 He was criticized for frequently stalling at the "tachi-ai," or initial charge, in an attempt to unsettle his opponent.Kisenosato's injury in March 2017 prevented him from using his favoured defensive technique of "ottsuke," where he traps his opponent's arm with his left.He had been encouraged by his first stablemaster, Naruto Oyakata, to base his style around his powerful left arm, and after the injury commentators noted that it appeared difficult for him to adapt and use his right in tournament bouts.