Ashi waza is a huge part of Kirill Denisov’s judo game.

As well as regularly scoring with Ashi waza, he incorporates it into his Kumi kata, his movement and he uses it as a platform to set up his biggest throws.

For Ashi waza to be such a big feature within his judo requires repetition and va...

Kirill Denisov has five main Ashi waza Uchikomi.

The first is for a standard Kouchi gari.

The second is for his double Kouchi combination.

Then comes his skipping Kouchi gari.

Next up is this De ashi barai counter attack.

The idea is for Denisov to anticipate De ashi, and attack with Kouchi...

One of the hallmarks of Kirill Denisov’s judo is his ability to disorientate and destabilise his opponents.

It’s this unique capability that gives him so many openings and opportunities in Tachi waza.

Denisov seamlessly blends Kumi kata with movement and Ashi waza… And his Kumi kata and Ashi wa...

Five time World medallist Kirill Denisov is an expert at combining movement and gripping.

Denisov is a left handed fighter. When up against right handers, he uses a circular motion in his gripping patterns.

Primarily, he aims to fight for control of the lapel, before looking to dominate the sle...

When fighting right handed opponents who want a traditional high lapel or collar grip, Kirill Denisov’s first aim is to catch the power arm.

Once he’s done this he takes a cross lapel grip.

Before feeding the lapel into his left hand.

He then starts putting pressure on his opponent by pushing ...

Once Denisov is in charge of the lapel he fights for his favoured sleeve grip.

He likes to pin his opponent’s sleeve, whilst tucking his elbow into the side of his stomach.

This unique body position allows him gripping dominance, whilst conserving energy in his right arm.

After catching the op...

Kirill Denisov’s lapel feed is the starting point to his most effective gripping sequence against opposite stance opponents.

Competing at the very highest level in international judo for over ten years, the lapel feed was a regular technique Denisov successfully employed.

Occasionally he would ...

Multiple World medallist Kirill Denisov is a left handed fighter. When up against opponents who are also left handed, Denisov’s prime target is to catch and then neutralise their power hand, before he does anything else.

As his opponents will not give up their sleeve easily, Denisov’s strategy i...

Kirill Denisov says that whenever he fights left handed opponents, his first thought is always to have control of their left arm.

‘How do I catch the left arm’, he says. ‘How do I control it’.

With his opponents aware of his game-plan, they do as much as possible to prevent Denisov from catchin...

When Kirill Denisov is up against an opponent who takes a high cross grip, or ‘the Russian arm’, he has two very efficient ways of quickly dealing with this dangerous grip.

The Russian arm is very threatening, as an attack usually follows in quick succession.

Denisov’s response, therefore, has...

If Kirill Denisov is up against a left handed opponent who targets his lapel with their right hand, he has a very effective way of turning defence into attack.

With the opponent switching their upper body stance from left to right, Denisov’s main objective is to prevent his left lapel from being...

One of Denisov’s most effective strategies against same stance opponents is to come out right handed before switching back to a left stance once gripped up.

Here’s a good example against Turkmenistan’s Hojamuhammedov in the 2018 Agadir Grand Prix.

Denisov leads with a right handed lapel grip, w...

Five time World medallist Kirill Denisov’s Kosoto gari comes from the threat of his highly effective Uchi mata.

His twitch for the forward throwing Uchi mata gets the reaction in the opponent that allows for the rear throwing Kosoto.

Denisov has two main variations from the twitch.

The first ...

For the first time on Superstar Judo we can reveal Kirill Denisov’s Tobikomi Kosoto gari.

His amazing jump in variation of this classical Ashi waza is one of the most spectacular throws currently seen on the International Judo Federation’s World Circuit.

He’s used it time and time again, year a...

Here is Kirill Denisov’s arm clamp variation of his Kosoto gari.

With both judoka fighting to get their hip in front, in order to throw forwards, Denisov uses this moment to feint for his Uchi mata, and then go backwards for the Kosoto.

This usually comes about from the opponent wanting to thro...

In this clip we look at the competition variations of Kirill Denisov’s Kosoto gari.

In the final of the 2016 Qingdao Grand Prix, Denisov fights to get the sleeve of Mongolia’s Khutag.

As soon as he does, he wastes no time in throwing with a beautiful Tobikomi Kosoto gari.

Just look at that big...

Kouchi gari is a key technique in Kirill Denisov’s judo.

The five time World medallist uses Kouchi not only to score, but to destabilise opponents and to set up his major throws.

He mainly uses it when up against right handed opponents, and as well as a classical Kouchi, he has two other main v...

Kirill Denisov is a left handed fighter, so throws with left Kouchi gari.

He uses Kouchi against right handed opponents.

If he’s unable to attack directly with left Kouchi, he will set up the technique with a right Kouchi.

This is designed to destabilise the opponent and push the right leg ba...

Kirill Denisov has one of the most complete Tachi waza repertoires in competitive judo.

His two big forward throws – Uchi mata and Tai otoshi – are complemented beautifully with his three highest scoring Ashi waza – Kosoto gari, De ashi barai and Kouchi gari.

His skipping Kouchi gari works from...

Kirill Denisov’s most successful Kouchi gari in competition is his skipping variation.

In the 2011 Baku Masters, against Lithuania’s Bauza, Denisov skips in with a really quick Kouchi gari to score Waza ari.

With an unusual over the back and cross lapel grip, Denisov wastes no time in initiatin...

Five-time World medallist Kirill Denisov is mainly a Tachi waza man. But he does have one very effective and decisive piece of Ne waza.

Denisov’s Ude gatame is set up from a standing position. He learnt it from his former coach; Russian heavyweight legend Tamerlan Tmenov.

Denisov will use Ude g...