The power is back in Italy, in Milan, where he was held a big international tournament. But the first time was during the "Easter Budo", back in 1983. We talk about with Spartaco Bertoletti.

There is always a first time for the things that happen here and there, in the vast World. Sunday September thirty in Milan was disputed an interesting and fascinating sumo tournament, the sport of giants, strongly desired and well organised by Fausto and Giampiero Gobbi, son and father, two very famous - and appreciated - in the martial arts . It 'been said that that was the first time in sumo, but Italy is not true. The first time was back in, almost remote, 1983, thanks to the now legendary "Easter Budo" Spartaco Bertoletti and Ennio Falsoni. And that was not only the first time in Italy: it was also the first time in Europe. Vediamone history with Spartaco Bertoletti and the "Easter" was certainly the father.
-- "Easter Budo" and sumo says ...
"With 'Easter' did - it should be said - the tour of Italy and in 1983 we were with three sumotori who performed in Milan, Cremona, Venice, Florence and Rome. It was a week of martial arts and among them also sumo. To me it seemed that that art and ancient Japanese rigidly certainly fascinating, it would have been successful in our shares. Why not bring it with us in the 'Easter Budo'? ".
-- Having said and done?
"That said and done. The three sumotori Yago of Ken - club Kobe, the capital of Hyogo Prefecture - who were in Italy were not professionals. But we are not interested we wanted athletes can 'tell' with their gesture, the sumo. And it was what they did. "
-- How were you able to bring in Italy?
"It 'a story worth telling. A Kobe's Eiji Ogasahara, who was then chairman of the Franco-Japanese Association, a cultural organisation that was part of the Rotary Club of the great city lies on the island of Honshu.
"It was also chairman of Jkka, Japan Karate-do kenshukai association, and I had with him - and I - excellent personal relations."
-- Was that the road?
"Yes, it was that. But it is necessary to take a step backwards. The character Ogasahara in Europe in 1976 led a delegation of Budo during the famous' Nice Carnival '. In the delegation were also majorettes that the Japanese had inherited from the Americans. And maybe the French laughing when they esibivano, but certainly not laughing for the performances of many marzialisti ".
-- Eiji Ogasahara was therefore the road. But why was that he did?
"Why was the second Japanese - after Hiroo Mochizuki - appointed by the French Ministry of Sports to teach karate. And not only in France but also in French-speaking countries of Africa. When he returned home, he was the French the highest honor sports, the 'Palme d'silver'. "
-- I hard to imagine something similar in Italy ...
"Yes. Yet it must be said that from us there was a character of considerable weight it did a lot for the martial arts, the judoka Augusto Ceracchini, president of Fik, Italian Karate Federation and vice-chairman of Filpjk. Augusto Ceracchini had, in 1977, from the hands of the belt Eiji Ogasahara red tenth dan, a very rare recognition. "
-- Augusto Ceracchini Why?
"Why was a visionary leader who understood the importance of keeping alive the relationship with Japan. I would point out that the ceremony took place in the building in Viale Tiziano Coni, in Rome. "
-- It must not have been easy for you manage all those characters "Easter Budo" ...
"No, quite the contrary. Think, in 1978, in Florence, in the building of an old archer Filpjk of-kyu do tirò an arrow and died. The last arrow ... I just remember these things because the 'Easter Budo' wanted to spread everything and not only what was already known by us. "
-- He had successfully sumo?
"Yes. And they had suffered. A great success. I remember that the first training course in Milan, took place in Bu Sen, the gym - which now no longer exists - Caesar Barioli in Arese. I sumotori afferravano the judoka and simply threw them away. "
-- The first race?
"A brief round tournament with all'italiana, Palalido, including three Japanese sumotori. And, as if by chance, won the lighter? ".
-- What does the "lighter"?
"It means a giant who weighed more or less, about 140 pounds. Look, the affair was unforgettable. Why, after the conclusion of the tournament judoka nostrani invited to try the thrill of sumo. And then invited the public. It was exciting, fun, exciting. And nobody became evil. "
-- And as the Japanese reacted?
"We watched and tried to understand the extent to which we in the West were extravagant."
-- Offriste spectators to the ritual?
"Yes. The straboccava Palalido. They wanted to see sumo meetings and even the ritual that preceded them. I remember that arbitrava a student of Ogasahara, Ideo Nakahashi who lives in Corsica. In Cremona also Giorgio Sozzi 'assaggiò' the sumotori. I must say that these guys were huge extraordinarily kind. "
-- Tells what was the impact with that world ...
"Eiji Ogasahara we sent the invoice on air tickets. But dividing the total by three non-returning. Scrivemmo and at the end - at that time you could not connect through the Internet and the fax was not widespread as today - after several letters and phone calls interminable discovered that to be the three sumotori served five tickets, the space that was occupied by plane .
"Li alloggiammo to Alexander and put two people per room. Recently a three sumotori sat on the bed we heard a crash: the bed had crashed. It aggirò the obstacle them sleep on the floor. And I must say that the mattress on the floor went well. Imparammo that events such extra expenses were those that you might fail. "
-- And the food?
"It was not a problem to laugh, because they ate every two hours and not everything. But in the end have adapted. How do you say 'eat this or soup or jump from the window'. Then me and Bob Clark brought the three sumotori in England, in Manchester, and the BBC, who made a magnificent service. "
Yes, it is correct to say that Sunday, September 30 in Milan was the first international tournament disputed in Italy. But the first time dates back to 1983, thanks to the fantasy of Spartaco Bertoletti and Ennio Falsoni. That was also the first time of sumo outside Japan. Now you can see in various places, for example in the Palais Omnisport Paris-Bercy.
Also in 1983 Spartaco Bertoletti received in Japan, a gold medal and a sword in recognition for his efforts in favour of Budo (which, I recall, is the "code of the samurai). The sumo returned to Milan in 1998, with "Martial Arts together. That was the second time, greatly helped the precious experiences of the first. Sumotori trees as giants walking ...
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This article was translated by a machine translation software and not by one person.