Ōnishiki Ittetsu (born 11 September 1953 as Morio Obori) is a former sumo wrestler from Sado, Niigata, Japan. He made his professional debut in May 1968, and reached the top division in September 1973. His highest rank was komusubi. He retired in January 1988 and became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Yamashina, holding the Special Executive position.[1]

Ōnishiki Ittetsu
大錦 一徹
Personal information
BornMorio Obori
(1953-09-11) 11 September 1953 (age 71)
Sado, Niigata, Japan
Height1.84 m (6 ft 12 in)
Weight145 kg (320 lb)
Career
StableDewanoumi
Record750–745–28
DebutMay, 1968
Highest rankKomusubi (November, 1973)
RetiredJanuary, 1988
Elder nameYamashina
Championships4 (Jūryō)
1 (Makushita)
1 (Jonidan)
Special PrizesOutstanding Performance (1)
Fighting Spirit (1)
Technique (1)
Gold Stars8
Wakanohana II (3)
Wajima (2)
Kotozakura
Chiyonofuji
Futahaguro
* Up to date as of June 2020.

Career

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He joined sumo in May 1968 at the age of just 14, competing under his own surname of Obori. He was considered a very promising prospect and after winning his first jūryō division championship in May 1973 he was given the shikona or fighting name Ōnishiki, after a great wrestler from his Dewanoumi stable, the 26th yokozuna Ōnishiki Uichirō. Just two tournaments later he became the first wrestler in sumo history to win all three sanshō or special prizes, for Fighting Spirit, Technique and Outstanding Performance, in his debut top division tournament. He was also runner–up in this basho and earned his first kinboshi or gold star by defeating yokozuna Kotozakura. He was promoted straight to komusubi, which was to be his highest rank, but he suffered a serious back injury and scored only 3–12. He never made the rank again. As well his back problem he also suffered from knee problems and diabetes, and spent the rest of his career moving up and down the ranks of the two salaried divisions. He was to win seven more kinboshi, but he was also demoted to jūryō on a number of occasions, where he picked up three more jūryō championships. He only fell to the third makushita division once during this period though. In this tournament in May 1979 at makushita 1 he posted a perfect 7-0 record, took the championship, and also handed Itai his first defeat in professional sumo, ending a consecutive winning streak from debut which was a record at that time. In September 1982 he became the first wrestler to immediately follow a win by default (over Koboyama) with a loss by default. He retired in January 1988 rather than face demotion to the makushita division again.

Retirement

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Onishiki remained in sumo as a toshiyori or elder, and was known as Yamashina Oyakata. He worked as a coach at Dewanoumi stable and as a member of the Japan Sumo Association′s board of directors, holding the Special Executive position. He retired from the Sumo Association in September 2018 after turning 65 years of age.[2]

Fighting style

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Onishiki was a yotsu sumo specialist who favoured hidari yotsu, or a right hand outside, left hand inside grip on his opponent′s mawashi. His favourite kimarite or techniques were yori kiri (force out) and uwatenage (overarm throw).

Career record

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Ōnishiki Ittetsu[3]
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
1968 x x (Maezumo) (Maezumo) West Jonokuchi #9
5–2
 
West Jonidan #41
2–5
 
1969 East Jonidan #59
1–2–4
 
East Jonidan #76
7–0
Champion

 
West Sandanme #51
1–6
 
East Sandanme #77
3–4
 
East Sandanme #84
2–5
 
West Sandanme #98
6–1
 
1970 West Sandanme #45
4–3
 
West Sandanme #33
3–4
 
West Sandanme #38
4–3
 
West Sandanme #19
4–3
 
East Sandanme #8
6–1
 
East Makushita #39
4–3
 
1971 East Makushita #33
6–1
 
East Makushita #13
2–5
 
East Makushita #30
5–2
 
West Makushita #12
5–2
 
West Makushita #6
0–7
 
East Makushita #35
4–3
 
1972 East Makushita #30
5–2
 
West Makushita #18
4–3
 
East Makushita #14
5–2
 
East Makushita #6
4–3
 
West Makushita #3
3–4
 
West Makushita #5
4–3
 
1973 East Makushita #4
4–3
 
West Makushita #2
5–2
 
West Jūryō #12
11–4
Champion

 
West Jūryō #2
10–5
 
West Maegashira #11
11–4
FOT
East Komusubi #1
3–12
 
1974 West Maegashira #9
5–10
 
East Jūryō #1
10–5
 
West Maegashira #11
8–7
 
East Maegashira #9
10–5
 
West Maegashira #2
7–8
East Maegashira #4
5–10
1975 East Maegashira #9
7–8
 
East Maegashira #12
7–8
 
West Maegashira #14
8–7
 
West Maegashira #10
6–9
 
East Maegashira #13
7–8
 
West Jūryō #1
7–8
 
1976 East Jūryō #2
5–10
 
East Jūryō #7
7–8
 
West Jūryō #8
10–5
 
East Jūryō #2
10–5
 
West Maegashira #12
11–4
 
East Maegashira #2
5–10
 
1977 East Maegashira #8
7–8
 
West Maegashira #9
3–9–3
 
West Jūryō #4
8–7
 
East Jūryō #2
11–4
Champion

 
East Maegashira #11
9–6
 
East Maegashira #5
3–12
 
1978 West Maegashira #13
5–10
 
East Jūryō #6
10–5
 
West Jūryō #1
9–6
 
East Maegashira #11
5–10
 
East Jūryō #4
10–5
 
East Maegashira #12
7–8
 
1979 West Jūryō #1
5–10
 
West Jūryō #6
4–11
 
East Makushita #1
7–0
Champion

 
East Jūryō #5
6–9
 
East Jūryō #8
7–8
 
East Jūryō #12
8–7
 
1980 West Jūryō #8
6–9
 
East Jūryō #12
12–3
Champion

 
West Jūryō #2
5–7–3
 
West Jūryō #8
7–6–2
 
West Jūryō #10
7–8
 
East Jūryō #11
10–5
 
1981 East Jūryō #5
11–4
 
West Maegashira #12
8–7
 
East Maegashira #8
9–6
 
East Maegashira #3
5–10
 
East Maegashira #7
9–6
East Maegashira #3
6–9
1982 West Maegashira #6
10–5
 
East Maegashira #1
7–8
West Maegashira #2
6–9
 
West Maegashira #4
6–9
East Maegashira #8
7–3–5
 
West Maegashira #10
8–7
 
1983 West Maegashira #5
1–3–11
 
West Jūryō #1
5–10
 
West Jūryō #5
8–7
 
East Jūryō #4
8–7
 
West Jūryō #2
9–6
 
East Maegashira #13
4–11
 
1984 East Jūryō #6
12–3
Champion

 
East Maegashira #13
10–5
 
West Maegashira #4
6–9
 
East Maegashira #9
7–8
 
West Maegashira #10
9–6
 
West Maegashira #2
3–12
 
1985 West Maegashira #12
8–7
 
East Maegashira #10
11–4
 
West Maegashira #1
6–9
 
West Maegashira #3
6–9
 
East Maegashira #7
8–7
 
West Maegashira #1
4–11
 
1986 East Maegashira #11
4–11
 
East Jūryō #3
10–5
 
West Maegashira #13
8–7
 
East Maegashira #9
5–10
 
East Jūryō #1
9–6
 
East Maegashira #11
6–9
 
1987 East Jūryō #1
9–6
 
East Maegashira #11
7–8
 
East Maegashira #12
9–6
 
West Maegashira #3
4–11
East Maegashira #11
2–13
 
East Jūryō #5
6–9
 
1988 West Jūryō #9
Retired
5–10
x x x x x
Record given as wins–losses–absences    Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: =Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: MakuuchiJūryōMakushitaSandanmeJonidanJonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: YokozunaŌzekiSekiwakeKomusubiMaegashira

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Oyakata (Coaches)". Nihon Sumo Kyokai. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  2. ^ "元大錦の山科親方、定年退職へ 「終わったなとさっぱり」" (in Japanese). Nikkei. 13 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Ōnishiki Ittetsu Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 1 September 2012.