Hey guys n gals. Ever since I started playing SSF4, I always strayed away form Akuma because of his U1 and Super. It seems as if I"m not doing them fast enough because when I put in the inputs I usually get one or two jabs before it activates. I wasn’t sure if I am doing this wrong or if I have to input it faster? Anyone have any idea what I’m doing incorrectly?
There’s nothing wrong with your input. If you do the demon as intended, you’ll always see one or two jabs coming out.
But Akumas Ultra Demon has a special property. You can cancel any normal at any time with ultra. You can even cancel a dash or a taunt.
So hide the demon in the startup of a normal. You should practice this for his overhead ( f+MP) , his far standing HK, his backdash and taunt (my favourite ones when opponent whiffs a srk and I’m close to him and don’t want to hit him with an accidental jab out of air), his sweep (always buffer those two jabs into it and when you opponent focuses your sweep just finish the input -> very big damage) and his c.mk (good for anti-air).
As the SF4 engine is pretty, let’s say, “lenient”, there are shortcuts for some of those ultra inputs. Just take a closer look at the stickies and you should find them.
Or you just watch some youtube vids and check the inputs there.
Ok! Thanks so much, I will try these things.
Try this for the Ultra: FWD + (MP + LP x 2), BCK + LK + HP
For his Super: FWD + (MP + LP x 2), DWN-FWD + LK + HP
You still have to input this rather fast, but if you do it right, you’ll see Akuma start the motion for his overhead chop and then he’ll cancel immediately into his Demon animation. Remember though, only his super is garanteed from point blank range (unless they jumped before the flash). Use Ultra Demon only to punish your opponent’s mistakes, like a whiffed SRK or blocked Ultra for instance.
shud also note that these LP, LP, B+LK+HP shortcuts are easier on a stick.
Is it just me or ultras of other players are much better than Akuma U1. It does slightly more damage than Ryu U2 or Gouken U1 but is much difficult to set up. I remember it used to do 600 damage (full charged) but after SSFIV it was nerfed to 510. 
The ability to cancel normals into U1 makes it one of the most unique and best ultras in the game, it would have been really garbage if that wasn’t possible though lol.
Once you know how to punish with ultra, it really isn’t so hard to pull off. I honestly think I pull off Gouki’s ultra and super more than Juri or Sagat’s.
Hmm… I think I need to practice that canceling normals into U1. It needs very good timing though.
just remember that lk+hp can be pressed at the same time?
Yeah I know. The only problem I usually face is that when I execute U1 I mistakenly light punch the enemy which makes them jump my U1. I am trying to execute it better so the punch doesn’t come out & I can unleash the ultra.
is the answer to:
just hit LP twice along with the intended canceled normal, the normal will come out, hiding the jabs, then hit back/HP/LK at once and you’ll fit it into the normal.
with a little practice you’ll get it down no problem 
Some suggest normals to buffer them into here.
F+MP (Super Input: F+LP+MP, F+LP+MP, DF+LK+HP. Ultra Input: F+LP+MP, F+LP+MP, back+LK+HP)
Reason: F+MP has 17 startup frames, giving you plenty of time to get the Ultra/Super out. This is particularly useful for the Super demon, because it allows you to do the super right in their face (ultra too, but that’s useless). Super demon has 1+0 startup so if they’re not already jumping before the super flash, they’re eating the demon.
c.mk (I use this input with ultra: downback+LP+MK, downback + LP+MK, (slight delay), back + LK+HP)
Reason: c.mk lowers Akuma’s hurtbox, so you can duck under jumpins, stuff like yun’s lunge punches, etc, that way you can activate the ultra demon when they’re right near you. Ultra demon has some invincibility so you can use it to go through their attack and grab them out of it. Don’t do this with super unless you wanna get kicked in the face. (actually, it should still work against the yun lunge punch example if you have the right spacing XD)
fs.HK(just do the ultra demon when you see the first hit get blocked)
Reason: Use this against characters that can crouch the second hit of fs.HK. If they try and punish you, you can take them with ultra. This next bit is just theory fighting cause I’ve never tried this myself, but maybe if you can get point blank and they are scared to punish you because of the threat of ultra demon, and you have super, you can just super demon them. Dirty. /heads to training
Edit: Well, that didn’t work at all. But that’s how it goes 
Work and find your own setups now that you know the properties of the moves a little better and you’ll be in good shape soon.
JR uses this demon setup quite a bit with great success. You can also buffer the demon during the last part of a demon flip palm for a patented “JR Demon” if you know your opponent likes to mash throw every time you land near him. Use the Super version for more success instead of the Ultra because even point blank, if you activate the Ultra Demon and your opponent didn’t try to throw you, he can still jump away or hit you out of it if he has a 3f reversal dp move or even reversal Ultra YOU!
Yeah, but if your opponent tried to punish you for whiffing the second hit, you’ll get hit right of the super and lose that meter. One way is not really “better” than the other, it’s just about what you think the opponent’s gonna do.
Note: you’d do the ultra a little earlier than you’d do the super.
Lol, I was playing Zid’s Akuma with Ryu and was getting demon’d after the first hit of the st.rh. It took me eating about 4 demons to realise mashing srk through that shit is the best tactic. It’s the best punish and IMO a good Ryu, Ken or w/e should be DP’ing you after the first hit. I wouldn’t recommend it against DP characters but it would work great against someone like Chun which Infiltration demonstrated against Shizza.
I wasn’t talking about doing a Super by whiffing the 2nd hit of the st.HK. I meant doing a super point blank after a whiffed cross-up palm setup. Personally, I never try to demon off a whiffed RH 2nd hit. It’s just too risky as you can activate the demon too early (they’ll be blocking and jump away or SRK you) or you can do the inputs too late and get hit before activating it.
JR mostly uses it on his opponent’s wakeup where he does a st. HK just as the opponent is getting up, whiffing both hits but bringing him point blank , and then activating the super in his face while he’s entering his first “standing” frames.