The remainder of this page of the handbook will summarise each of the characteristics on the profile.

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Game Period is the one thing that does not belong to the rikishi but it the "turn number" or time in which the profile was constructed.  It is a date stamp for the profile.  0 refers to January 2018.

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Rikishi ID is the unique number that belongs to this rikishi and by which you should identify him when sending in forms.

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Name is allocated to rikishi.  At the start of the Virtual Sumo all the rikishi in the top two divisions are based on real life rikishi.

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Rank is something you should try and get a good knowledge of to play Virtual Sumo.  It is their title or status within the sumo world and is subject to change every turn.

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Training Points is the unspent amount of improvement points the rikishi has acquired and can be "spent" on training.  (See the handbook and Training pages).

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Age is very important because as rikishi get older the rate at which they naturally put on weight multiplies and some of their skills wane.  Older rikishi can handle more weight better without penalty but unless they are naturally slim (by sumo standards) there will come a point where they inevitably have to spend all their training time managing weight.

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Height Taller rikishi naturally carry more weight and have longer reach making them better suited to performing Oshi attacks.  Shorter rikishi are far more adept at using low tachiai moves.

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Weight is a critical element in Virtual Sumo and there in no definite answer to what the best weight of a rikishi is - but there are some definite answer to what it is not.  When a rikishi's weight reaches a level determined by his natural weight, height, age and speed he will begin to suffer penalties.  Heavier rikishi gain an advantage in many aspects of matches but will be slower, which may counter act the gains.  The best stable managers will experiment with a rikishi's weight and monitor the effects of changes on his action scores.  Gains in some actions will probably mean drops in others.  Generally more weight gives greater Oshi skills but lower Kumi success, while the opposite is true for lightweights.  Some stable masters will want to balance out their rikishi skills set to make them less predictable, while others will want to specialise and play to their strengths.

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Natural Weight is an indicator of how naturally plump a riksihi is. The range is from something like -30 to +45, although such extremes are very rare.  With a score of +5, Tamawashi is very close to a normal sumo frame.  

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Sum of weight added / lost is the net record of weight gained or loss during training over a career.  Now in his 34th year, Tamawashi has had to work off 110kg in the gym over his career - time he could have spent on improving other attributes.

 

Reach provides an advantage in most thrusting and grappling situations.  

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Weight Penalty has been described in Weight (above).  A stable manager will be able to see when his rikishi's weight is starting to impact with inflated negativity.  Some managers may choose to push on with a heavier wrestler finding the benefits of greater bulk literally outweigh the penalty effect.

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Aptitude for Learning determines how much benefit a rikishi gains from their training.  Anything above 5.0 is very good.  This score will not change during the game.

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Emotionality refers to the degree to which a rikishi is effected by a run of good or bad results at a honbasho.  A more emotive rikishi's form will be negatively affected by a minus score but a good run will bring him additional confidence.  Emotionality is set and does not change through a rikishi's career. 1.0 is average.

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Virtual Sumo is built around three core skill sets.  Technical Skills are the ability to perform the actions and moves on which sumo is built.  Balance refers to a riksihi's degree of stability around the dohyo and how hard it is to knock him down or lift him out.  It includes some defensive skills.  Speed is an (inadequate) word used to cover not only the acceleration of a rikishi but his focus and ability to direct motion into power and activity.  Speed plays a special role in Virtual Sumo in that as part of his ring strategy, a rikishi determines how to use or focus his speed. Profiles also include an Effective Speed score.  Where this is lower than Speed it is because the rikishi does not have sufficient Balance to make use of all his potential Speed.  This could be resolved by reducing Weight or increasing Balance through training.  In the example given, Tamawashi has excellent Balance and so his Effective Speed is no lower than his base Speed score.

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A rikishi's build will have an effect on all these attributes (particlarly the later two).  His profile shows his natural aptitude in the areas of Technical Skills and Balance.  It also lists the additional gains through improvements (training and experience) for all three.

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In the course of a bout a rikishi has the potential to perform any of six different action types.  Three of these are related to "open" sumo when the rikishi are not in holding contact and three actions are used in grapple situations.

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The distance actions are:

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Oshi - all forms of slapping, thrusting and pushing.

Yotsu - the ability to make and use of the best hold on an opponent's belt or body while preventing him from doing the same.

Kumi - is the combining of movement within the dohyo with pulling, downward slapping and feinting techniques that try to use an opponent's own momentum against him.

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The grappling actions are:

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Yori - the ability to lift or force out an opponent using a hold.

Nage - the ability to pull off a throw or trip.

Kumi Kata - the ability to improve one's grapple position without letting one's opponent improve.

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It is the comparison of a rikishi's scores in their chosen skill sets which will form the basis of a bout's outcome.  How high a rikishi scores is determined by physical traits, and their core skills (Technical Skill, Balance and Speed).

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Finally, a profile shows the current ring strategy for the rikishi, but an explanation of these terms is provided in the section of the handbook "How Matches Work".

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