FAQ
- A Short
History in Quotes - compiled by jomojo.
Polar Bear and Penguin images in this table supplied
by Jejima (all but
one) and Chijanofuji (the one "having a ball" at the very bottom left
;-)
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Rushing to the North Pole..... |
| ***
"What is an ichimon
in Bench Sumo and how did they come about?" *** |
"...there is (apparently)
an underground
movement for the recognition of (I think, I have deleted the relevant
emails) the state of New England
rikishi as a heya. Now, these rikishi don't want to form an
'actual' heya in that they still wish to fight each other, (which is a
blessing for your
poor, hard-working torikumi-makers) but they want to have recognition
for being in some way connected. There also seems to be
something
similar happening amongst the strong contigent of French players.
What I would suggest is opening up the idea of 'ichimon'. I
am
not sure how we record these - or how / if it would affect the game,
except that it
would be a form of recognition for the links between players.
(For those unsure, an ichimon is an affiliation of several heyas, who
do a lot of
things together. There are 5 official ichimons in 'real
sumo'.) We could then have a New England Ichimon, a France
Ichimon, and so on. This
would also help with the deciding of a dew-sweeper and a sword-bearer
should/when we ever get a Bench Yokozuna 
I would think that we would need to set a minimum requirement for the
number of rikishi within an ichimon, for it to be allowed to be set up.
To start with, we could do something regional, eg The Americas; German
speaking countries; Scandinavian countries; Rest of Europe and
Africa; Asia-Australasia-Antartica), which all current players would be
put into, and new players would be asked to sign up for one.
Then, within
those ichimons, break-away ichimons (eg New England from The Americas,
France from Rest of Europe) would be allowed, if there is enough
players interested - perhaps minimum of 5 or 6?) can form a workable
ichimon, and still leave enough players behind in the 'Mother ichimon'
to
not bring it below the minimum. Great fun / statistics could
then
be had by following the fortunes...
(Bench Sumo Rijicho Jejima, in a post entitled "Very Important
Administration", 27/01/03) |
"A starting ichimon [in
Benchsumo] should
have at least 10 players ...
An ichimon would be allowed to dwindle to a minimum of 6 members, by
which stage the members can hopefully have attracted more members, or
otherwise fold ... The members would then be free to join another one."
(Jejima, 31/01/03) |
Waiting for back rub?
 |
Or a
tummy tickle?
|
|
| ***
"So how did your
ichimon end up at the North Pole?" *** |
"By having [a] henka
button in bench sumo
... [this] would add a new element to the game, which would hopefully
be a little controversial ...
[in that some] rikishi ... who start off the basho with the intention
of winning by skill alone, [could] change their mind in the second week
as
MK looms."
(Jejima, 01/02/03) |
"These
players should
be banished to the North Pole!!"
(Kintamayama,01/02/03) |
"Hi
Jezz....I'll join
you at The North Pole then!"
(Boltono, 02/02/03) |
"Henka
is NOT
cheating, henka is a regular part of Sumo, I love henka! I just don't
want to be forced to do it by automation, that's all."
(Jakusotsu, 03/02/03) |
"Here's
another one
for the pole ... glad to be human."
(Wakanozan/Gibmaatsuki, 03/02/03) |
"jomojo
is thinking
of joining the Jejima, Boltono, and Wakanozan 'see how I feel on the
day' approach to using the proposed henka button ...
So guys, is there a case as yet for having a North Pole ichimon created
for folks who are neither always henka, nor always non-henka?
I am wondering whether there maybe something of a cultural difference
going on here. My mind set itself to thinking and came up with
the following theory. The British are rather good at inventing popular
games, eg. football, rugby, cricket, tennis. Their approach to playing
said
popular games, however, tends to be somewhat inconsistent. Almost as if
they would find winning all the time a little tedious, and so they
leave
that sort of thing to the other nations."
(jomojo, 03/02/03) |
"I
dare anyone else
to join me and Jomojo and Jezz and Wakanozan as founding members of The
[North] Pole Ichimon...
unofficial but nevertheless established in readiness for group heya
growth as the henka button becomes operational as a 'on the whim of the
moment' object."
(Boltono, 04/02/03) |
"Brit/Canadian
Getayukata would like to join your ichimon at the north pole."
(Getayukata, 05/02/03) |
"Here are the suggested
ichimons. We are
still in the early days of this, so nothing is decided as yet."
(Jejima, 04/03/03) |
"I
had 5 replies from
BS players who wanted to join me in a North Pole Ichimon. Can this
still be considered. If the
5 BS players are preferring
to re-locate to one of the other suggested Ichimons please let me know.
It's fine by me whatever unfolds."
(Boltono, 05/03/03) |
"This would leave the
Brits (usually 3 - 5
of us, depending on how British we are feeling) and the Dutch.
I feel that the British and the Dutch (about 4 players) would make a
good combination, although a smaller than the others' ichimon.
With Boltono's suggestion we could form the nucleus of the 'North Pole
[ichimon]', and invite any other players who feels best suited to such
climes
to join us."
(Jejima, 06/03/03) |
Someone
ate too many beans?
 |
Early
morning keiko?
 |
|
| ***
"Who belongs in the
North Pole Ichimon?"
*** |
"The
North Pole can
be a place where all misfits, non-politically correct persons, robbers,
brigands, convicts ... oddballs, creative henka-ers,
BS mercenaries hang out. If you fit these categories, or if you just
fancy the cold stark wondrous beauty of it all, then do come and join
us.
Dutch men and women most welcome ...
[The] fee ... for a 'yaocho blood brother / sister amulet' should be
... sent with your application!"
(Boltono, 07/03/03) |
"[Let's
make that]
Frost brother [or sister]."
(Jakusotsu, 07/03/03) |
"The
British have
always had a fond affection for the earth's Poles and it is in some
ways apt, fitting, and timely, that we have now become
the first ones within the Benchsumo community to reach the northern
one!
... May I now boldly go where no benchsumo rikishi has gone before, and
propose a motto for The North Pole ichimon ...
"THE NORTH POLE ICHIMON - KEEPING ALIVE THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE"
unveiled on the seventh day of the third month
in the year [2003] ... I am confident many more cyber-rikishi will
flock to this banner in the months and years to come, all those
spiritual adventurers in search of a welcome space for their novel
reflections."
(jomojo, 07/03/03) |
"Spoken
like a true
Brit indeed Jomojo!
...
The true BS adventurers domicile is now The North Pole. We must get a
regular supply flown in of gin and tonic and other items.
Baked beans, Marks and Spencers lemon cheesecake, Tiptons Earl Grey
Tea, and (with a concession to Old Europe) some croissants."
(Boltono, 07/03/03) |
"You
know, I love all
my North Pole buddies and I hope you weren't sick after my cooking
post-basho last time, but I am not a one who likes organisations,
ranging from any group or crowd downwards to the Brit Queen empire. I
love spontaneity and take-it-as-it-comes fail or succeed individual
endeavours, and I think one of the problems that stop people truly
developing into special individuals is a crowd mentality.
The North Pole is a place for misfits / oddballs / nice sweet 'only
children' etc individuals to feel at home, and not to be organised into
anything.
I would oppose all attempts to make the North Pole 'organised'. It is
better as a sort of Pirates Haven methinks! And, oddly enough, it will
work better that way. Please no 'let's all get together and decide who
gets the North Pole Bronze Chastity Belt / Polka Dot Mawashi or best
super-duper player of all cosmic hyper galaxy ever and ever forever
sumogames person'....(apologies to Zenjimoto, whose games I enjoy very
much and I appreciate his commitment to a love of sumo per se). It's
just that we are not all wanting to be bunched into a 'formula'...
North Pole or anywhere else. The games and the lively growth and
beyond-the-fringe banter is something that should maintain just
that...growth and constant change and evolving...outside of the 'let's
pour concrete on
it-rules-regulate-tabulate-organise-quantify-qualify-synchronise'
thinking."
(Boltono, 17/10/03) |
"Must
be a mild
crackpot even if it is in the privacy of your own home.
Cheers!
Boltono (just one of the wanderers out there in the beautiful frozen
spectacle of it all)."
(Boltono, 10/11/03) |
"Now
that the North Pole has managed to recruit Marushiki, we are thinking
of a long-term project... to recruit other players from
Australia and New
Zealand to the
North Pole - if you would like to join. Then possibly at some time in
the future (when there are 10 or
more such players
at the NPI),
all those that wished could start a break-away ichimon at the South
Pole (or some other name ?ANZACs?)."
(Jejima, 19/03/04)
|
|
|
| ***
"How can I join your
ichimon and become a Frost Brother/ Sister?" *** |
"Any
more out there?
[Just] let Jejima and Boltono know, now that the North Pole has been
made 'official'."
(Boltono, 07/03/03) |
"Technically you would now have to let
[Fujisan] Oyakata know, but saying "I do" to any NPI member, or by
simply expressing your desire to join our Base Camp by saying
so in the Bench Sumo list will do as well! And now that we have finally
clinched the Ichimon Championship Flag, I couldn't possibly imagine who
wouldn't want to join! "
(Chijanofuji, 06/10/06) |
A good
sleep...
 |
But
watch out for those darn penguin
visitors from the south pole!
 |
 |
Hatakikomi...
 |
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