Thanks a lot for the extra advice on Balrog. Something I want to enquire about a bit more is anti air, it is indeed a massive element to get right.
I just want to explain since you pointed out the hitbox trick that this is already half my problem. I haven’t found the cr.HK or cr.MK~Ultra thing to be idiot proof in these matches I’m having because while it’s very effective on Balrog’s deep jump-ins, (where they’d normally be jumping into the sweet spot of the SRK) if he’s doing it from a bit further out then his jump attack has the hitbox to hit my lowered state irrespective of however I try to time it.
This immediately takes away my secondary AA, because I love the cr.MK (usually into fireball or whatever) AA strat for whenever they’re jumping from further out. It has become more common for my opponents to use the shallow, big range jump-in approach method to get around my AAs.
With both cr.MK and cr.HK losing clean to his jumping roundhouse, the Ultra buffer basicly just becomes a naked Ultra and at the said range with their jump still active, it’s a toss-up that’s likely against Akuma to attempt.
With them extending their reach like this, an SRK is still an option to beat them but I face the two following problems when using it:
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I’m playing this online. There’s a combination of their micro jump, their jump attack range letting them pressure with the attack to get the hit or block much earlier in their jump, and the factor of any online latency all working to give me a window to respond within that I’m finiding very small. If I attempt the SRK, it must payoff because if my response perhaps wasn’t on point in speed or there was a delay factor from online properties, I’ll get hit out of the SRK motion and eat the jump-in combo.
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Despite me being able to hit their extended limbs from outside SRK range, if they jump empty here, I fly off up into the air and give them a big window to damage me.
Consequently, I’m frequently stuck blocking this jump roundhouse attack which is not something I want to allow because he’s gaining this ground and offense unchallenged. Even though he can’t use his crouch jab strings and usual ticks from here, on either hit or block he can still go with the low sweep after the jump attack (interupts me trying to reverse btw) or inch forward a little bit and throw me. It’s basic and difficult to defend against (online at least).
Given you have regular practice vs. Balrog, it’s curious that you hadn’t quickly acknowledged this difficulty he can give Akuma’s AAs. I’d like to see these matches and pick up what I can from them when they’re available. In the meantime, could you recommend any substituting AA tactics or perhaps just reassurances for challenging this jump-in style?
[Edit] Going over this in training, I was being too condemning of the Ultra buffer. It does still work to beat these jumps, but the lowered hitbox isn’t really a factor for these so you don’t get to open up your timing window with the evasion as you usually would do.
Reaction Shoryu’s do seem a lot more possible in offline training. I guess my response time and execution need to brush up… or I could be an 09er and blame online. (honestly, I really do think it’s online though)
I maintain that Balrog makes it difficult to AA, but there’s probably more hope than I made out. SRK is feasible but you cannot afford to be slow or late at all (lag). Low hit box tactics don’t work though and the threat of the huge range aswell as the ridiculous active frames of his jump attack together with his tiny jump means you can’t sweep the jump if he whiffs it out-range.
