Photos of the 2009 US National Sumo Championships by Venice Paparazzi

Posted by SumoDan | Appearances, Tournaments | Tuesday 16 June 2009 8:47 am

Check out this great photo set of the 2009 US National Sumo Championships on June 13th at Muscle Beach - Venice, California shot by Edizen Stowell of Venice Paparazzi

Photos of the 2009 US National Sumo Championships by David Zentz

Posted by SumoDan | Appearances, Tournaments | Tuesday 16 June 2009 8:29 am

Check out these great photos shot by David Zentz at the 2009 US National Sumo Championships on June 13th at Muscle Beach - Venice, California:

              

Please check out more of David Zentz’s photography at www.davidzentz.com/blog

2009 US National Sumo Championships Results

Posted by SumoDan | Results, Tournaments | Sunday 14 June 2009 12:40 am

2009 US National Sumo Championships - June 13th, 2009 - Results

Muscle Beach - Venice, California

Men’s Lightweight

  1. Trent Sabo
  2. Ernest Freund
  3. Steve Bird

Men’s Middleweight

  1. Kena Heffernan
  2. Robert Ashworth
  3. Robert Daniel

Men’s Heavyweight

  1. Dan Kalbfleisch
  2. Kelly Gneiting
  3. Americus Abesamis

Men’s Openweight

  1. Dan Kalbfleisch
  2. Kena Heffernan
  3. Kelly Gneiting

Master’s Openweight

  1. Art Morrow

Women’s Openweight

  1. Natasha Ikejiri
  2. Janelle Hamilton

Men’s Team

  1. Centurion Sumo Club
  2. Illinois Sumo Association
  3. Golden State Sumo

Kelly Gneiting in ESPN Magazine

Posted by SumoDan | Sumo Stuff | Wednesday 25 February 2009 1:18 pm

3-Time US Heavyweight Champion Kelly Gneiting makes an appearance in the new issue of ESPN Magazine.  He is featured on page #26, in the “Sweat Spot”, a segment featuring athletes and their unique workouts.  In this issue, Kelly is wrestling with a tree - his way of training without a training partner.  Get your copy now, before they are all gone.

                        

Check out the ESPN video of Kelly in action…..and yes, Kelly is playing around for the camera, so don’t critique his “technique”.

Sumo on Hollywood Extra at LAMuscle.TV

Posted by SumoDan | Appearances, Sumo Stuff, TV | Saturday 21 February 2009 2:31 pm

Rob Riches from LA Muscle.TV stopped by to film Doug Cochran and I at our weekly practice in Chino.  We were joined by our student Ryan White and newcomer Mark Reiman. 

The video is just a quick introduction to sumo for those who don’t know much about the athleticism of the sport.

Hollywood Extra - Sumo USA

Introducing… SumoBrian

Posted by SumoDan | Appearances, Sumo Stuff, Tournaments | Wednesday 28 January 2009 3:33 pm

I’d like to introduce a new American sumo wrestler…  SumoBrian

                        

Brian competed at the 2006 Georgia Sumo Open, and took fourth in the middleweights.  The 2009 LA FitExpo Sumo Grand Prix was Brian’s second tournament, but now he is a lightweight.  In his first match, Brian beat 6-time US Lightweight Champion and 2008 World Bronze Medalist Trent Sabo.

         

In the openweights, Brian had the misfortune of going against the current US Heavyweight and Openweight Champ. 

        

Did I mention that SumoBrian is my BIG brother?  And I kicked his ass!  That should make up for all the times he picked on me when we were kids.

Los Angeles Daily News Article

Posted by SumoDan | Sumo Stuff | Wednesday 28 January 2009 3:01 pm
January 24th, 2009
Burbank Sumo Champion Wrestles With Image Problem
by Kevin Modesti, Staff Writer
 
Dan Kalbfleisch is used to getting funny looks when the blue-eyed, sandy-haired Burbank resident tells neighbors he’s a sumo champion.

So Kalbfleisch won’t be knocked off his bare feet if you suggest sumo wrestlers seem out of place at the Los Angeles Fitness Expo today.

He’ll respond with a dare you’ll choose not to accept.

“My body’s fit, but it’s fit for a different sport (than people are used to),” he said Friday at the Los Angeles Convention Center, where Kalbfleisch and two rivals were getting in some practice. “I’d like to see the person who challenges me on that.”

Kalbfleisch caressed his carefully cultivated belly, one of the tracts of pale flesh left exposed by his black mawashi, the wrestler’s famously immodest fighting garb.

“Punch my body, and you’ll break your hand,” he said before breaking into a grin. “Most of my body, anyway.”

This afternoon from 1 to 4, Kalbfleisch will be among sumo amateurs from eight countries competing in the FitExpo Sumo Grand Prix at the Convention Center, where the 2008 U.S. heavyweight and open-division champion will continue his friendly rivalry with 2005-06-07 national heavyweight champion Kelly Gneiting of Idaho.

Sumo is one of 11 disciplines, ranging from bodybuilding to street dancing, holding competitions at the sixth annual fitness industry trade show today and Sunday.

“Athletes,” said expo executive director Erin Ferries, “come in all shapes and sizes and colors.”

For Kalbfleisch, 32, who is not only a competitor but also president of the U.S. Sumo Federation, today is a chance to spread the word that sumo isn’t only for enormous Japanese guys. It can be fun for enormous American guys too. It can be fun for smaller men and women of any nationality.

“Sumo is a punch line to the American public,” Kalbfleisch said before sparring with Gneiting and Bulgarian lightweight Stiliyan Georgiev on a tarp laid over an exhibition hall’s concrete floor. “We’re trying to break the stereotype.”

Kalbfleisch is an L.A. story with a twist: The Chicago native came to California six years ago to try movies only to wind up driving a Sparkletts water truck. After being turned on to sumo by a PBS documentary in 2005, the former high school wrestler discovered his passion in a duhyo (sumo ring). He won the second sumo tournament he entered, an event held in a backyard in Garden Grove, and has kept getting better.

And bigger. The 6-footer weighs 335 pounds, having packed on 80 pounds since his debut, a low center of gravity being important in a game whose simple objective is to drive the opponent out of the duhyo or off his feet.

“He’s a very good mental competitor,” Gneiting said. “At first we (opponents) thought, `Who is this ass?’ He’s just very competitive.”

Kalbfleisch did get a movie credit, playing an anonymous sumo wrestler in “Ocean’s Thirteen.” More important, he has a Web site, SumoDan.com, promoting the sport and himself.

Promotion means trying to build a U.S. team for international competition and seeking sponsors for American sumo wrestlers. In salesman mode, he points out that the earliest Japanese sumo wrestlers, 1,500 years ago, were the first bodybuilders.

“He’s very good for the sport,” Troy Collins, the Los Angeles police sergeant who has won seven U.S. sumo championships, said of Kalbfleisch.

Kalbfleisch is single, living “the California single life,” he said.

Being here, Kalbfleisch finds that not everybody is shocked to learn he’s a sumo wrestler.

“Some are surprised,” he said. “But this is Southern California. Not too many people here are surprised by anything. That’s why we love it.”

Hong Kong Newspaper Article

Posted by SumoDan | Sumo Stuff | Wednesday 28 January 2009 2:53 pm

Check out this Hong Kong newspaper article about the LA FitExpo Sumo Grand Prix.  Can anyone translate?

無畏經濟嚴冬 預計15000人進場 相撲大賽 洛城健身博覽會
2009-01-25 03:31:00

(本報記者劉孟儒洛杉磯報道)短短3到10秒，勝負已分。套句前任相撲冠軍吉尼丁 (Kelly Gneiting)的話，瞬間的力與美、和比賽開始剎那的蓄勢待發，是這項日本國技逐漸受到其他國家觀眾歡迎的原因。 第六屆洛杉磯健身博覽會(LA Fitness Expo)將於今天(24日)起，在洛杉磯會議中心登場，並一連舉行兩天，過去幾年每年都吸引上萬人參加的洛杉磯健身博覽會，無畏不景氣壓力，估計今年將吸引一萬五千人人進場，而首次舉辦的相撲大賽，就是主辦單位今年用來號召民眾進場的最大誘因。 美國相撲協會(US Sumo Federation)代表柯林斯指出，很多人看過一次就愛上相撲這項運動，它近年在美國發展的速度很快，目前分為輕量級、中量級及重量級比賽。早年選手主要來自日裔人口眾多的夏威夷，不過加州投入此一運動的人口越來越多，已成為相撲運動主要搖籃。今年七月他們將前往在台灣參加世界杯相撲大賽 穿上傳統相撲力士裝束，在可拆卸式的「土俵」上進行比賽，老美力士們昨天有模有樣的示範各種相撲招式。 來自愛達荷州的 38歲前任冠軍吉尼丁是位卡車司機，重達470磅的他十年前正在煩惱減肥不成，偶然在電視上看到相撲比賽，他覺得是自己可以努力的方向，於是一頭栽入這項運動，為維護體能，他每天做伏地挺身，甚至參加馬拉松賽。 三屆美國相撲大賽冠軍卡波費雪(Dan Kalbfleisch)表示，很多人認為相撲只靠重量不需要技術，那是不正確的認知，其實相撲運動的技術頗有學問，是同時強調力量、技巧與平衡的運動，為強化力量他每周要進行三次重量訓練。 除了相撲比賽外，今年的洛杉磯健身博覽會還將舉辦摔角、籠中搏擊等十種武術及搏擊比賽，並有健身教練傳授各項健身技巧和各式健身攤位，歡迎民眾利用假日踴躍前往參觀。

Los Angeles FitExpo Sumo Grand Prix

Posted by SumoDan | Appearances, Tournaments | Tuesday 27 January 2009 12:56 pm

Los Angeles FitExpo Sumo Grand Prix - January 24th, 2009

Saturday marked the inaugural Los Angeles FitExpo Sumo Grand Prix at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  The Grand Prix joined the Iron Man Pro bodybuilding, the Gracie US Nationals, the Scot Mendelson Pro Bench Classic, and many other sports contests being held during this fitness weekend.

Women’s Openweight

Although there were only Americans competing, the women’s openweight was still a battle of champions.  2007 US Champ Lindsey Hood beat 2008 US Champ Natalie Burns in what had to be the longest bout of the tournament.  Lightweight Erica Sabo took the bronze.

Men’s Lightweight

The lightweight competitors were truly world class as last year’s World silver and bronze medalists Stiliyan Georgiev and Trent Sabo met in the semi-finals.  Stiliyan beat Trent, then Mongolia’s Battur Ganbaatar to take the gold.  Trent beat US Sumo Open rival Tsogsuren Tsogkhuu to take the bronze.

Men’s Middleweight

6-time US Champ Rene Marte is out of retirement for 2009.  Rene dominated his bracket, then threw US Sumo Open Champion Erdenebileg Alagdaa in the finals to win.  American Justin Crite, who is also making a comeback, won the bronze. 

Men’s Heavyweights

The international heavyweights locked out their American competitors from the finals.  Kelly Gneiting lost to 2-time World Champ Byambajav Ulambayar and Avtandil Tsertsvadze from Georgia, while I got beat by Petar Stoyanov and 3-time World Champ Torsten Scheibler.  Avtandil went on to beat Torsten for the bronze.  Byamba got to avenge his US Sumo Open openweight loss to Petar, and won yet another gold medal.

              

Men’s Openweights

Since Byamba lost to Stiliyan in the first round, I got my chance to climb up the bracket and meet Petar in the finals.  After a great match, Petar walked away with another international title.  Stiliyan toppled the giant Georgian to take bronze.

              

The Los Angeles FitExpo was a great host for sumo, and I hope we will continue having an annual tournament at this event.

SumoDan Fans

Los Angeles FitExpo Sumo Grand Prix Results

Posted by SumoDan | Results, Tournaments | Monday 26 January 2009 9:12 pm

Los Angeles FitExpo Sumo Grand Prix Results - January 24th, 2009

Women’s Openweight

  1. Lindsey Hood (USA)
  2. Natalie Burns (USA)
  3. Erica Sabo (USA)

Men’s Lightweight

  1. Stiliyan Georgiev (BUL)
  2. Battur Ganbaatar (MGL)
  3. Trent Sabo (USA)

Men’s Middleweight

  1. Rene Marte (USA)
  2. Erdenebileg Alagdaa (MGL)
  3. Justin Crite (USA)

Men’s Heavyweights

  1. Byambajav Ulambayar (MGL)
  2. Petar Stoyanov (BUL)
  3. Avtandil Tsertsvadze (GEO)

Men’s Openweights

  1. Petar Stoyanov (BUL)
  2. Dan Kalbfleisch (USA)
  3. Stiliyan Georgiev (BUL)
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