Ōshio Kenji
Ōshio Kenji (born 4 January 1948 as Kenji Hatano) is a former sumo wrestler from Kitakyushu, Japan. His highest rank was "komusubi". His career lasted twenty six years, from 1962 until 1988, and he holds the record for the most bouts contested in professional sumo. After his retirement at the age of 40 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and set up Shikihide stable in 1992. He left the Sumo Association upon turning 65 in 2013. Career. He was born in Yahata Higashi ward. He made his professional debut in January 1962 at the age  of just 14, joining Tokitsukaze stable. During his first year he also attended Ryogoku Junir High school to complete his compulsory education. His first stablemaster was the former "yokozuna" Futabayama. He initially fought under his own surname, Hatano, before adopting the "shikona" of Ōshio in 1969. He reached the second highest "jūryō" division in November 1969 and was promoted to the top "makuuchi" division for the first time in September 1971. He reached his top rank of "komusubi" in January 1978, but held it for only one tournament. In the May 1978 tournament he defeated Wajima on the opening day , his first ever victory over a "yokozuna". He was to earn two more "kinboshi" in September 1982 and January 1983, at the age of 35. He also earned two special prizes, for Technique and Fighting Spirit. During his extraordinarily long career, Ōshio was ranked in "makuuchi" for 51 tournaments and 55 tournaments in "jūryō", for a total of 106 ranked as an elite "sekitori" wrestler, a record that stood until 2002 when it was broken by Terao. His total of "jūryō" tournaments is a record he shares with Hachiya. He also holds the "elevator" record for winning promotion to "makuuchi  from jūryō" a total of 13 times, The longest he was able to stay in the top division consecutively was 18 tournaments between January 1981 and November 1983. He fell from "makuuchi" for the last time in May 1984, and announced his retirement in January 1988 at the age of forty after falling into the non-salaried "makushita" division. He had competed in 157 tournaments, and had fought a total of 1891 career bouts, the latter of which is an all-time record. His total of 964 career wins was also a record at the time, although it was surpassed  by Chiyonofuji less than two years later, in September 1989. Retirement from sumo. Ōshio remained in the sumo world as an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and set up Shikihide stable in May 1992. He did not produce a "sekitori" until 2012, when his top wrestler Senshō of Mongolia finally won promotion to "jūryō" in the January tournament after eleven years in sumo. The nineteen years and nine months Shikihide stable took to produce a "sekitori" is the longest by a newly established stable since World War II. (Senshō also took longer to reach the "sekitori" ranks than any  other foreign recruit since WWII.) He stood down as the head of the stable in December 2012 as he was shortly to reach the mandatory retirement age of 65, and passed over control to the former "maegashira" Kitazakura. Unusually, Kitazakura belongs to a different ichimon, Dewanoumi, but there was a personal connection as Ōshio was a close friend of Kitazakura′s father. His son Koichi was born in 1984 and joined Shikihide stable in 1999, fighting under the name of Tamahikari. He reached a highest rank of "sandanme" 87 before retiring in 2011 after 12 years in sumo. Fighting style. Ōshio 's preferred grip on his opponent's "mawashi" was "hidari-yotsu", a right hand outside, left hand inside position. His most commonly used "kimarite" at "sekitori" level was "yori-kiri", a straightforward force out, which was used in around 30 percent of his victories. He also won frequently with "oshi-dashi" (push out), "yori taoshi" (force out and down) and "uwatenage" (overarm throw). Career record.