THE NEW HUNGARIAN VOICE WINTER 2006 (Read-Only)

Attila Tóth
HUNGARIAN RIKISHI
“Around 2000 years ago the population of a young Japanese nation were said to have witnessed a sumo bout. That bout,
apparently between two local deities is believed to be Japan's first leadership battle with the winner - a god named Takemikazuchi -
laying claim to the archipelago of over 4000 islands and in the process, as legend has it, founding the Japanese imperial line. At the
same time laying the foundations for the sport we know today as sumo (or, Ozumo to give it its proper Japanese term when referring
to the professional game), little would any of the gods or spectators present way back when, expect that a young foreigner from
Hungary would be entering their deified pastime in the millennia ahead.”
Mark Buckton, Editor-in-Chief*
Sumo Fan Magazine www.sumofanmag.com
We North Americans have a hard time with things like sumo
wrestling. Maybe it’s because the players don’t look much like
Calvin Klein underwear models and there are no Nike logos on
their waist-belts. You might even be asking yourself “What is
he doing writing about sumo wrestling in a Hungarian cultural
publication anyway”
Many years ago, one of the local TV stations used to televise
Japanese sumo bouts in the wee hours of the morning, and being
somewhat of a night-owl, I found myself glued to the set,
mesmerized by the bizarre martial and ethereal spectacle. I was
surprised at myself at first, as it was very foreign to me, but I
soon realized that the attraction was very similar to my interests
in my Hungarian cultural heritage. The most obvious point, of
course, is the main focus – conflict.
Secondarily, it’s a cultural phenomenon that is highly misunderstood
– few people in my neck-of-the-woods have taken the
time to understand its ancient complexities, much the same as
the public’s ‘dracula-gypsy-goulash-soup’ misconceptions about
Hungary. Perhaps I felt empathy for those two men, battling it
out in an ancient ring, ignoring the oblivious world around them
for little reward – and was strengthened by their resolve to keep
alive an anachronistic yet infinitely valuable form of expression.
Sumo wrestling is a traditional Japanese contest of strength
and skill. Although it looks simple enough at first glance, it is a
complex matrix of subtle and practiced moves and traditional
and ancient values. It is not the kind of sport we see here in the
form of pro wrestling – it’s much more than that.
Attila Tóth (now known by the fighting name of Masutoo),
born and raised in Szolnok, started out early as a sumo wrestler
– that’s not a surprise, as his dad coaches an amateur team in
Hungary. He’s “…a mild mannered young man with several
years of junior wrestling experience under his belt…” and was
spotted while competing in the 5th World Junior Sumo Championships
in Osaka, Japan, where he secured second place in the
open weight competition.
The 127kg 19 year-old lives in the newest sumo ‘stable’ or
beya, headed by a successful former wrestler who left another
old and respected one known as Kasugano Beya. Being a
Hungarian sumo wrestler, or rikishi is a feat in itself, Attila is
one of the last foreigners to enter the sport since a cap was put in
place on non-Japanese competitors.
This baby-faced bruiser has traded csirke paprikás for
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