Free Step Dodge

Try Sidestepping...

Akira doesn't have long Strings... if he keeps catching you with Frame Traps then you just gotta throw in them Side Steps.

sidestep, Akira is linear

Makes sense! I keep forgetting to incorporate SS into my game. Will definitely have to adapt. I appreciate the input.

"Fuudo: Akira become more read if you change his attack".

Akira's main source of general weakness throughout the games is that you eliminate his offense where it's no longer his turn. Sidestep is just icing on the cake because I do it, but it's not the definite answer to Akira's problem because sidestepping is a read.

Also to note that not every one has a quick SS attack. You could step Akira and he'll still have enough time to block because of recovery alone from your character, or Akira.

The common problem from what I witnessed from players fighting Akira is attacking in situations where they shouldn't attack.

Akira can do 2P (+1 on NH) into 66P. Common problems is that people attack after getting hit with 2P or from his +1 jab. Akira player can also do a jab/2p and wait for you to SS attack and boom, Akira threw you for it.

So what is the most safest choice here? you let him finish 2P > 66P because now Akira is at -5 and you are at +5, so it's no longer his turn.

Won't Akira just 2P and go straight into the throw ?

Throwing is obviously risky but Akira warrants enough respect that he could just do it Raw.

Although I guess if you could get someone to play him that way then theres hope of punishing them.

You should definitely sidestep if you are playing against an Akira who is aggressive 100% of the time while being oblivious that you are sidestepping, but just remember that SS is a read. If you get thrown/tracked for this, that's on you.

@Lulu Throwing in situations is always a risk, but there are moments where you don't have to throw at all and you wait till the person does a SS attack and then Akira can nail a free throw right afterwards. If Akira gets stepped that's a "player" problem.

Akira does a move that's +1 on block, you SS after this and you get thrown from 64T. You lost 106 points of health because you tried to SS (health is 300).

See what happens when you tried to SS so much? SS is a good positive note but just pointing out that this will happen if you tried to use it as your go-to tool, especially towards Akira. Use SS as a read.

Hmmm. This is pretty common sense it's just something I haven't applied yet. Obviously I need to start incorporating SS into my game-play to better round myself as a player, but more than that I need to record an Akira and learn the frame data on the moves he locks me down with so I know when and what I can use to get out of it.

I am willing to bet that you are losing the up close game not because you are not sidestepping, but because Akira player is taking advantage of situations that you are unaware of. Akira is i10/i12/i12. That is extremely solid overall.

No jokes believe me here, I play heavy competitors who like to SS a lot and still end up questioning themselves because I took advantage of their belief that SS is the answer. Seriously, Akira can get a free guaranteed BT combo on Ayane that leads to 109 points of damage because Ayane did Sidestep P~4 on block after I did made him step.

Course, what people say are not totally wrong, but it's not incredibly right either. If you find an Akira player who's still unaware that you are sidestepping, then good keep doing it because I would of done the same thing.

Yeah that's definitely the case. Once he got in it was me holding block and trying to figure out what he's doing and when I thought I had an opening I got bopped for it. The few times I managed to get mid-range I was fine and able to achieve solid damage and close out rounds but lol The rest of the time was rough.