Isegahama stable
Miura Yoshiyuki started practicing sumo in his third year of primary school. This was the same primary school as the well-known sumo wrestler Mainoumi had attended several years before. Miura has stated his reason for wanting to practice sumo was that he wanted to be strong so he could protect a girl he liked at the time. In his third year of middle school (where Mainoumi also attended) he came in second overall in a national junior high school sumo competition. At this time, he was introduced to former "yokozuna" Asahifuji, who was scouting for prospective wrestlers for his Isegahama stable, through an intermediary. Miura decided at this point that if he were to become a professional sumo wrestler he would join this stable. Miura would continue to practice sumo through high school and as a student at Kinki University, participating in several national competitions.