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Ayurveda floors Sumo wrestler

Vinson Kurian

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, April 9

NOT many people in their right `frame' of mind would entertain thoughts of laying low the living Sumo legend, Konishiki. But this is exactly what the man-mountain from Japan was subjected to, lying spread-eagled on a specially-made massage bed in a five- star hotel for the last few days.

The wrestler of epic proportions descended on Kerala with a view to enjoying the rejuvenating comforts of Ayurvedic at the hands of a group of expert practitioners who, for all practical purposes, had a run of the 280 kg of bulging human muscle!

Konishiki alias Shioda Yasokichi, a successful champion wrestler of 15 years, accompanied by Hata alias Kyo Kudozan landed here to a collective sigh of disbelief and amusement of eager onlookers, shattering to smithereens the perceived wisdom among the d iminutive Keralite about size.

The sight of the gargantuan alighting from the aircraft, swaying delicately to either side while negotiating the short but seemingly tortuous course to the receiving area and onto the waiting carrier was an eyeful.

Konishiki was seeking Ayurvedic treatment to rid himself of the flowing flab while his friend was to undergo a therapy for relief from stress and pain. A team from Nippon Television had accompanied the duo to film their stay here.

The hotel authorities had been informed in advance about the special arrangements that had to be made at the three suites where the guests of `real substance' would stay.

A special made-to-order teak and plywood cot, reinforced many times over at the joints and the legs with cast iron rods, was readied for Konishiki. Similarly, heavily fortified chairs were made available for the big man to rest his overwhelming bulk. The western-style closet was made to snuggle itself into a cosy fit from all sides by an outer enclosure made of hard wood to allow the crouching frame the luxury of a roomy perch. Special bathroom and theme chambers had to be provided to accommodate the le viathan guest.

A separate suite was converted into a dining room to Japanese specifications, with low tables and chairs made of rose wood. The visiting duo was treated to typical Kerala cuisine as allowed under the Ayurveda scheme of things.

However, the experts attending on the Japanese heavyweights did not seem amused by the size and scales that Konishiki presented. In Ayurvedic parlance, these ``overweights'' are as healthy as ``those big trees with a huge hollow running through their ins ide''. So much for the good health of the seemingly invincible Sumos!

When asked what was the best Konishiki could hope for in terms of weight loss, the experts said 10 kg would not be too ambitious a target provided he was subjected to a longer period of treatment. Emerging from the four-day `ordeal', Konishiki was in hig h spirits.

Before leaving for Japan, he told mediamen that he would return for a longer period of treatment. A demonstration of kalaripayattu, the traditional martial arts of Kerala, also seemed to have floored the Sumo giant.

Born in 1963 at Oahu, Hawaii, as Salevaa Atisanoe, Konishiki moved to Tokyo in the 1980s and accepted the Japanese name of Shioda Yasokichi. From 1982, Konishiki's take-no-prisoners stare and massive frame made him one of Japan's most feared Sumo wrestle rs. Since retiring in 1998, he has mellowed to the point where he can be seen on television wearing a pink bunny suit or lying leisurely on an inner-tube raft in a Hawaiian lagoon.

Whether co-hosting a prime-time television talk show or appearing in a variety of commercials, the 38-year-old Konishiki has literally become the biggest hit in Japan's entertainment industry, overtaking Arnold Schwarzenegger as Japan's most popular fore ign-born pitch man.

A Sumo-turned-rap artist, Konishiki now endorses a series of brands on Japanese television for Tsumura and Co, Sanyo Electric, Suntory and Daihatsu.