Kaisei Ichiro

Kaisei Ichiro - 魁聖 一郎 (born December 18, 1986) is a former Brazilian professional sumo wrestler from Sao Paulo. He made his debut in September 2006 and last wrestled for Oshima stable. He reached the makuuchi division in March 2011 and has 3 special prizes. His highest rank was sekiwake and he retired in September 2022.

## **Early Life**

In his childhood, Sugano had no interest at all in football, as all his friends did and didn't even bother to watch games on TV. He was more interested in grappling sports, such as judo, which he practiced for a time.

When he was sixteen a friend of his father's suggested that his already large size would be very suitable for sumo. He began pursuing sumo and went on to win the all Brazil amateur sumo competition championship in the free weight category. At this time he believed that, at least in Brazilian amateur sumo, all one needed was size and power to win, and decided to travel to Japan to try out sumo. He was introduced to Tomozuna stable through an acquaintance and joined the stable in 2006. The stable was already home to another Brazilian wrestler, Kaishin. He was given the shikona or ring name of Kaisei Ichiro. Ichiro was the name of Kaisei's late grandfather, who was Japanese.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

Kaisei made his official debut in the September, 2006, tournament. He moved through the lower divisions rather quickly, only spending one tournament in the jonidan and jonokuchi divisions. He gradually rose through the sandanme division, however after a three tournament slump, he fell back to the lower end of sandanme. He bounced back with two strong tournaments in sandanme and earned a promotion to the makushita division for the May, 2008, tournament.

Kaisei had a strong start in makushita and made it to the upper half of makushita by his third tournament. However, he produced three straight make-koshi, or losing records, and fell back to the sandanme division. He would bounce back after only spending one tournament in sandanme and on September, 2009, he won all seven bouts at the rank of makushita 46. However, Georgian behemoth Gagamaru also won all seven matches and they were placed in a playoff, which Gagamaru ended up winning. This spectacular record earned him a promotion to makushita 6, however he produced a 3-4 losing record. He bounced back with three consecutive 5-2 records and wins over juryo-ranked wrestlers: Wakatenro and Kirinowaka. This earned him a promotion to the juryo division for the July, 2010, tournament.

### **Juryo Career**

He was the fourth Brazilian to make the juryo division after Ryudo, Kuniazuma and Wakaazuma, but Kaisei was to surpass all of them by winning promotion to the top makuuchi division. After winning the juryo division yusho in November 2010 with an 11–4 record (he won this in a playoff against two wrestlers: Tochinowaka and Toyohibiki), he followed up with an 8–7 at juryo 1 in January 2011, which saw him reach maegashira 16 in the May Technical Examination tournament.

### **Makuuchi Career**

Kaisei won his first six bouts in his makuuchi debut, the first makuuchi debutant to do so since Takanonami in 1991. He went on to 8–0, the first to achieve that since Sadanoumi in 1980, and 9–0, running neck and neck with yokozuna Hakuho, before suffering his first defeat to Tochinoshin on Day 10. He thus failed to emulate the great Taiho, who reached 11–0 in 1960. Nevertheless, his final score of 10–5 saw him win the Fighting Spirit Award. He was also given the honour of serving as Hakuho's tsuyuharai, or dew sweeper, during the yokozuna's ring entering ceremony.

He was promoted to maegashira 5 for the July tournament, where he recovered from 1–4 to go to 6–4, but then lost his last five matches to finish on 6–9. With the intai-zumo (retirement from sumo) of ozeki Kaio during the same tournament Kaisei become the heyagashira (the highest ranked wrestler) at Tomozuna stable. Disappointing scores of 4–11 and 6–9 in September and November 2011 saw him fall to the bottom of the division. A 5–10 record in the January 2012 tournament meant he suffered demotion to juryo in March, but he produced a 10–5 record in Osaka, ensuring a return to makuuchi. In July 2012 he scored eleven wins, picking up his second Fighting Spirit Award and earning promotion to maegashira 1. In September he just fell short with a 7–8 record, losing to Homasho on the final day. Since then he has largely alternated winning and losing tournaments. Though he has proven his longevity in the top division, it remains to be seen whether he can achieve more consistent performances.

Kaisei made his san'yaku debut in the May 2016 tournament, having been promoted to komusubi on the back of an 11–4 record from the rank of maegashira 7. He is the second wrestler from Tomozuna stable to reach komusubi since the present stablmeaster took over in 1989 and the first since Kaio in 1994. After coming through with an 8–7 record he earned immediate promotion to sekiwake for the following July tournament. In the last three tournaments of 2016 he posted losing records and dropped to maegashira 9 before recording an 8–7 in January 2017.

He injured his knee training with Hakuho shortly before the March 2017 tournament and had to withdraw from a honbasho for the first time in his career, bringing to an end his run of 739 consecutive matches from debut, the most among active top division wrestlers. He was demoted to the juryo division for the first time since 2012 after the May 2017 tournament, but made an immediate return to makuuchi after scoring 10–5 at the rank of juryo 1 in July. In the September 2017 tournament, at West Maegashira #13, he managed to get a record of 9–6. Being promoted to East Maegashira #10 for the November 2017 tournament, Kaisei finished with a record of 8–7. In January 2018, at West Maegashira #8, Kaisei finished 8–7. The March 2018 Tournament saw Kaisei promoted to East Maegashira #6 where he won his first 9 matches, only to lose to Ichinojo on day 10. On day 13 Kaisei was brought up to face yokozuna Kakuryu where he lost. Kaisei finished off the tournament with a 12–3 record, being a runner-up to Kakuryu, with fellow runner-up Takayasu. This marks the second time that Kaisei was runner-up. Kaisei also got the Fighting Spirit Prize, his third time claiming that prize.

In November 2018 Kaisei returned to the sanyaku ranks at komusubi for the first time in 13 tournaments. However, he was restricted by a left calf injury suffered in training shortly before the tournament, missing the first two days and then withdrawing on Day 14 with only three wins, after aggravating the injury. He was also forced to withdraw from the May 2019 tournament after injuring his right bicep tendon against Ryuden on Day 7. Fighting at maegashira 15 in July, he injured his right arm and eventually withdrew on Day 11 with only one win, resulting in his demotion to juryo. He returned to the top division after an 11–4 record in November 2019. Kaisei was forced to sit out of the January 2021 after a wrestler in his stable tested positive for COVID-19.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

In July 2022, while ranked at the bottom of the second division, Kaisei finished the tournament with a 5-10 record, which demoted him back to the unsalaried third division after more than 12 years in the salaried top two divisions. Kaisei ultimately retired in late August 2022. Kaisei obtained Japanese citizenship in November 2014, which allowed him to acquire an elder-stock when retiring; he now uses the name Tomozuna-oyakata. He will work as a coach at his stable, now re-named Oshima.

On June 5, 2023, it was announced that Kaisei had been transferred to Asakayama stable to serve as trainer.

His hair-cutting ceremony was held on October 1st 2023 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, with the final cut being done by Kaisei's former senior stablemate Kaio, who is the stablemaster at Asakayama stable.

## **Personal Life**

* Kaisei announced in July 2020 that he had got married the previous month to a woman in her 20s after a five year relationship.
* Kaisei's favorite drink is coca-cola and he drinks three bottles everyday.
* Kaisei became a smoker after the influence of his original stablemaster, Tomozuna Oyakata.
* Kaisei doesn't like cold weather, and prefers warmer weather during the summer.
* Unlike many foreign recruits, Kaisei had no trouble adapting to Japanese culture, especially the food, because his grandfather, who was Japanese, would serve him Japanese food during his time in Brazil.
* Kaisei served as Hakuho's tsuyuharai, or dew sweeper, during the yokozuna's ring entering ceremony and would also sometimes serve as Hakuho's flag bearer during his championship parade.
* Kaisei obtained Japanese citizenship in November 2014 which made it able for him to remain in sumo after retiring, he now uses the name Tomozuna.

## **Fighting Style**

Kaisei's favoured techniques are listed at the Sumo Association as migi-yotsu (a left hand outside, right hand inside grip on the opponent's mawashi), yori (forcing) and oshi (pushing). His most common winning kimarite are straightforward: yori-kiri (force out) and oshi dashi (push out).

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 590-592-37/1178 (95 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 406-457-37/859 (60 basho)
* **Juryo:** 89-76/165 (11 basho)
* **Makushita:** 49-35/84 (13 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 34-22/56 (8 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 6-1/7 (1 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 6-1/7 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Juryo** Championship (November 2010)

### **Achievements**

* **Special Prizes:** Fighting Spirit (3)
* **1st** Brazilian to reach Makuuchi
* **1st** Brazilian to reach San'yaku
* **1st** Brazilian oyakata

## **Gallery**

### **JSA Profile Pictures and Tegata**

Kaisei Ichiro - 2019 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei Ichiro - 2018 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei Ichiro - 2017 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei Ichiro - 2016 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei Ichiro - 2015 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei Ichiro - 2014 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei Ichiro - 2013 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei Ichiro - 2012 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei Ichiro - 2012 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei Ichiro - 2010 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei Ichiro - 2010 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kaisei's tegata
### **Career Overview**

Kaisei's first tournament of professional sumo (c. 2006)Kaisei after promotion to Juryo (c. 2010)Kaisei speaks at his Juryo promotion party (c. 2010)Kaisei with stablemate Ozeki Kaio (c. 2011)Kaisei during the Makuuchi dohyo-iri (c. 2010)Kaisei defeats Tochinowaka (c. 2011)Kaisei interviewed after his strong Makuuchi debut (c. 2011)Kaisei with his first of many sansho prizes (c. 2011)Kaisei serves as Hakuho's flag bearer (c. 2011)Kaisei announces plan to acquire Japanese citizenship (c. 2012)Kaisei battles Shohozan (c. 2012)Kaisei defeats Wakanosato (c. 2013)Kaisei serves as Hakuho's sword bearer (c. 2014)Kaisei defeats Sadanofuji (c. 2015)Kaisei after promotion to Komusubi (c. 2016)Kaisei throws Ikioi (c. 2016)Kaisei after promotion to Sekiwake (c. 2016)Kaisei defeats Chiyoo (c. 2017)Kaisei throws Ozeki Takayasu (c. 2018)Kaisei defeats Onosho (c. 2019)Kaisei prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2018)Kaisei defeats Tokushoryu (c. 2020)Kaisei throws former Ozeki Tochinoshin (c. 2021)Kaisei defeats Bushozan (c. 2022)Kaisei announces his retirement (c. 2022)Kaisei has his hair-cutting ceremony (c. 2023)
## **See Also**

* List of Brazilian Sumo Wrestlers
* List of Heaviest Sumo Wrestlers

## **Sources**

* Kaisei Ichiro Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Kaisei Ichiro Rikishi Information