The A.K.

I Guide - by Broski

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1)Introduction
a) Who am I?
b) Why play A.K.I?
c) A.K.I’s archetype
d) Outlining the structure of the video (section headings,
timecodes, explain that the video is not meant to be
binged and absorbed in one sitting but a companion
piece to help over time)
2)Terminology and assumptions
 a) You are not a complete beginner and links to common
terminology (https://glossary.infil.net/), mention
shorthand names for some moves - whip, fireball,
coward crouch, coward crouch roll, coward crouch dive,
flip. Will be using SF terminology for most inputs, but
with numpad notation for combo notation.

3)Explain production context

a) Currently a few weeks into Season 2, where she got
major changes, so more things may develop over time,
plan to cover future balance patches as they arrive
4)System mechanics
 a) Most system mechanics are universal so only going to
cover the ones that are uniquely different or have a
property worth mentioning specifically for AKI
b) Drive rush is very fast and very long distance, one of
the best drive rushes in the game and it’s a core part of
her neutral game
c) Drive impact has an unusually disjoint hitbox compared
to most, rarely matters but worth mentioning
d) AKI’s forward throw and backthrow, like most, do the
same damage, but backthrow gives SIGNIFICANTLY
more knockdown advantage. Forward throw can be
looped in the corner with a manual timed walk forward.
Generally you only want to forward throw your
opponent if they’re in or near the corner, otherwise
backthrow is better
5)Poison and Toxic Blossom
a) Some moves inflict poison - Explain poison damage
over time, poison status removed by taking damage,
poison cannot KO, poison is not subject to combo
scaling, poison will continue as long as the opponent is
in hitstun (although bonus damage will stop at 420)
b) Poison damage will not tick during AKIs level 3
cinematic, but it will continue to inflict damage during
her level 1 and level 2 supers
c) Toxic Blossom - A unique mechanic exclusive to A.K.I.
Landing certain attacks on an already poisoned
opponent triggers additional effects. These will be
covered with each move’s breakdown. Note that some
moves can apply poison but do not have a unique toxic
blossom effect.
6)Normals
a) 2LP
i) A fairly standard 4 frame normal
ii) Chains into itself and 2LK
iii) Links into 5LK, which is a very important part
of her combo structure
iv) Links into 5MP on counterhit and on punish
counter/drive rush it can link into 5MK or
2MP
v) Special cancellable
b) 5LP
i) 5F normal, slower than 2LP and slightly less
range
ii) Not particularly useful by itself but becomes
a target combo when pressed twice
iii) Target combo frametraps into itself
iv) Target combo is useful for hitconfirming
v) Target combo forward movement makes it
the only way to confirm two lights at max
distance
vi) Lowest recovery of all her lights, can
sometimes confuse people who perfect parry
it due to only being +7
c) 8LP
i) Niche jump normal, can be used as an air to
air, aki’s only jump normal that can be used
for a fuzzy IOH
d) 2LK
i) 5 frame light that hits low
ii) Can chain into itself and 2LP
iii) Her longest range light, although doesn’t
convert into anything at distance
iv) Useful link into 5MP from drive rush
e) 5LK
i) 4 frame light with longer range than 2LP
ii) Can be linked into from 2LP
iii) Uniquely, her only light attack which can
combo into MP serpent lash, which is a very
important part of her combo structure
f) 8LK
i) One of A.K.I’s two crossup air normals
ii) The only one that can hit on both sides
iii) Crossup hitbox is very narrow and the
damage and hitstun are low to compensate
g) 2MP
i) 8 frames startup and quite slow recovery
ii) Longest range of her special cancellable
mediums
iii) Only medium that can combo into OD lash
iv) Mostly used for whiff punishing and drive
rush cancels in neutral
h) 5MP
i) AKI’s fastest medium at 6F startup
ii) Special cancellable
 iii) Short range but good hitbox
iv) Best normal for intercepting forward moving
approaches such as drive rush, links into
lights on counterhit and itself on drive
rush/punish counter
v) Also good for interrupting spacing traps
when too far for lights
vi) Causes AKI to step forward on whiff, leaving
her very vulnerable
i) 8MP
i) Upward angled air normal designed to be
used exclusively for air-to-airs
ii) Puts opponents into a juggle state on air
connect, but very rarely leaves you able to
follow up a comb afterwards
iii) Even though you don’t get a combo
generally you can use the juggle knockdown
time to get drive rush oki, even from a
backwards jump
j) 2MK
i) AKI’s best low, 7f startup, not special
cancellable like a lot of the strongest lows
ii) Makes up for it by being +1 on block and +5
on hit, one of only two crouching medium
kicks in the entire game to be plus on block
 iii) With drive rush advantage it becomes +5 on
block and +9 on hit, can walk forward and
tick throw on block, or link into 5HK on hit
iv) Can be super cancelled, but very difficult (if
not impossible) to single hit confirm, mostly
used to beat DI and a hard read against
shimmies
k) 5MK
i) AKI’s longest range medium, 8f startup, not
special cancellable
ii) Links into 5MP on hit, 2MP and itself on
counterhit, and 5HK on drive rush
iii) Extremely good hitbox, can go over low
hitboxes and punish counter
iv) When used as a whiff punish can link into
2HK, 2HP, level 1 and level 3, depending on
range
l) 8MK
i) Situational jump normal, not useful as an air
to ground approach but very good as an
air-to-air against divekicks
ii) Can hit standing characters when done as
an IOH, useful as a hard callout on meaty
throws (very negative on hit if done though
so be careful)
m) 2HP
i)
10f startup, a sliding low that acts like a
sweep
ii) Very good for counter punishing other
sweeps at max range
iii) Gives an extremely long knockdown
advantage when landed as a punish counter
iv) Extremely unsafe on whiff and on block
v) Mostly used to end some juggles for oki and
corner carry (particularly after midscreen
214HP into drive rush)
n) 5HP
i)12F heavy with very long range but lots of
recovery
ii) -4 on block but rarely punishable if spaced
iii) Not special cancellable, but can be pressed
twice for a target combo
iv) The target combo can be delayed heavily
allowing for single hit confirms
v) Second hit of target combo inflicts poison if
not already poisoned
vi) If already poisoned, second hit activates
toxic blossom and launches allowing full
juggles
vii) Target combo can also be used in some
combos to re-poison opponents
o) 8HP
i) AKI’s best traditional jump-in
ii) Hits very deep vertically, can be pressed
early in jump arc and will sometimes beat
anti airs out of startup
p) 2HK
i) 10F poke with good range, although not a
low despite appearances
ii) Not special cancellable, and doesn’t link into
anything on hit or counterhit
iii) Super cancellable, and the cancel window is
HUGE, very easy to single hit confirm
iv) When canceled directly into super this move
incurs no damage scaling penalty, can do
enormous damage by confirming straight
into level 3 (5400 damage with CA)
v) Very solid anti air, particularly against long
distance jumps
vi) If it counterhits an airborne opponent they
are left in a juggle state
vii) From far away you can’t link anything after
viii) Up closer you can link 2HP, level 1 or level 3
ix) You can also cancel straight into level 2,
although be careful since this will not combo
if they didnt press any air normal
x) On grounded and airborne punish counter
this normal launches
 xi) Grounded hit allows combos into LP serpent
lash and drive rush 5LK at any range, this is
very good as a whiff punish
xii) Airborne hit allows juggles into drive rush
5LP at range and 214HP up close
xiii) Has above average juggle potential allowing
it to be added to the end of some combo
routes before canceling to supers
q) 5HK
i) AKIs fastest heavy normal at 9 frames, and
also AKIs only special cancellable heavy
normal
ii) Probably her most versatile normal, vital for
her combo game, whiff punishing, anti airs
and offensive pressure
iii) +4 on hit, can link lights afterwards but rarely
worth doing, can link into 5MP on counterhit
which is situational at best
iv) On punish counter this move causes a
special stagger state allowing combos into
both HK cruel fate and venomous fang, both
important combo starters. The punish
counter adds a large screen shake effect
with extra hitstop that makes it very easy to
identify when choosing the right followups
(poison opponent, demonstrate counterhit
 set to random and then do either coward
crouch roll or coward crouch dive)
v) On regular hit this is AKIs only normal that
can combo into coward crouch roll
vi) On block this move is -3, however it can be
canceled into coward crouch roll to create a
frame trap
vii) Can also create a mixup by canceling into
coward crouch grab once your opponent is
conditioned by roll kicks, although this mixup
can be avoided with an option select, which I
will explain more later on
viii) Can also be canceled into LK snake step in
order to reposition, bait drive impacts and
bait invincible reversals
ix) This normal is also a very good anti air,
covers a lot of angles in front of AKI,
although it will consistently lose to crossups
r) 8HK
i) Good jump-in normal, has worse vertical
angle than jumping HP but makes up for it
with more horizontal range and more hitstun.
Mainly used for far away jumps.
7)Command Normals
a) 3MP
i) AKI’s overhead, slightly slower than most at
24 frames startup but has a somewhat
 deceptive animation where AKI initially
seems to crouch
ii) You can combo afterwards on counterhit,
punish counter, and from a drive rush
iii) Due to being +3 on hit and having 3 active
frames it can also be done meaty, making it
+4 or +5 depending on the setup, which is a
big part of her corner setplay
b) 6HP
i) Slow lunging attack at 16F startup, but has
very good range
ii) -4 on block, but only punishable if done very
close
iii) Links into 5LK on counterhit and 5MP on
punish counter, but has to be fairly close
iv) Super cancellable, it can be single hit
confirmed but the window is a little tight
v) Does good drive gauge damage on block,
useful to harass people low on drive
vi) Sometimes used at the end of combos to
connect super after MP lash crumple
c) 6HK
i) A 14f startup double hitting hop kick
ii) Doesn’t actually cause AKI to become
airborne, but can crush lows from frame 11
iii) +2 on block, making it a very good offensive
pressure tool
 iv) Despite hitting twice the second hit will still
inherit bonus properties from counterhit,
punish counter and drive rush enhancement
v) Frametraps into any light afterwards, 5MP
will force a trade with opponent’s 4f button,
which is usually advantageous enough to
allow a trade combo into another 5MP,
though not universal (doesn’t work against
JP
vi) +4 on hit allowing links into 2LP and 5LK
vii) Can link into 5MP on counterhit and 5MK on
punish counter or drive rush
viii) Cannot be cancelled into anything, and quite
slow, making it very vulnerable to drive
impact if used carelessly, although it can be
made DI safe with a meaty setup
d) Jump 2HP
i) A fairly unique aerial command normal that
causes AKI to attack backwards
ii) This is her best crossup normal, it has a
significantly larger hitbox than jumping LK,
does more hitstun, and can connect even
from a very close forward jump
iii) From certain angles it can hit without
triggering a crossup, AKI will still usually land
behind the opponent
8)Special Moves
a) Sinister slide (coward crouch)
i) Performed with down and any two punch
buttons
ii) Causes AKI to enter a stance where she
slithers across the floor
iii) During this stance AKI will automatically
move forward until an action is performed or
she is hit out of it
iv) The stance significantly lowers AKI’s hitbox,
allowing her to avoid most projectiles, some
normals, and drive impacts
v) AKI is unable to block while in this stance
vi) Three special moves can be performed from
this stance, and she can also end the stance
by pressing up
vii) Manually exiting the stance this way takes
21f and AKI cannot block until the animation
is complete
b) Heel strike (coward crouch roll)
i) Performed by pressing any kick button while
in coward crouch
ii) A two hitting kick that is safe on block, and
+4 on hit, allowing links into 2LP and 5LK
iii) Can link into 5MP on counterhit, and 5MK on
punish counter
 iv) This is a core combo tool usually combo’d
into from 5HK or counterhit/punish counter
5MP/2MP
v) It is also a frametrap if cancelled into from
5HK, beating any normal and also locking
the opponent to the ground if they attempt to
jump expecting the command grab
vi) Similarly to 6HK it is vulnerable to drive
impact, but this move CAN be cancelled into
level 3 if your opponent attempt to DI
vii) This move can also be used in certain
juggles, although it does use up a lot of
juggle points, limiting the followups afterward
c) Entrapment (command grab)
i) Performed by press LP+LK while in coward
crouch
ii) This move is a command grab, meaning it
cannot be tech’d like a regular throw and can
only be avoided by jumping, backdashing, or
invulnerable moves
iii) This move should be used sparingly due to
its high risk, but is an important part of AKI’s
mixup game
iv) Very useful to punish people attempting to
parry or drive impact your strings, especially
if you condition them first with coward crouch
roll
 v) Due to the slow startup it is not a true tick
throw when cancelled into from any normal,
and therefore your opponent can defensively
option select a delayed jump to cover both
coward crouch roll AND the command grab,
but most people do not currently do this
vi) The grab itself has a very long animation,
and it is worth noting that poison damage
can tick throughout the entire animation,
noticeably boosting the grab’s damage
vii) Fun fact: this move inflicts 1852 damage,
which is an oddly specific amount, and the
reason for that is that on punish counter that
damage is boosted to 2222, a cute little
reference to FANG’s obsession with the
number 2
d) Venomous fang (coward crouch dive)
i) Performed by pressing any punch button
while in coward crouch
ii) AKI dives at the opponent, travelling almost
fullscreen distance and knocking the
opponent down on hit
iii) AKI is invulnerable to projectiles during
almost the entire dive, making this move an
extremely potent fireball punish
iv) Do be careful though that fireballs with very
low recovery can be difficult to punish on
 reaction from long range, and this move is
extremely unsafe if blocked
v) On hit this move also inflicts poison
vi) If the opponent is already poisoned this
move will activate two different toxic blossom
effects depending on the opponent’s state
vii) If the opponent is grounded and poisoned
this move will crumple them, allowing many
combo conversions
viii) If the opponent is airborne and poisoned,
this move will send them into a tumbling
state. While this state may appear visually
similar to a knockdown, it should be thought
of as being basically just another type of
juggle state, and can be reliably combo’d
afterwards depending on the situation
ix) You can also choose not to continue the
combo from this tumble state, and take
advantage of the enormous frame advantage
for oki setplay
x) Finally this move can be used as a very
situational anti-air, although it does not have
a particularly good anti-air hitbox it travels so
quickly that it can sometimes snipe
fullscreen jumps, particularly by using a
fireball trap, or against characters with
unusual air mobility options
e) Nightshade pulse (fireball)
i) Performed using a quarter circle back plus
light punch input
ii) AKI throws a projectile that inflicts poison on
hit
iii) AKIs fireball has some of the worst frame
data of any projectile in the game at 52 total
frames, and so often struggles to compete in
a traditional fireball war. It is also quite
susceptible to jumps and drive impact.
iv) On the flipside this projectile travels
extremely slowly, and because of this it
should be thought of not so much as a
zoning tool and more as a shield to safely
approach behind, particularly when
combined with AKIs incredible drive rush.
This can be done both in neutral and as an
oki option.
v) Despite inflicting poison this move has no
toxic blossom effect
vi) This move can also be cancelled into two
followups: Nightshade Chaser from frame 30
and OD Snake step from frame 36
vii) This move has an OD version that can be
performed by inputting using two punch
buttons
 viii) The OD version has two hits rather than one,
has significantly less recovery, and knocks
down on hit. It functions similarly to the
regular one but is much stronger as both a
zoning option, and as a shield to approach
behind.
ix) The OD version is also +1 on block, making
it also useful in pressure strings
x) Like the regular version this can be followed
up with OD nightshade chaser and OD
snake step, although note that the OD
version of nightshade chaser does not cost
any additional drive gauge
xi) Also note that OD fireball can cancel into OD
snake step slightly early than regular fireball
(frame 32, rather than 35) although it costs a
lot of drive to do so
f) Nightshade chaser
i) As mentioned previously this is a special
follow to AKIs fireballs that can be performed
with a forward + punch input
ii) It will naturally combo from fireball, causing a
knockdown, but also technically counts as a
toxic blossom effect, so the poison state will
be removed afterwards
iii) If a fireball is blocked up close, for example
when cancelled from a normal, nightshade
 chaser will frametrap them, making it harder
for the opponent to take their turn back after
blocking a fireball
iv) Oddly this move is -4 on hit if it connects
from a blocked fireball, even on counterhit it
is only -2 on hit, but because of the
separation distance you are effectively put
back to neutral
v) This move is VERY unsafe on block at –16
so don’t abuse it, even with the very long
pushback distance almost every character in
the game can easily punish it by performing
a drive rush into a 4-5F move. Some don’t
even need to drive rush at all (deejay HK
sobat, ed flicker etc).
vi) It can be used to punish opponents
attempting to advance on AKI by using their
own fireball plus drive rush combo, since
your fireball will clash with theirs and then
nightshade chaser will intercept the drive
rush
vii) Nightshade chaser is also useful as a combo
ender in some situations, as it outdamages
all versions of serpent lash when followed
with level 3
viii) This move has an OD version that can only
be performed from OD fireball
 ix)OD chaser is significantly less useful than
the regular version, since OD fireball is plus
on block, removing the need to use the
followup as a frametrap
x) The only reliable use-case I have found for
OD chaser is as a combo ender in certain
max damage routes, since it can be
cancelled into both level 2 and level 3 supers
g) Orchid Spring (poison puddle/pool)
i) Performed using a quarter circle back plus
medium punch input
ii) AKI places a poison pool on the floor that will
inflict poison status on an opponent that
makes contact with it
iii) This effect cannot be avoided by blocking
iv) This is AKIs most reliable way to try to
poison people from a neutral position,
although she is very vulnerable while placing
the pool
v) It is usually advised to only perform this from
a distance, by using a fireball as a protective
shield, or after a knockdown
vi) Opponents can be re-poisoned multiple
times by the same pool as long as they are
standing in it, this is very important for AKI’s
stun combos as well as some situational
max damage routes
h) Toxic Wreath (bubble)
i) Performed by using a quarter circle back
plus heavy punch input
ii) AKI hits twice using a poisonous bubble
directly in front of her
iii) This move poisons on hit and knocks the
opponent down, but has no toxic blossom
effect
iv) This is AKIs safest special move to buffer
from a cancellable normal, as it is only -4 on
block and leaves her far enough away that
no 4f move can punish
v) This is generally a useful option to end
chained light strings, particularly because it
frametraps from blocked lights
vi) Be careful though as it is very vulnerable to
drive impact
vii) While not particularly potent in grounded
combos, this special is extremely juggle
friendly when landed against an airborne
opponent
viii) On midscreen air connect it can reliably
combo into drive rush 2HP for large corner
carry, or link into level 2
ix) On corner air connect this can be juggled
into drive rush 5HK, which forms a key part
 of her corner combo routing and knockdown
oki
x) It’s worth noting that although this move
looks visually similar to some of AKI’s
options, this is entirely a strike attack and
cannot be used to negate fireballs
i) Serpent Lash (whip/chain)
i) This move can be performed by using a
quarter circle forward and a punch input,
different punches change the properties
(1) The LP version version causes AKI to
send her chain directly forward,
extending about ⅔ screen
(2) On hit this inflicts poison, on block this
move has variable frame data between
-6 and -8, although its usually safe if
spaced at all
(3) The chain can also negate a
projectile, however doing so will prevent
it from also hitting the opponent
(4) This move is fast and covers a lot of
distance, and can generally be used to
harass opponents in the midrange, the
reward on regular hit is low, but it can
chip away at your opponents drive
gauge or poison them from a stray hit.
(5) Beware though that this move is
vulnerable to both jumps and drive
impact
(6) If this connects on an already
poisoned opponent it will activate toxic
blossom, sending the opponent into a
juggle state
(7) The juggle is very limited, and often
cannot be followed up, unless very close
or in the corner, where you can connect
2HP, level 1, or level 3.
(8) If LP chain connects as a punish
counter it causes the opponent to
crumple, the crumple time varies greatly
depending on whether or not the
opponent is poisoned
(9) If unpoisoned, the crumple is short.
You can continue a combo if the
opponent is close, but you cannot get
any followups from further away.
(10) If the opponent is poisoned the
crumple on punish counter is
significantly longer, and can almost
always combo into drive rush 5HK. At
the absolute tip it is sometimes
necessary to substitute 5HK for
5HP~HP or 2HP
ii) MP Serpent lash
(1) When activated with medium punch
this move changes to a diagonal
upwards angle
(2) On hit this move launches the
opponent far away and poisons them
(3) This move is very unsafe on block,
and additionally cannot hit crouching
characters, which is very important to
keep in mind for her combos
(4) It is the slowest of all three regular
versions of serpent lash, and will only
combo from heavies, mediums, and 5LK
(5) The knockdown for this move leaves
AKI at +44 advantage, which autotimes
for a safejump, but only in the corner.
(6) Can sometimes be used as an anti
air, but startup is so slow that it’s usually
a pre-emptive anti-air over a jumped
fireball
(7) If the opponent is poisoned this move
will activate toxic blossom, causing the
opponent to be put into a crumple state.
This crumple is one of AKIs most
important combo tools, and there are
many followups to choose from
 (8) If the opponent is poisoned and
airborne the toxic blossom effect will pop
the opponent into the air, allowing even
further juggles
iii) HP serpent lash
(1) When activated with heavy punch the
chain attacks vertically upwards
(2) On hit this version launches the
opponent and poisons them, on block it
is very punishable. It’s also faster than
MP whip and will combo from any
special cancellable normal.
(3) This move is one of AKIs best anti
airs, as it has air invulnerability starting
from frame 4, although the purely
vertical hitbox can make it whiff against
empty jumps
(4) As with MP whip, this move also
leaves AKI at +44 advantage, but
significantly closer, allowing an
autotimed safejump anywhere on the
screen. Be aware though that midscreen
this safejump often requires split second
reactions to cover both neutral recovery
and backroll. This will be covered in
more detail in the oki section later on.
 (5) If the opponent is already poisoned
this move will activate toxic blossom,
launching them into a juggle state on
both ground and air connect
(6) This toxic blossom effect can be
combined with its anti-air properties to
give AKI very strong juggle starters from
an anti air
(7) It’s also possible to juggle from this
move on a non-toxic blossom anti-air,
although it has to hit very high up to do
so. 2HP, level 1 and level 3 are the most
common follow ups.
iv) OD serpent lash
(1) Activated by pressing a quarter circle
forward and any two punch buttons.
(2) AKI sends a horizontal chain out in
front of her, similarly to the LP version,
although the effect on hit is very different
(3) AKI will pull herself in close to the
opponent, poison them, and then be left
point blank at +4 advantage, allowing
links into 5LK and 2LP on a normal hit
(4) The relatively slow startup means it
will only combo from 5HK and 2MP on a
regular hit
(5) This move also has EX projectile
durability, meaning it will blow straight
through any non-EX projectiles, making
it a useful fireball punish. If it connects in
this way it will also often punish counter,
allowing links into 5MK, 5MP and 2MP
(6) Be aware though that the slow startup
means it’s mostly used as a read
against fireballs, rather than a raw
reaction. Additionally it only has one hit
of projectile durability against other EX
fireballs, meaning it will lose outright to
most other EX fireballs.
(7) During the animation where AKI pulls
herself close to the opponent she is also
invulnerable, which can be used to
avoid some attacks
(8) On air connect this move will still pull
AKI in close and poison the opponent,
allowing for further juggles
(9) If the opponent is already poisoned
this move will activate toxic blossom,
and cause a crumple on hit, similarly to
MP whip
(10) Notably this crumple state is
significantly more advantageous than
the one on MP whip, comboing into
 lights afterwards will keep the opponent
standing rather than a juggle state,
although it is usually still preferred to
juggle into heavies. It’s also possible to
combo into a ground throw from this
crumple, as a sideswitch option.
(11) On airborne connect against poisoned
opponents, the toxic blossom effect is
very unique. This usage will completely
resets the opponents juggle state back
to zero, allowing anything to connect
afterwards, even normals.
(12) This effect is very useful for certain
max damage combo routes, particularly
after stuns, and can also be used to
setup some sneaky resets
j) Cruel fate (flip/daggers)
i) LK Cruel fate
(1) Performed by inputting quarter circle
back plus light kick
(2) AKI will jump into the air and stab the
opponent four times, travelling around
halfway across the screen. This can
also avoid projectiles.
(3) On hit this leaves AKI point blank and
+1, and on block it is safe at -3
 (4) It is only possible to combo afterwards
on punish counter, which will only rarely
happen
(5) Notably this move becomes +1 when
the opponent is in burnout, giving AKI a
good way to maintain pressure,
although there is a big gap when
cancelled into from other normals, so do
not overuse it
(6) When hitting an airborne opponent
this move will causes a very slight
groundbounce effect, although most
specials will usually not be fast enough
to combo afterwards
(7) Uniquely among all versions of this
special, the light kick version adds zero
points to the juggle state. This can be
combined with the juggle state reset
effect of toxic blossom ex lash to allow a
juggle into 5LK for advanced mixup
opportunities
(8) The final hit of this move can be
cancelled into level 3, which is useful for
certain juggle enders, and can also be
used to protect against drive impacts
ii) MK Cruel fate
 (1) Executed with quarter circle back
medium kick
(2) Very similar to the light kick version,
although slower on startup, it travels
slightly further and is +3 on hit rather
than +1, allowing links afterwards on
counterhit as well as punish counter
(3) Probably the least useful version,
travels too far to be used in most
burnout pressure strings, lacks the
combo utility of the HK version
(4) Only real use-case is as a situational
juggle combo ender when cancelling
into level 3, since it does slightly more
damage than the LK version
iii) HK Cruel fate
(1) Executed with quarter circle back
heavy kick
(2) Travels nearly fullscreen, although it is
the slowest version of the move
(3) This version is +4 on hit, allowing links
afterwards into 5LK and 2LP.
(4) It can only be combo’d into from
punish counter 5HK, but is an extremely
important punish combo route
 (5) Can also be used as a fireball punish
due to the long range, giving punish
counter links into 5MK, 5MP and 2MP
(6) Uniquely this version does
significantly more pushback on block
than the LK and MK versions. It is still -3
but since AKI is outside of throw range it
makes it much harder for the opponent
to mix you up afterwards. The downside
of this effect is that the increased
pushback also applies in burnout,
making it worse as a burnout pressure
option than the other two.
(7) On air connect this move puts the
opponent into a groundbounce like the
LK and MK versions, however this
groundbounce is significantly higher
than the other two, and will always allow
a juggle afterwards into level 1, making
it a good juggle ender if you don’t want
to spend 3 bars.
(8) If it hits high enough in a juggle it can
also lead into LP and HP lash, although
this will only happen if all four hits
connect, so pay close attention.
iv) EX Cruel Fate
(1) Executed with quarter circle back and
any two kick buttons
(2) By holding forward or back it can be
steered during the flip to change the
trajectory, allowing it to punish
projectiles from far away while still being
useful up close
(3) On grounded hit it initiates a cinematic
followup, poisons the opponent, and
leaves them in a hard knockdown state
(4) On block this move is +2, making it
very useful for continued pressure
(5) On air hit this move will not activate
the cinematic, and will instead put the
opponent into a very high groundbounce
while also poisoning the opponent. This
groundbounce is very juggle friendly and
forms a core part of some juggle
combos
(6) In some scenarios the first two hits
may not connect, for example against
max range projectile punishes. When
this happens the cinematic followup will
not occur but the opponent will still be
poisoned, leaving AKI able to continue a
combo on counterhit and punish counter
k) Snake Step (slide)
i) LK Snake Step
(1) Performed with a quarter circle
forward light kick input
(2) AKI lunges forward but then dashes
backwards
(3) From frame 8 until the end of recovery
AKI is completely immune to projectiles
(4) From frame 14 until the end of
recovery AKI has a very low profile
hurtbox, this can avoid drive impact
among other things
(5) This move’s primary use is to allow
AKI to reposition herself backwards
while also baiting out certain reversal
options from the opponent, such as EX
DPs and drive impact
(6) Think of it like a backdash that AKI
can cancel into
ii) MK Snake step
(1) Performed with a quarter circle
forward medium kick input
(2) AKI slides forward, covering a little
more than halfscreen distance
(3) AKI cannot pass through the
opponent
 (4) Like the LK version, she gains
projectile invulnerability and a low profile
hurtbox during the middle of the slide
(5) Unfortunately due to being relatively
slow and very vulnerable during
recovery this move is almost never used
to approach the opponent
(6) The only real utility of the medium kick
version of snake step is as a way to
close in opponents after certain
knockdowns to get oki
iii) HK Snake Step
(1) Performed with a quarter circle
forward heavy kick
(2) Functionally identical to MK snake
step. AKI travels even further but this
move is even slower
(3) Like the MK version this is mostly
used after certain knockdowns to cover
ground quickly and get oki
(4) Unlike the MK version this one CAN
sideswitch, making it a very situational
option while burned out in order to
escape the corner
iv) OD Snake step
(1) Performed with a quarter circle
forward and any two kicks
(2) AKI slides forward with a similar
trajectory to the heavy kick version
(3) This version however is fully strike
and projectile invulnerable from frame 1,
making it a decent escape option to get
out of pressure
(4) Be cautious though as it has no throw
invulnerability, and being thrown out of it
will be a punish counter, causing you to
instantly lose three bars of drive on top
of the throw damage.
(5) The recovery for this move is very
unique, if AKI sideswitches through the
opponent she will remain strike and
projectile invulnerable all the way
through until the end of recovery. If she
does NOT pass through the opponent
she DOES have hittable recovery. This
is presumably to weaken its utility as a
fullscreen fireball counter.
(6) As mentioned previously this move
can be cancelled into from AKIs fireball.
Doing so can protect you from fireball
punishes, and can also be used to trick
your opponent into meeting your fireball
with their own, only to slide in and
punish.
9)Supers
a) Level 1 - Deadly Implication
i) Performed with a double quarter circle plus
kick input for one bar of super meter
ii) AKI kicks the opponent into the air, activating
a cinematic where she traps them in a
bubble and detonates it, poisoning them
iii) This super is strike and throw invulnerable
from frame 1, making it one of AKIs best
reversal options. Be aware though that this
move has 10 frames of startup, making it
possible for some characters to meaty with a
jab and still recover in time to block.
iv) On hit this super does 1800 damage, making
it one of the lowest damage level 1’s when
hitting raw
v) However, poison damage inflicted BEFORE
the super will continue to tick during the
entire slow animation. Keep in mind also that
poison damage is not subject to combo
scaling, making it one of the highest damage
level 1s at the end of long combos, provided
the opponent is already poisoned.
vi) The long horizontal range of this super also
makes it a decent punish tool, particularly
against some character’s max range
sweeps.
 vii) In the corner this super also gives a good oki
situation, a fireball followup cannot be
jumped, making it particularly good to
continue pressure against burned out
opponents.
b) Level 2 - Tainted Talons
i) Performed with a double quarter circle back
plus punch
ii) AKI attacks with a barrage of poison lashes,
these lashes have projectile hitboxes, and
will neutralize both regular and EX fireballs.
iii) The angle and distance of the super is
determined by the punch button. LP attacks
point blank, MP attacks at around half
screen and HP will go fullscreen
iv) All hits of the super will inflict poison.
Existing poison damage will tick during this
super, but the animation is so fast that it
does not make a noteworthy difference
unlike level 1.
v) This level 2 technically starts up in 7 frames,
however the first active frames are far above
AKIs head. The chains will not reach a
grounded opponent until around frame 14,
making it a lot slower than the numbers
would suggest.
 vi) This super has no invulnerability whatsoever,
and cannot be used as a reversal. It CAN be
used as a fireball punish, but will only work if
the chains are able to wipe out the projectile.
If the incoming projectile is missed AKI will
be hit out of the animation, losing out on
most of the damage. Because of this the MP
version is actually a better projectile punish
than the HP version, since the HP version
generally hits the opponent but misses their
fireball.
vii) The final hit of the super will spawn a very
large pool of poison on the floor. This pool is
similar to the one created by orchid spring,
however it is significantly larger, and
uniquely this pool does NOT disappear if AKI
gets hit. Strangely the MP and HP versions
of the super also cause the poison pool to
very slowly creep forward, I don’t know why
the LP version doesn’t and I don’t know any
real use for this property, but it exists.
viii) This super does good chip damage on block,
and is somewhat safer than most level 2’s at
-19. This makes it a very good and relatively
safe fullscreen chipout option against an
opponent in burnout, although beware there
 are character specific ways to evade and
punish.
c) Level 3 - Claws of Ya Zi
i) Performed with a double quarter circle
forward and punch
ii) AKI lunge forward to initiate her level 3
cinematic
iii) Her level 3 is fully invulnerable from frames 1
to 12, making it a good reversal, albeit at a
very high meter cost.
iv) The super itself is fairly standard like most
level 3s, it does 4000 damage on hit, going
up to 4500 if AKI is below 25% health for the
critical art version.
v) AKI can get oki after both her level 3 and
critical arts using a drive rush, although note
that the critical art is less advantageous and
requires a manually timed drive rush 5MP to
get the best pressure afterwards
vi) Note that this cinematic freezes the timer,
meaning that poison damage will NOT tick at
all during the animation. Poisoning the
opponent beforehand provides no additional
benefit to this super.
10) Combos I want to stress that SF6’s combo
system has a lot of freedom, so I don’t like to
label any combo as “optimal”. AKI has a huge
number of variables to choose from when
picking combo routing, including drive gauge
cost, super meter cost, regular hit, counterhit,
punish counter, okizeme after the combo, screen
positioning, maximizing corner carry, whether
the opponent is poisoned before the combo and
whether to poison them at the end of the combo.
The following is a list of common BNBs that
cover a lot of these conditions, but this is not
meant to be an exhaustive list, rather it gives
you the building blocks of her common combos
to give you some idea of how they fit together.
a) Lights - no drive - no super - unpoisoned - regular hit
i) 2LP 2LP xx 236HP
ii) 2LK 2LP xx 236HP
iii) 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236HP
(1) Note that the 2LPs must be chained
together or this will not consistently
connect
iv) 5LP 5LP xx 236HP
v) 2LP 5LK xx 214LP xx 6P
b) Lights - no drive - no super - unpoisoned - counterhit
i) 2LP 5MP xx 236HP
ii) 2LP 5LP 5LP xx 236HP
iii) 2LK 5LP 5LP xx 236HP
c) Lights - no drive - no super - unpoisoned - punish
counter
i) 2LP 5MK 5MP xx 236HP
ii) 2LK 5MP xx 236HP
d) Lights - no drive - non super - poisoned
i) 2LP 2LP xx 236HP, 236LP
ii) 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, 5HP->HP
(1) Note that this combo and any future
combo using 236MP will only connect
on a standing opponent
iii) 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, 5HK xx 236MP
iv) 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, dash, 2LP xx 236HP
e) Lights - no drive - supers - unpoisoned
i) 2LP 2LP xx 236236K
ii) 2LP 2LP xx 214214P
iii) 2LP 2LP xx 236HP xx 236236P
iv) 2LP 5LK xx 214LP xx 6P xx 236236P
f) Lights - no drive - supers - poisoned
i) 2LP 2LP xx 236236K
ii) 2LP 2LP xx 236HP, 214214HP
iii) 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, 6HP xx any super
g) Lights - 2 drive
i) 2LP 5LK xx 214PP xx 6P
h) Lights - 3 drive
i) 2LP 2LP xx DR, 2LP 5MK 5MP xx 236HP
i) Lights - 5 drive
i) 2LP 2LP xx DR, 2LP 2MP xx 236PP, 2LP
2LP 5LK xx 236MP, dash, 5LK xx 236MP
j) Lights - 6 drive
i) 2LP 2LP xx DR, 2LP 5MK 5MP xx DR, 5MK
5HK xx 2PP->K, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236HP
k) Lights - drive and poison
i) 2LP 2LP xx 236HP, DR 5HK xx 236MP,
236HK
ii) 2LP 2LP xx 236HP, DR 2MP xx 236HP
(1) Less damage than previous, but +44
knockdown
iii) 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, DR 5HK xx 2PP->K, DR
2MP xx 236HP
iv) 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, 5HK xx 236PP, 236HP,
any super
v) 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, 5HK xx 236PP, DR 2LP
xx 236MP, DR 5HK xx 2PP->P, dash
l) Mediums - no drive - no super - unpoisoned - regular hit
i) 5MP xx 214HP
ii) 5MP xx 214LP->6P
iii) 5MK 5MP xx 236HP
iv) 5MK 5MP xx 214LP->6P
v) 2MK 5LK xx 236HP
vi) 2MK 5LP 5LP xx 236HP
m) Mediums - no drive - no super - unpoisoned - counter
hit
i) 5MP 5LP 5LP xx 236HP
ii) 5MK 5MK 5MP xx 236HP
iii) 2MK 5MP xx 236HP
iv) 5MP xx 2PP->K, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236HP
n) Mediums - no drive - no super - unpoisoned - punish
counter
i) 5MP 5MP xx 236HP
ii) 5MK 5HK xx 2PP->K, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx
236HP
iii) 2MK 5HK xx 2PP->K, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx
236HP
iv) 5MK 2HP
(1) For max range whiff punishing
o) Mediums - no drive - no super - poisoned
i) 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK xx 236MP
ii) 5MK 5MP xx 236HP, 236LP
iii) 2MK 5LK xx 236MP, 5HP->HP
p) Mediums - drive - unpoisoned
i) 2MP xx 236PP, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236MP,
5HP->HP
ii) 2MP xx 236PP, 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, dash,
2LP xx 236HP
(1) +44 knockdown
iii) 5MP xx DRC, 5MK 5HK xx 2PP->K, 2LP
2LP 5LK xx 236HP
 iv) 5MK 5MP xx DRC, 5MK 5HK xx 2PP->K,
2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236HP
v) 5MP xx DRC, 5HK 5MK 5MP xx DRC, 5MK
5HK xx 2PP->K, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236HP
q) Mediums - drive - poisoned
i) 2MP xx 236PP, 5HK xx 214HP, DR 2HP
ii) 5MP xx DRC, 5MK 5HK xx 2PP->K, 2LP,
5LK xx 236MP, 5HP->HP
iii) 5MP xx DRC, 5HK 5MK 5MP xx DRC, 5MK
5HK xx 2PP->K, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236MP,
6HP xx any super
r) Heavies - no drive - no super - unpoisoned - regular hit
i) 5HK xx 2PP->K, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236HP
ii) 5HP->HP
s) Heavies - no drive - no super - unpoisoned - counterhit
i) 5HK 5MP xx 236HP
ii) 6HP 5LK xx 236MP
t) Heavies - no drive - no super - unpoisoned - punish
counter
i) 5HK xx 214HK, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236HP
ii) 6HP 5MP xx 236HP
iii) 2HK 236HP
iv) 2HK 2HP
u) Heavies - no drive - no super - poisoned
i) 5HK xx 2PP->K, 5LK xx 236MP, 5HK xx
236MP
ii) 5HP->HP 236MP
 v) Heavies - poisoned - punish counter
i) 5HK xx 2PP->P, 5HK xx 2PP->K, 236LP
ii) 5HK xx 2PP->P, 5HK xx 214HP, DR 2HP
iii) 5HK xx 2PP->P, DR 5HK xx 2PP->K, DR
2MP xx 236HP
iv) 5HK xx 2PP->P, 5HK xx 2PP->K, DR 5HK xx
DRC 5HK xx 214MK xx level 3
v) 5HK xx 2PP->P, 5HK xx 2PP->K, DR 5HK xx
DRC 5HK xx 214KK xx any super
vi) 5HK 5HK xx DRC 5MK 5HK xx 2PP->K, 5LK
xx 236MP, 5HK xx 236MP
vii) 5HK 5HK xx DRC 5HK 5MK 5MP xx DRC
5MK 5HK xx 2PP->K, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx
236MP, 6HP xx any super
11) Corner combos - Corner combos for AKI
almost always use the same enders, so
generally speaking you want to do the same
combo as midscreen, however the combo route
diverges once you land either toxic blossom MP
lash or toxic blossom HP lash
a) MP lash enders
i) 5HK xx 214HP, 236LP, level 2 or level 3
ii) 5HK xx 214HP -> level 1 (skipping 236LP
here does more damage due to the poison
tick during level 1)
iii) 5HK xx 214HP, DR 5HK xx 2PP->P
 iv) 5HK xx 214HP, DR 5HK xx DRC 5HK xx
214HK, level 1 or 3
v) 5HK xx 214HP, DR 5HK xx DRC 5HK xx
DRC 5HK xx 214HK, level 1 or 3
vi) 5HK xx 214HP, DR 5HK xx DRC 6HK, DR
5MP xx DRC 6HK, 236LP, any super
b) HP lash enders
i) Identical to MP lash enders, except you
remove the 5HK at the beginning
12) Anti air combos
a) HP lash starter - opponent unpoisoned
i) High hit 236HP -> 2HP
ii) High hit 236HP -> level 1 or 3
b) HP lash starter - opponent poisoned
i) 236HP, 236MP
ii) 236HP, DR 5HK xx 2PP->P
(1) Note that if you find yourself passing
underneath the opponent during the
drive rush you need to manually delay
the drive rush a little
iii) 236HP, 236PP, 236HP, any super
iv) 236HP, 236PP, 236MP, 236LP
(1) Only works on a moderately high
connect
v) 236HP, DR 5HK xx 214KK, 236HP, any
super
vi) 236HP, DR 5HK xx 214KK, 236LP, 236LP
 vii) 236HP, DR 5HK xx 214KK, DR 5MP xx
236MP, DR 5HK xx 214KK, any super
c) Punish counter 5HK starter - unpoisoned
i) 5HK xx 2PP->P
ii) 5HK xx 2PP->K, 236LP
iii) 5HK xx 214HK, 236HP
(1) only works if all four hits of 214HK
connect
iv) 5HK xx 214KK, 236HP, any super
v) 5HK xx 214KK, DR 5MP xx 236MP, DR 5HK
xx 214KK, any super
d) Punish counter 5HK starter - poisoned
i) 5HK xx 2PP->P, 236LP
ii) 5HK xx 2PP->P, DR 5HK xx 236MP
iii) 5HK xx 2PP->P, DR 6HK, DR 2LP xx 236HP
iv) 5HK xx 2PP->P, DR 5HK xx DRC 5HK xx
DRC 5HK, level 1 or 3
e) Counterhit 2HK starter
i) 2HK, 2HP
(1) does not work at max range
ii) 2HK, level 1 or level 3
(1) high hit only, somewhat risky
iii) 2HK xx any super
(1) juggles much more reliably by
cancelling straight into super, but will not
work if the opponent did an empty jump
 f) Punish counter 2HK starter
i) 2HK, 236HP
ii) 2HK, 214HP, DR 2HP
iii) 2HK, 214HP, DR 2MP xx DRC 5HK xx
2PP->P, any super
(1) Very finicky combo, will only be able
to reach the DR 2MP if the initial 2HK
hits very close
iv) 2HK, 214HP, DR 5MK, DR 2LP xx DRC 5HK
xx 2PP->P, any super
(1) Slightly more stable than the previous
combo, but costs slightly more drive
13) Stun combos
a) After stunning an opponent in burnout with a drive
impact, AKI has some very unique stun combos by
taking advantage of the fact that she can set orchid
spring underneath the opponent before beginning the
combo
b) 0 Drive
i) 214MP, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK
xx 2PP->K, level 1
ii) 214MP, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK
xx 236MP, 2PP->K, level 2 or 3
c) 1 Drive
i) 214MP, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK
xx 236PP, 214HP, 2PP->K, any super
d) 2 Drive
i) 214MP, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK
xx 236PP, 214HP, 236MP, DR 5HK xx
214KK, level 1 or 2
ii) 214MP, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK
xx 236PP, 214HP, DR 5HK xx 2PP->P,
236LP xx level 3
e) 3 Drive
i) 214MP, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK
xx 236PP, 214HP, DR 5HK xx DRC 5HK xx
214HK, level 1 or 3
ii) 214MP, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK
xx 236PP, 214HP, DR 5HK xx DRC 5HK xx
214HP, 236LP, level 2
f) 4-5 Drive
i) 214MP, dash, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx DRC
5HK 5MK 5MP xx DRC 5MK 5HK xx
2PP->K, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, 5HK xx
214HP, level 1
ii) 214MP, dash, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx DRC
5HK 5MK 5MP xx DRC 5MK 5HK xx
2PP->K, 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, 5HK xx
214HP, 236LP, level 2 or 3
g) 6 Drive
i) 214MP, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK
xx 236PP, 214HP, DR 5MK, DR 2LP, DR
 5LP, DR 5MP xx DRC 5HK xx 2PP->K, level
1
ii) 214MP, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK
xx 236PP, 214HP, DR 5MK, DR 2LP, DR
5LP, DR 5MP xx DRC 5HK xx 214HP,
236LP, Level 2
iii) 214MP, Jump HK 5MK 5MP xx 236MP, 5HK
xx 236PP, 214HP, DR 5HK xx 214KK, DR
5MP xx DRC 5HK xx 214MK xx level 3
14) Advanced microwalk combos
a) By walking forward for a few frames in the middle of a
combo it is possible to restore a tiny amount of drive
gauge. By doing this you can perform 3 drive rush
cancels in a single combo rather than the usual limit of
2. This is mostly for advanced play only and only
increases damage output by a very small amount.
b) The easier microwalk - DR 5MK, walk, 5MP
i) Example combo - 5MP xx DRC 5MK, walk,
5MP xx DRC 5HK 5MK 5MP xx DRC 5MK
5HK xx 2PP->K 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236HP
ii) This microwalk is moderately lenient and is
reasonably match viable
c) The hard microwalk - DR 5HK, walk, 5MP
i) Example combo - 5MP xx DRC 5HK, walk,
5MP xx DRC 5HK 5MK 5MP xx DRC 5MK
5HK xx 2PP->K 2LP 2LP 5LK xx 236HP
ii) This microwalk does fractionally more
damage than the previous one, but the walk
 is frame perfect and so is generally not
advised for match safety.
15) Oki
a) The +44 knockdown
i) Many of AKI’s combo enders leave her at
+44 knockdown advantage, as mentioned
several times during the combo section. This
is an extremely important knockdown state
to aim for, since it leads to a wide variety of
powerful oki options
ii) Common +44 knockdown starters:
(1) 236HP
(2) 236MP
(3) Toxic blossom 236HP -> DR 2MP xx
236HP
(4) Any crumple -> dash -> 2LP/5LK xx
236HP
(5) Any crumple -> DR 5HK xx 2PP->K,
DR 2MP xx 236HP
(6) Corner combo ending with DR 5HK xx
venomous fang -> whiff 2HP
iii) Being +44 gives AKI access to an immediate
safejump. This safejump is immune to all anti
air reversals except Lily’s windclad LP or OD
DP, and armored reversals such as Honda
OD headbutt and Marisa OD Scutum. Note
however that you CAN safejump armored
 reversals like these by switching to a
jumping light attack.
iv) This safe jump requires a lot of practice
however, as you have to modify your air
normal depending on whether your opponent
recovers in place or backrolls. If they recover
in place you will need to safejump with
crossup jump 2HP. If they backroll you can
safejump with any other normal, although
jump HP and HK are usually preferred.
v) Some +44 knockdowns leave the opponent
at a slightly further distance, these ones do
not require you to adjust your safejump for
your opponents recovery, making them much
safer in matches if you’re struggling to react
to your opponents wakeup type.
(1) Examples - Any crumple -> DR 5HK
xx 2PP->K, DR 2MP xx 236HP
(2) 236PP -> 2LP 5LK xx 236MP, dash,
2LP xx 236HP
vi) +44 oki isn’t just for safejumps, it also has
other good options
vii) Double dash - Leaves you +6 point blank on
both recoveries, afterwards you can:
(1) Throw (must be delayed a little)
(2) Meaty 2LK 5LK
(3) 2MK 5LK
 (4) 5HK
(5) Neutral jump (to beat delay tech)
viii) MK Snake step - Similar to double dash,
leaves you +5 rather than +6
(1) Being +5 is better in some ways. You
don’t need to delay to land a throw.
(2) However it doesn’t have as much
horizontal travel as a double dash. As a
result on certain knockdowns you can
be left slightly too far away from your
opponent if they backroll to connect
2MK into 5LK afterwards.
ix) Meaty overhead
(1) If you have a +44 knockdown on a
cornered opponent, or a midscreen
opponent that quickrises close to you,
you can land a meaty 3MP overhead by
doing a dash first
(2) This overhead is +5 on regular hit,
allowing links into lights
x) Drive rush
(1) Doing an extended drive rush here is
a powerful oki option, since you can
cancel the later frames of drive rush into
block, allowing you to either go for drive
rush enhanced normals, or bait
reversals by cancelling into block
 (2) DR 6HK, which is +6 on block and +8
on hit
(3) DR 2MK, which is +5 on block and +9
on hit
(4) DR 3MP, which is an overhead that’s
+2 on block and +7 on hit
(5) DR directly into throw, to beat your
opponent blocking or punish counter
them if they woke up with parry
(6) DR cancelled into walk backwards, to
both bait out reversals and also to
shimmy if they attempt a delayed throw
tech
b) Toxic blossom venomous fang
i) Another key element of AKIs knockdown
game is ending corner combos with toxic
blossom venomous fang (e.g. 2LP 2LP xx
236HP, 214HP, DR 5HK xx 2PP->P on a
poisoned opponent)
ii) This tumbling knockdown gives enormous
frame advantage at +84
iii) You can perform orchid spring after this
knockdown to poison your opponent as soon
as they wakeup, and still leaving AKI at +38
advantage to go for further pressure, for
example
(1) 214MP, whiff 5HP, throw
 (2) 214MP, whiff 5MP, 6HK
(3) 214MP, whiff 5LP, 3MP (meaty
overhead, +5 on hit, +0 on block)
(4) 214MP, dash, DR 2MK (meaty low,
+11 on hit, +7 on block)
(5) 214MP, 214LP (meaty fireball, +17 on
hit, +12 on block, protects against
wakeup level 1’s and certain reversals)
iv) These options are particularly powerful
because they can almost all be used to loop
back into the same situation
v) If you choose not to place the orchid spring
after the venomous fang knockdown you can
instead whiff a crouch HP, which will convert
it into a +44 knockdown, enabling any of the
previous oki options
vi) Another powerful oki option after toxic
blossom venomous fang is LK snake step
into fireball followed by a drive rush
(1) The fireball hits extremely meating
giving you very large advantage on hit
and block
(2) This setup also has a built in
defensive option select, since the drive
rush causes you to transition through
parry for a small number of frames
before movement, you will automatically
 parry any fast invulnerable reversals
your opponent does, such as OD DPs
(3) Note however that this will not work
against slower reversals, since you will
be too far into the drive rush startup to
automatically parry
c) Assorted other oki options
i) Finally some assorted oki options from other
common knockdown situations
ii) Forward throw
(1) DR 5MK - leaves you far away if
opponent backrolls, but can still link into
5HP->HP since it hits meaty
(2) DR 5MP - leaves you closer than 5MK
for better pressure, but must be
manually timed, will whiff if done
instantly
iii) Back throw
(1) DR 6HK - Must be manually timed but
leaves you point blank and very plus on
both recoveries
(2) If you backthrow your opponent into
the corner you can dash and then be +8
iv) Fireball trap knockdowns
(1) Several knockdowns can only give oki
with a drive rush, such as 214HP and
214LP->6P
 (2) Rather than going for a typical drive
rush you can also opt to throw a fireball
and then drive rush
(3) This creates a nasty trap where your
opponent will either have to defend
against the fireball approach or jump the
fireball
(4) If they jump the fireball you can
actually anti air with DR 5HK and this
can lead to some very stylish combos
(5) Example - 2LP 2LP xx 214HP, throw a
fireball, then drive rush in and watch for
jumps
(6) If they jump you can do anti air 5HK
xx 2PP, DR 2LP xx 236MP, DR 5HK xx
214KK, any super
16) Defense
a) AKI overall has some of the weaker defensive options
in the game, but they must all be utilized to avoid
getting mauled once your opponent knocks you down
b) Here is a brief list of AKIs main defensive options,
besides blocking
i) Perfect parry (beats strikes and projectiles)
ii) Delayed throw tech (beats throws and
meaties)
iii) Wakeup drive reversal (beats throws and
meaty normals with large recovery)
 iv) Block/Parry drive reversal (beats drive rush
cancels and moves with a lot of recovery)
v) Forward jump (evades throws and shimmies,
particularly good for AKI because of how
sharply her jump 2HP can cross up, although
vulnerable to crosscut DPs)
vi) Backdash (beats throws and can often follow
up with punish counter 2LP)
vii) 2LP interrupt (beats fake pressure strings or
mistimed meaties)
viii) 5MP interrupt (beats spacing traps that
would normally cause 2LP to whiff)
ix) EX snake step (beats strikes and projectiles,
although it is possible to still throw punish
after your opponents meaty light)
x) Level 1 (beats strikes)
xi) Level 3 (beats strikes, throws and
projectiles)
17) Burnout pressure
a) One of AKIs most interesting aspects is her wide range
of strong burnout pressure loops. These are sequences
of moves that the opponent cannot interrupt while in
burnout unless they have access to an invincible super.
Sometimes they can even create checkmate scenarios.
b) 5MP 2LP
i) Looping these two normals repeatedly
creates a frametrap that also drags the
opponent towards the corner
ii) This loop cannot be interrupted by anything
except invincible supers, Marisa’s Scutum
and JP’s amnesia
iii) Each successive loop pushes you further
away from the opponent, you will usually be
too far away to continue after around 3-4
reps
iv) If you have plenty of drive gauge to spare
you can wait until you’re about to push
yourself too far out, and then do 5MP xx
DRC 5MP, into another 5MP, and then restart
the loop. This can be repeated multiple
times, although be careful not to burn
yourself out.
v) Once you reach the corner you have several
different options to attempt to stun your
opponent
(1) 2LP 5MP xx DI
(a) Simplest and most
straightforward option, although
there is a fairly large gap between
the medium punch and the drive
impact. High level opponents can
punish you with a throw in the gap
before the DI hits
(2) 2LP 5HK xx DI
(a) By switching 5MP for 5HK the
gap into the DI becomes so small
that the opponent cannot escape
without an invincible reversal,
however note that 2LP into 5HK is
NOT a true frame trap, and the
opponent can interrupt before you
get a chance to attempt the DI
(3) 2LP 5MP xx DRC 2MP xx DI
(a) This sequence is significantly
more expensive than the previous
two, as it requires 4 bars of drive to
perform rather than 1, however in
exchange every part of the
sequence is uninterruptible without
an invincible reversal. This makes it
very useful for checkmate
 scenarios. Even JP cannot amnesia
in the gap between DR 2MP and DI
c) 2LP 5MP xx 2PP->K
i) Variant of the previous loop that adds coward
crouch roll in between each rep
ii) Although this sequence is also a looping
frametrap, if the opponent attempts to 4f
interrupt between 5MP and the roll, they will
trade and often AKI can combo off this trade.
iii) Although this trade means it is less safe than
the 2LP 5MP loop, in exchange you will also
deal a small amount of chip damage to the
opponent with each rep, given that the roll is
a special move.
d) LK/MK Cruel fate
i) Cruel fate also becomes plus in burnout
ii) This can be used as a way to bring yourself
back to the point blank position meterlessly,
allowing you to restart a loop once you push
yourself too far away
iii) However this is risky as there is a large gap
between any normal and cruel fate
connecting, and can be interrupted, so use
this with caution
iv) Interestingly cruel fate can also completely
avoid many common supers, making it
useful in burnout pressure both for resuming
 a loop and also baiting out some invincible
reversals. (Luke level 1, Jamie level 1 and 3,
Manon level 1 and 3, Kimberly level 1 and 3,
Lily level 3, Cammy level 3, Ryu level 1,
Blanka level 1, Guile level 1, Chun level 3,
Zangief level 2 and 3, Akuma level 1, and
special mention to Ed level which hits once
and then give AKI a full combo on wakeup)
18) Matchup Notes
a) Character specific interactions that I feel are important
or worth mentioning.
b) These are not meant to be seen as a full matchup
guide. Doing that would make this video 15 hours long
which I’m trying to avoid. I’m just going to focus on a
few key points.
i) Luke
(1) Beat sandblast with venomous fang
(2) Punish uncharged HP knuckle with
2LP 5MK 5MP
(3) Luke has strong jump normals that
Luke players like to press early in the
jump arc, this makes 2HK significantly
more likely to punish counter than in
most matchups, so be ready to pick up a
combo.
ii) Jamie
(1) Take advantage of AKI’s extremely
good drive rush to try to prevent Jamie
from drinking
(2) You can also bait Jamie players into
attempting a drink before a fireball
reaches them, and then close the gap
with a cancel to OD snake step
(3) At a medium distance punish Jamie’s
sweep with 5HK
(4) At max range you can always get a
punish on sweep with 2HP
(5) First rekka is -6, allowing punishes
with 5MP if poorly spaced. Be aware
though that you will open yourself up for
a spacing trap if they rekka from further
away. Jamie players can also continue
the rekkas to try to interrupt your punish.
iii) Manon
(1) Manon’s overhead spin kick is -9,
punish with 5HK if spaced poorly, or
5MK if a little further away. At max range
AKI cannot punish on block.
(2) Beware of Manon’s jump approach.
She can threaten a jump in from
significantly further away than most
 characters, but 2HK will consistently anti
air at this distance.
(3) Manon’s level 2 is extremely unsafe
on block. Take advantage of the
recovery by backdashing twice and then
placing an Orchid Spring before starting
a combo (e.g. 214MP 5HK xx 2PP->P,
5HK xx 236PP, DR 5HK xx 214KK,
236LP, 214PP->6P xx level 2 or 3)
iv) Kimberly
(1) 5HK will intercept both teleports if
your reactions are on point. You will also
get a full combo regardless of which
version is used, so press HK as soon as
you see any puff of smoke and then use
the screen shake to choose between
your grounded and airborne combo
route.
(2) Punish LP shoulder with 2LP 5MK
5MP xx 236HP
(3) Punish blocked run slide with heavies
up close and lights at distance.
(4) Almost all of Kimberly’s run cancels
are interruptible. If you see a Kimberly
player cancel any normal into her
regular command run besides 2HP you
can ALWAYS interrupt.
v) Marisa
(1) Many of Marisa’s common moves to
throw out in neutral can be low profiled
by going into coward crouch. This can
be used to evade and punish her
superman punch, step kick and gladius.
Do not overuse this however as Marisa
can punish you severely if she predicts
you will enter stance.
(2) Gladius has a very large extended
hurtbox on whiff. Wait until she is
finished charging and then respond with
5HK.
(3) As mentioned previously, OD Scutum
cannot be safejumped using jump heavy
normals. However if you switch to a
jumping light attack, you can block in
time, giving you a +3 situation and
taking 2 bars of drive from Marisa.
(4) 2MK and 2HK are both useful pokes
in this matchup, as they both hit low
enough to ignore the armor on OD
Gladius. You can also single hit confirm
them into any super.
vi) Lily
(1) Take advantage of AKIs extremely
fast drive rush to close the gap if Lily
 attempts to charge wind stocks from a
distance. Beware though that if she
holds the HP spin she can release it on
reaction to punish a drive rush. This can
be mitigated either by throwing a fireball
beforehand, or doing a drive rush into
236LP to kill your forward momentum.
(2) Once Lily has wind charges she can
effortlessly punish fireballs using OD
condor spire, so using them is
ill-advised once she’s stocked up.
(3) You can low profile underneath OD
condor spire using either coward crouch
or LK Snake Step. It’s even possible to
transition from coward crouch into roll
just as Lily is about to pass over you in
order to get a punish, but the timing is
quite strict.
(4) Both Lily’s level 2 and level 3 have
gigantic recovery on block and after
neutral jumping respectively. Both can
lead to an orchid spring combo (refer to
Manon section for details).
(5) Punish air condor spire on block with
a drive rush into 5HK.
(6) Be careful attempting a safe jump if
Lily has wind stocks, high-level players
 will punish you with windclad LP/EX DP,
however this can be baited with an
empty jump.
vii) JP
(1) His 5HP has a large hurtbox around
JPs feet, on whiff it can be tempting to
try to punish with standing normals but
2HP is significantly more consistent.
(2) JP has no reliable defensive options
against meaty projectiles. This can be
particularly exploited in the corner as it
will beat OD amnesia, as well as all
three of his supers (his level 3 is
generally too slow).
(3) Although AKIs level 1 is not projectile
invulnerable on startup, she becomes
fully invincible the instant that the first hit
has connected and initiated the
cinematic followup. This effect can be
used to evade the bombs if amnesia is
activated.
(4) AKI’s jump HP can be surprisingly
difficult for JP to reliably anti air. It can
trade consistently with JP’s 2HP, which
may sometimes be a trade worth fishing
for if you have the life lead.
 (5) Perfect parry into drive rush can be
very useful to get through JP’s
projectiles. Against his groundspike you
can get a punish counter drive rush 5HK
from mid range and a punish counter
2HP from nearly fullscreen. You can
also use this against his horizontal
fireballs, including the first hit of the OD
version. It doesn’t always lead to a
punish but you can still utilize the drive
rush to get frame advantage on block.
(6) JP is quite unique because his regular
amnesia is active on frame 2. This
makes him one of the only characters in
the game able to easily counter AKIs
burnout loops. While you should still be
proactive against a burned out JP, you
can’t really utilize most of AKIs best
burnout options due to this.
(7) You can punish JP’s 3HP with AKI’s
2HP at most ranges, however be aware
that at the absolute tip this move is safe.
viii) Juri
(1) LP serpent lash can pass over Juri’s
fireball, while this exchange does
slightly more damage to AKI than Juri it
is often still overall favourable for AKI as
 the punish counter will cause the lash to
crumple before knocking down, giving
AKI frame advantage after recovering
and causing Juri to lose one of her fuha
stocks.
(2) EX serpent lash will do the same
thing, however instead of trading it will
lead to a full combo
(3) Juri’s MK fuha store is -6 on block and
at most ranges AKI can punish with
5MP. Be aware that Juri can be safe at
the absolute tip.
(4) Juri’s divekick can make AKI’s anti
airs whiff, so generally the better option
is to simply block the divekick and
punish. It is almost never safe on block
unless it hits you in the toes.
ix) Deejay
(1) Punish MP, HP and EX fireballs with
venomous fang, but be careful since he
can feint with LP fireball. Try to react to
the projectile actually appearing rather
than guessing, and if you aren’t sure if
he’s going to feint or not then just cancel
the stance.
(2) Punish MK sobat with 5MP if poorly
spaced.
 (3) Deejay’s knee shot forces him into a
punish counter on anti air. Take
advantage of this using 5HK for a
guaranteed juggle afterwards.
(4) Deejay is one of only three characters
in the game without an invulnerable
level 1. If he enters burnout while below
two bars of super you can absolutely
maul him.
x) Cammy
(1) Cammy has many different ways of
approaching from the air that can be
difficult to stop, HP lash is your most
consistent grounded option but it must
be performed as early as possible for
low divekicks. Keep in mind that Cammy
will be forced into a juggle if she is anti
aired with a normal, so it is possible to
get big reward from 5HK and 2HK
(2) Jump back MK is an extremely good
anti air in this matchup. It will
consistently beat divekick and due to the
forced punish counter Cammy will be
knocked down, allowing you to drive
rush back in for pressure, even if you
did instant air jump back MK.
 (3) Cammy will often attempt to bypass
fireballs with spin knuckle. Try to
intercept with either 2LP or 5MP for a
full combo.
(4) Many of Cammy’s hooligan mixups
can be stuffed with a jab, this will also
put Cammy into a forced knockdown
state, allowing further juggles.
(5) Be careful using fireballs once
Cammy has three bars of meter. Her
level 3 is extremely fast and can punish
even from fullscreen. If you are throwing
a fireball during the super flash it is
always worth trying to cancel into EX
snake step, it doesn’t always work, but if
it does it might save you. Note though
that AKI cannot get any punish on the
level 3 after the snake step.
xi) Ryu
(1) Punish fireballs with venomous fang
(2) 5MK is very good in neutral in this
matchup, will beat a lot of common Ryu
pokes and can usually link afterwards
(3) You can punish blocked sweep with
2HK at nearly every range, leading to a
juggle. At the absolute tip you can use
5HP->HP instead.
xii) Honda
(1) Try to perfect parry both Headbutt and
Buttslam. Against headbutt specifically
you can attempt a perfect parry and
then double tap forward to transition into
a drive rush in case the Honda stops
short with a light headbutt.
(2) HP lash will consistently anti-air
buttslam if Honda stays in front of you,
and the lash will often hit very high up in
the air. This usually leads into a juggle
even without toxic blossom. You can
also use 5HK, which will lead to a juggle
afterwards.
(3) However be aware that if Honda
passes behind you then both HP lash
and 5HK will lose and you will get
punish countered. At this angle your
most consistent anti air is an air to air
like jump MP.
(4) As mentioned earlier it is not possible
to safejump Honda using jumping
heavies, switch to jumping lights to
protect against wakeup EX headbutt.
(5) Honda’s level 2 is a projectile punish,
however it can easily be baited and
avoided by throwing fireballs and then
 cancelling into EX snake step once you
see the super flash.
(6) Honda players often like to use
neutral jump HP to steer themselves
over fireballs without risking a forward
jump. You can punish this with a drive
rush into 5HK.
xiii) Blanka
(1) You can punish all versions of Blanka
Ball by doing a drive impact the moment
before Blanka makes contact. The
timing is quite strict though and will
leave you open for a large punish if you
fail. Perfect parry is the safer but less
rewarding option.
(2) When pressuring Blanka a delayed
5HK is a good option that will cover both
wakeup OD upball and wakeup OD air
ball.
(3) Be very cautious throwing fireballs
against Blanka, he can easily reaction
punish them with 3HP.
(4) Blanka 6HP is safe at max range but
can be punished with 2HP if not spaced
correctly.
(5) Blanka 3HP is different to a lot of
sliding sweeps in that even at the
 absolute tip it is still extremely
punishable on block. 5HK will
consistently punish even the late active
frames.
(6) Anti air rainbow roll with 5HK for a
free juggle
xiv) Guile
(1) Venomous fang can punish booms on
reaction however the window is small,
so you must react as early as possible.
(2) Guile’s MK sobat is -6 on block.
Punish with 5MP if not correctly spaced.
(3) Guile’s HK upside down kick is -8 on
block. Punish with 2MP up close, or
5MK from slightly further out. At max
range it is safe.
(4) Guile’s 2MK is -4 on block, punish
with 5LK if performed up close.
(5) AKI can reliably punish sonic blade
with 2HK and 2HP, even from distance.
Do not let Guile players set this up
carelessly. You can also drive rush first if
they attempt to set it up from fullscreen.
(6) Guile’s 2MK 6MP target combo can
be punished in multiple ways. Either
interrupt in the middle with 5LK or
 punish the overhead with 5LK. Keep in
mind the overhead is safe if spaced out.
(7) Guile’s OD flash kick can be baited
out on block using a max range 5HK
cancelled into LK snake step. This is a
very useful tool as every other special
cancel that AKI can perform from 5HK
will lose to OD flash kick.
xv) Ken
(1) Punish a poorly spaced run -> HK
with either 2LP or 5LK
(2) Venomous fang through Ken’s
fireballs. This punish is very consistent
and more lenient than most due to Ken’s
below average fireball recovery.
(3) Punish HK dragonlash with either
perfect parry, early drive impact, or a
5LP interrupt.
xvi) Chun Li
(1) MK hazanshu is a common move for
chun players to throw out. It will punish
fireballs and is safe on block. Try to
interrupt it in the air with a 5MP buffered
into 2PP->K, this will cover for both a
grounded hit and an air hit. You can also
perfect parry the landing.
 (2) EX hazanshu is also common in
neutral. This is -5 on block so punish
with 2LP up close. From further
distances you can only punish with 2LK
into 2MK, which be cancelled into a
super.
(3) Some Chun players like to wakeup
with instant air legs to beat throws. Note
that instant air legs will not hit crouching
characters, so try to resist the
temptation to stand block and then
punish the whiff recovery. 2MK into 5HK
is the easiest counter.
(4) If Chun attempts to escape the corner
using a wall jump she will be forced into
a juggle state by any anti air normal.
Use 5HK for big juggles.
(5) Chun can go into her stance to avoid
an incoming fireball, and then punish a
drive rush approach with the MP
followup. Bait this out by cancelling your
drive rush momentum into LP lash for a
punish counter.
xvii) Zangief
(1) Punish his sweep with 2HK at mid
distance and 2HP at max range, this
move is never safe against AKI.
 (2) If you ever block Zangief’s lariat, a
drive impact will always punish the
remaining spins.
(3) Zangief’s 6HK overhead is -9 at worst.
Punish with 5HK if performed too close,
although be aware it is usually safe if
spaced.
(4) AKI’s 2HK is a very good normal in
this matchup. It will counter a lot of
Gief’s common neutral pokes, most
notably it will cleanly stuff his armored
5HP.
(5) Gief is another character with no good
reversal level 1. If you get him into
burnout and he has less than two bars
of super you can easily bully him.
(6) Gief’s level 2 is very slow on startup.
If a gief player attempts to punish your
fireball with it, cancel into EX snake step
and then use the remaining time while
gief is stuck spinning to setup an orchid
spring for enormous punish damage.
xviii) Dhalsim
(1) Dhalsim players like to float a lot in
order to avoid incoming fireballs. Snipe
him out of the sky with venomous fang
at low heights, or MP lash at higher
 angles. You can often even juggle
afterwards.
(2) If you see Dhalsim attempt an instant
air teleport press 5LP. If he teleports in
you will get a full juggle afterwards, if he
teleports away you are at no risk.
(3) If Dhalsim is floating high above you
then anti air with 5HK into a juggle.
(4) Dhalsim’s long range normals can be
whiff punished. Stand HK buffered into a
drive rush can pickup combos even from
fullscreen.
(5) Keep in mind that Dhalsim has very
poor wakeup options. His level 1 is not
invulnerable and his level 2 cannot hit
crouching characters. Meaty 2MK is a
very good option in this matchup.
(6) If Dhalsim does wakeup with his level
2, wait until he releases it into the air.
The easiest punish is to simply throw
before it comes back down again,
however if the opponent is already
poisoned you can utilize the
invulnerability on OD lash to evade and
combo.
xix) Rashid
(1) Rashid’s fireballs are very easy to
punish with venomous fang
(2) Punish Rashid’s 5HK with 5LK if he
does not space it correctly.
(3) If Rashid tries to give himself plus
frames with HP cyclone you can
interrupt with 5MP and then confirm into
another light attack.
(4) If Rashid attempts to raw activate his
level 2 AKI can punish with her own
level 2, even from fullscreen. Do not try
to manually time your level 2 after the
super flash, instead take advantage of
SF6’s buffer system by inputting a
double quarter circle back during
Rashid’s super animation, and then
simply holding down punch. This will
give you a 100% consistent reversal
timing. Note that Rashid can make this
level 2 activation safe by putting you in
blockstun first with an OD fireball.
(5) You can also completely pass through
Rashid’s level 2 using either OD snake
step or venomous fang, but note that
both these options are very punishable if
baited out.
 (6) If you are already in coward crouch
stance BEFORE Rashid activates the
super, then venomous fang WILL be a
guaranteed punish, even from
fullscreen.
(7) If Rashid attempts to fly around the
screen with arabian skyhigh, wait until
the double jump is completed and then
anti air with 5HK. If he is far away you
can also use MP serpent lash or chase
him down with a drive rush.
(8) Rashid players sometimes like to
knock you down with MK eagle spike
and then fully charge a fireball for oki.
You can punish this easily with a
wakeup forward jump HP.
xx) AKI
(1) AKI can punish her own fireball easily
with venomous fang, although be aware
that the opposing AKI can escape with
OD snake step. This exchange is still
worth going for as you will drain two
bars of drive from the opponent.
(2) I’ve already covered most aspects of
AKIs kit in the main body of the guide,
so refer to that for punishes, counters
etc
xxi) Ed
(1) Ed’s LP blitz is -5 on block. You can
punish from all distances with 5LK
(2) Ed players like to use charged flicker
in this matchup to interrupt AKIs fireball
into drive rush approach. Punish this
hard with fireball into venomous fang or
OD snake step.
(3) Eds jump MK allows him to threaten a
jumpin from very far angles, as well as a
neutral jump from midscreen. 2HK will
anti air this option very consistently.
(4) Note that Ed’s OD upper is much
slower on startup than most invincible
reversals. Meaty 2LP will still give you
plenty of time to block and punish.
Additionally this will protect you from his
level 1 super.
(5) Wakeup drive reversal is useful
against Ed’s charged flicker oki, as it will
still reach after Ed’s forward throw in the
corner. Note that Ed can bait this with a
backdash cancel, but it requires a hard
read.
xxii) Akuma
(1) Punish fireball with venomous fang
 (2) The second hit of Akuma’s stand HK
will whiff on crouchers. Punish with 2MK
into 5HK for big damage
(3) Akuma’s air fireball is tricky to stop.
From close ranges 2HK is your most
consistent option. From further out you
can respond with a forward jump of your
own, a drive impact, OD lash or
venomous fang. Keep in mind that these
options mostly lose to a regular jump in,
so only use them if you are certain air
fireball is coming. If you are unsure what
air option Akuma is going to use the
safest option is usually just to backdash.
(4) Punish demon flip with 5HK for a full
juggle

Thanks for reading 🙂

Feel free to drop into the stream if you want to ask
questions about anything you think I missed.