Terutsuyoshi Shoki

Terutsuyoshi Shōki (Japanese: 照強 翔輝, born January 17, 1995 as Shōki Fukuoka (福岡 翔輝, Fukuoka Shōki)) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Hyōgo Prefecture. He made his debut in March 2010, and wrestles for Isegahama stable. He reached the top makuuchi division in March 2019 and has a special prize for Fighting Spirit. His highest rank has been Maegashira 3.

In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Terutsuyoshi.
Terutsuyoshi Shōki
照強 翔輝
Terutsuyoshi in 2017
Personal information
BornShōki Fukuoka
(1995-01-17) January 17, 1995
Minamiawaji, Hyōgo, Japan
Height1.69 m (5 ft 6 1⁄2 in)
Weight114 kg (251 lb; 18.0 st)
Career
StableIsegahama
Current ranksee below
DebutMarch 2010
Highest rankMaegashira 3 (September 2020)
Championships1 (Makushita)
Special PrizesFighting Spirit (1)
* Up to date as of January 24, 2021.

Early life and sumo experience

Shoki was born on the same day and just 15 hours after the Great Hanshin earthquake which hit his local Hyōgo Prefecture. Because of this fact he was often called "earthquake boy" as a child by fellow schoolmates. Having been born on such a day he always felt he needed to do something great and unique with his life. In first grade of elementary school he would take up judo. In his third year of grade school his parents would get a divorce and it was decided that he would retain his father surname of Fukuoka, instead of taking his mother's maiden name of Kikui. Because of the divorce he was often closer to his grandfather, who was an avid sumo fan, and passed this on to Shoki. In his fourth year he would attend a local sumo tournament taking second. This would see him join the local sumo club to train. By the time he was in Junior High School he had placed in the best sixteen at the national championship. Shoki was not a very good student and had great attendance issues, skipping over thirty days of school one year even though he would still regularly attend his sumo club practices. With his dislike of school and his club coach having a connection to Isegahama Oyakata he would decide to join Isegahama stable right after junior high at fifteen years old.

Career

He would make his debut in March 2010 along with the likes of Kagayaki and Takanosho. He initially failed his physical exam as he was merely 167cm tall and weighed 89kg, but would pass after taking the secondary physical exam. He was given the ring name Terutsuyoshi meaning "a strong light" by his stablemaster, wishing for him to be a bright light of hope to the survivors of the Kobe earthquake. Despite his small size he would make quick work of the two lowest jonokuchi and jonidan divisions. He would hit his first snag in the sandanme division posting his first make-koshi or losing record. He would spend a year here going back and forth with winning and losing records before making his makushita debut in March 2012. He initially struggled and bounced between sandanme and makushita for a year before becoming a third division mainstay. He would remain this way for three years from January 2013 until November 2016, when a 7-0 yūshō or tournament championship at makushita 9 earned him automatic promotion to the jūryō division and sekitori status. Making his jūryō debut in January 2017, he would initially struggle, managing just two winning records after a year in jūryō, before a disastrous 4-11 record at jūryō 9 would send him back down to makushita. In January 2018 at makushita 1 he would score 4-3 and manage immediate repromotion back up to jūryō. His second stint in jūryō was far better than his first. After just one make-koshi, on the back of four straight winning records he would get a 8-7 score at Jūryō 1 gaining him promotion the top makuuchi division.

Like with his other division debuts Terutsuyoshi would struggle, getting two back to back 6-9 records. He was somewhat fortunate to remain in the top division for the July 2019 tournament, but at the bottom maegashira 16 spot in July 2019 he would produce his first top division winning record. He would start out with five straight wins before losing on day six to veteran Sadanoumi. He would then go on another winning streak from day nine to day thirteen. On Day fourteen being a part of the leading group he was given a bout against maegashira 1 Hokutofuji, the only opponent he would face above maegashira 7, which he would lose giving him his third loss.[1] On the final day he would face fellow 11-3 record holder Tomokaze who he would then beat by oshidashi giving him a final record of 12-3. After yokozuna Hakuhō's loss to tournament winner Kakuryū, Terutsuyoshi shared runner-up honours with Hakuhō. He was also awarded the Fighting Spirit prize. Speaking to reporters after his final match he said, ""I wasn't really thinking about winning the championship, I just thought I should put everything into my sumo."[2]

Terutsuyoshi has a habit during the pre-match rituals (but only on the final throw) of grabbing a huge handful of purifying salt and flinging it high into the air, reminiscent of former sekiwake Mitoizumi.[3]

Fighting style

Despite his small size, Terutsuyoshi prefers a direct attacking style, moving forward rather than attempting to sidestep or pull down his opponents.[4] Terutsuyoshi is unusual in that he prefers a maemitsu grip on his opponent's mawashi or belt – grabbing the front part directly below the stomach area.[5] He is also fond of nage (throwing) techniques and has been known to pull off seldom seen techniques such as nekodamashi.[3] However, most of his wins are by frontal push out or force out.[4] His most common winning kimarite is oshidashi closely followed by yorikiri and shitatenage.[6]

Career record
Terutsuyoshi Shoki[7]
Year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
2010 x (Maezumo) West Jonokuchi #14
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #84
5–2
 		 East Jonidan #42
6–1
 		 East Sandanme #77
5–2
 
2011 East Sandanme #44
3–4
 
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 West Sandanme #62
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #70
6–1
 		 West Sandanme #13
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #31
5–2
 
2012 East Sandanme #6
5–2
 		 East Makushita #49
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #4
4–3
 		 West Makushita #55
2–5
 		 West Sandanme #15
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #5
4–3
 
2013 West Makushita #56
4–3
 		 East Makushita #46
6–1
 		 West Makushita #19
3–4
 		 West Makushita #27
3–4
 		 West Makushita #35
5–2
 		 East Makushita #19
5–2
 
2014 East Makushita #11
2–5
 		 East Makushita #24
3–4
 		 East Makushita #32
5–2
 		 East Makushita #22
5–2
 		 East Makushita #15
5–2
 		 East Makushita #9
2–5
 
2015 East Makushita #22
6–1
 		 East Makushita #8
3–4
 		 West Makushita #14
4–3
 		 West Makushita #12
3–4
 		 West Makushita #18
4–3
 		 East Makushita #13
4–3
 
2016 East Makushita #10
6–1–P
 		 West Makushita #3
3–4
 		 West Makushita #8
1–6
 		 East Makushita #32
4–3
 		 West Makushita #26
6–1
 		 West Makushita #9
7–0
Champion
 
2017 East Jūryō #13
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #14
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #11
7–8
 		 West Jūryō #12
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #13
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #9
4–11
 
2018 West Makushita #1
4–3
 		 East Jūryō #12
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #13
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #10
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #8
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #5
10–5
 
2019 East Jūryō #1
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #14
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #15
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #16
12–3
F		 East Maegashira #9
4–11
 		 East Maegashira #14
8–7
 
2020 East Maegashira #14
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #11
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #7
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 East Maegashira #7
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #3
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #8
5–10
 
2021 West Maegashira #12
7–8
 		 x x x x x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi(s); P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

References
  1. Gunning, John (24 July 2019). "Kakuryu adds to solid resume with latest win". Japan Times. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  2. "Sumo: Kakuryu outguns Hakuho in yokozuna duel to claim 6th title". The Mainichi. 21 July 2019. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019.
  3. "Terutsuyoshi adds flair to makuuchi division". Japan Times. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  4. Gunning, John (5 September 2019). "Emperor's Cup up for grabs at Autumn Basho". Japan Times. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  5. "Rikishi Profile – Terutsuyoshi Shoki". Japan Sumo Association. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  6. "Terutsuyoshi bouts by kimarite". sumodb.sumogames.de.
  7. "Terutsuyoshi Shoki Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
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