Honda’s tough, as you said its difficult to sit on a life lead because anti airing him consistently is impossible.
Neutral jump MK/HK can stop his jump in’s but you need to predict and that can leave you exposed to pokes and EX.Headbutt.
Back dashing or simply using EX.PC to get to the other side of him will delay his pressure.
If he whiffs forward jumps or moves forward with neutral jump hp in front of him, you can jump in on him to start pressure because he won’t have charge for Headbutt and should lack time to do S.HP. But if your slow with the jump he can simply S.HP you or use jump back HP.
Obviously on the ground Bison outpokes him, but C.LP has alot of active frames to be snagged by (normally buffered to HHS) and his S.HK annoyingly hits low so its not totally a free domain for Bison. Use S.HK to swat down any predictable NJ.HP. Not Honda’s NJ.HP can’t hit a crouching Bison (Bison’s NJ.HP can’t even hit a standing Honda) S.HK to S.HK on counterhit does not work on Honda, combo into S.MK instead.
On Bisons wake up Butt Slam and cross up J.MK can snag EX.PC escape, use EX.SK to escape without that risk. Honda can use NJ.HP over a waking Bison to snag EX.DR which is countered by Stomp ,but because he can move forward with a neutral jump, he can neutral jump forward over Bison to make Headstomp whiff or if Bison doesn’t perform a reversal simply cross him up. He can’t punish EX.PC on block when he’s right beside so you can use that to escape if he’s right in front of you, but if he’s a little bit further back he can land C.LP into Hands or simply do EX.Headbutt on reaction to stuff you clean. Meaty EX.Headbutt counter Bisons’s ground reversals and backwards teleports as well as being safe on block and safe from air move reversals. Only teleporting behind Honda gives Bison’s a chance to punish.
On Honda’s wake up from an untechable knockdown you can use a late cross up to prevent him from auto correcting his Ex.Headbutt. You can tag the Ex.Headbutt with OS S.MK. A later cross up can catch Ex.Headbutt after its invincibility wears off an enables a full combo because he is still grounded. But he can auto correct the EX.Headbutt and nail you. Mix the two options up.
You can punish Ex.Headbutt by blocking point blank and using super (Whiffs 2 hits)
Jump back bait into Ultra 1 or 2. This does work. LAb it so you get the timing.
Block in the corner and punish with C.MK/MP xx whatever.
Against wake up Buttslam, Blocking high against light Buttslam will make its second hit whiff allowing you to punish with either ultra.
The other buttslams should whiff and be punishable with at least a throw into a set up.
If you corner Honda, blocking high on his wake up allows you to punish light Buttslam and all Headbutts.
Against non reversal butt slams, use focus attack. His hard strength buttslam is punishable on block with C.LK (its -3 on block)
The rest are -2. Blocking buttslam often leads to a mix up of another buttslam which you can stuff with jump back hard kick (will lose to EX.Buttslam)
or focus attack, or Ex. Headbutt which counter everything but a jump back.
Light and EX.Headbutt are safe on block (except where I mentioned above) . You can chip them back with LK.SK but if they have another bar of meter they can stuff that with another EX.Headbutt. MP Headbutt can be punished with LK/MK/EX on block (MK must be done from a standing block) while HP Headbutt can be punished with all strength SK.
One of Honda’s favourite mix ups is FADCi-ing HHS on block to Ochio, hold up as soon as you see the flash for a good punish.
Don’t bother trying to use DR to build meter if Honda has charge, its shut down by Headbutt.
Honda can build meter with whiff Ochio at full screen. EX.PC is your only realistic shot of punishing that or at least getting you in safely.
If Honda is sitting on a life lead with meter your screwed. Do all in your power to bait out Ex.Headbutts.
). I understand the character just fine, trust me.