraordinary effort and set the monumental record of 69 consecutive wins.

These are the words he imparted to his disciples.

In teaching not technique but mindset, you can sense his sincerity and warmth as a person.

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A sumo wrestler can only forge his spirit in the ring.NEW!Taihō Kōki

The grand yokozuna of the Showa era, Taiho, and the grand yokozuna of the Heisei era, Hakuho.

These are the words of Mr.

Koki Naya (Taiho) from a 2011 conversation between the two yokozuna: “What matters is what you learn from the plain, round dohyo.

It’s fine to meet and talk with various people, but if your own heart is not prepared, no matter how much you listen, you won’t be able to absorb anything beyond that.” In budo and sports, there is a teaching that when the three elements of mind, technique, and body are well balanced, one can exert maximum power.

Sumo is something you learn by losing. There’s no sumo you learn by winning anywhere.NEW!Asashōryū Akinori

Because these are the words of Asashoryu—who holds a top-division record of 596 wins, 153 losses, and 76 absences—they truly resonate.

Winning is something to be proud of, but perhaps what we really need when we reexamine ourselves and break out of our shell is “defeat.” It’s precisely because we feel the sting of losing that we gain lessons, and it’s those lessons that enable us to grow.

Even when you win, rather than simply rejoicing, ask yourself if there wasn’t more you could have done… By thinking that way, your victories, too, may become invaluable experiences.

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Rather than staking my life on sumo, it is within sumo that my very life exists.NEW!Kōji Takanohana

These are words left by Takanohana after he retired and became a stablemaster.

When we see someone working earnestly and giving their all, we may be tempted to say they are “risking their life,” but this quote conveys that, for the person themselves, it isn’t necessarily so.

For him, sumo itself was like life… that’s how closely his life and sumo were intertwined.

These are words that could only come from someone who has felt positive change and joy through sumo.

I, too, would like to find something in life that I can express in this way.

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A professional never makes excuses, no matter what.NEW!Chiyonofuji Mitsugu

[Chiyonofuji’s Resolve] “Collect the returns on your effort three years later”: 100 selections of a pro’s no-excuses philosophy for overcoming weaknesses [Famous Quotes of Great Figures]

There may be many people who make excuses when they lose.

They don’t want to be blamed or disappoint others because of their defeat, so they’re tempted to pin the cause of the loss on something other than themselves.

But Chiyonofuji voiced a firm resolve that professionals are not allowed to do that.

By eliminating excuses—external conditions, health, judges’ decisions—he focused all his energy on action.

And when he lost, he accepted the facts and confronted his own shortcomings.

He called this mindset a philosophy of personal responsibility, and stated that it leads to true strength.

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