The default position. While standing, all strike hit levels can hit you. High throws will hit, while low throws will whiff.
While crouching, high strikes and high throws used against you will whiff. Mid and low strikes will still hit, as will low throws.
A confusing term used in the old DOA games that refers to the brief transition period going from crouching to standing. Many instead use the term "while rising" to avoid confusion with the regular standing state.
To perform a "while standing" attack, you must first be crouched, then let go of your direction input to start standing up, and then finally press the relevant button for the attack to come out.
Standing up and crouching down does not instantly change your current state. The animations for switching between standing and crouching have a total duration of 10 frames, and it is only starting from frame 5 that you change from standing to crouching (or vice versa).
Being backturned (commonly abbreviated as BT) is when a character is turned away from their opponent, meaning their back is facing towards the opponent.
While backturned, you can turn to face your opponent in multiple ways:
- Pressing
to turn around while guarding.
- Pressing to turn around in place.
- Pressing to dash away while turning around.
- It is also possible to attack while backturned, which will usually also turn the player around.
Some characters, such as Ayane and Helena, are able to walk (
) and dash (
) while backturned.
The relation of each player's foot position is what determines whether you are in open or closed stance.
Open stance: Each player has an opposing foot forward.
Closed stance: Each player has the same foot forward.
At the start of a new round each player has their left foot forward, meaning they are in closed stance.
Some strikes that attack from the side will change their hit effect depending on whether you are in open or closed stance.
The term stance can also used when referring to a unique fighting stance available to some characters. Usually the word stance will be used in conjunction with the name of the stance or style. For example, Helena has a Bokuho stance from which she can perform unique attacks.
