 Asahifuji also did well at sumo at school, finishing third in a national schoolboy competition, and later winning the West Japan Student Newcomers tournament while studying at Kinki University.However, tiring of the never-ending training, he gave up sumo for a while and spent his time fishing.Eventually an acquaintance of his father introduced him to Ōshima-"oyakata", former "ōzeki" Asahikuni, who had recently opened his own "heya" or stable of wrestlers, Ōshima stable.