One of my favorites in sumo was Mitoizumi, who for his version of the salt-tossing ritual was known to his fans as The Salt Shaker. I was reminded of his style recently while reading David Benjamin’s deliciously irreverent Sumo: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Japan’s National Sport.
“No discussion of salt-pitching, however, is adequate without a description of Mitoizumi’s routine. It was from his salt-pitching extravagance that he earned our affectionate nickname, ‘The Asshole.’ In all but his final pitch, Mitoizumi’s delivery was less than desultory. He picked up barely a pinch of salt, then flipped it carelessly aside, with no wrist-English.
“All this diffidence was — as everyone in the arena knew — a tease. Mitoizumi came out for his final pitch like Evel Knievel hitting the wall of fire. He would typically empty the entire saltbox into his paw, spin toward the dohyo, swing back his pitching arm and launch the whole four-pound handful, ten meters into the air, in a slo-pitch softball underhand that created a cloudburst of salt that seasoned spectators as far as five deep in the box seats.
“Mitoizumi’s act trampled every standard of athletic forbearance and daily rankled the Sumo Association. He received, in return, a joyful round of oohs, ahs, and giggles from the middle-aged ladies in the audience, very few of whom have ever had an orgasm or seen Wayne Newton Live.”
Benjamin’s book, which I would rank up with The Downhill Lie, Carl Hiaasen’s great take on golf, is available at Amazon.com.
Read, Seen, Heard 