Escape - Crouch Dash defensive technique

Here's a new defensive technique, courtesy of the latest Arcadia magazine.

It's the Escape - Crouch Dash (ECD), and really comes into effect when you're at around 3 to 4 frames disadvantage. This works because Escapes, both normal and fast types, can be cancelled with a CD. So far, this is nothing new to most of you, but to show the utility of this technique, I'll share an example they used in the magazine.

Firstly, at 3 to 4 frames disadvantage, all elbows (and similar fast mids) will beat your d+P or standing P. Akira's Low Back Fist (df+P+K), on normal hit, will put you at 3 frames disadvantage. Akira can now force a pretty good two-choice guessing game on you -- his Double Plam (D,b,f+P) will beat your fastest attacks (d+P or P), and his Throw will get you if you try to Escape. At this point, you could try to ETEG, but you still have to guess which throw(s) to escape. However, if you ECD, you can avoid both the Double Palm and any throw attempts.

The difficulty lies entering a ECD in what is essentially a 5 frame window. Remember, you're already 3 frames behind, and Akira just needs another 5 frames to throw you. But, rest assured, it is definitely possible.

You can use Free Training to practice this technique. Select Akira as the opponent, then record df+P+K - b,f+P (which is a Double Palm because you're crouching) as Action 1. Then record df+P+K - P+G (or any throw, doesn't matter) as Action 2. Setup playback with Action 1 and 2 at 50% each. Let Akira hit you with the df+P+K, and then enter a fast and clean ECD. If Akira DbPm's, you should get the successful (fast) Escape. If he tries to Throw you, you should get a normal (slow) Escape cancelled with a CD going under the throw whiff.

If you switch Motion Display to on (so you can see the exe-co-rec bars) you should be able to visually notice the recovery (orange bar) of the normal Escape get cancelled with the CD. Just practice that for a while against an idle CPU just to get a feel for cancelling normal Escapes with CDs. Once you get the hang of it, try it against the CPU in the above Playback sequence.

Just like all defensive techniques, there are vulnerabilities associated with ECD too. It won't work against circular attacks or if the attack is delayed.

 

Followup question however - perhaps I've never noticed but do you get a "MC dodge" when the opponent attempts a throw?

No you don't, it's just a normal (slow) Escape, which can still be cancelled with a CD.

What's weird about the Akira example is that the throw is being avoided by the CD, which means that the dodge (and I'm assuming a MC dodge) happens after the df+P+K hits but before the throw. That produces a MC dodge? Hmm...cool.

I see what you're saying, but the answer is still no /versus/images/icons/smile.gif The assumption that the MC Dodge (fast Escape) is happening after the hit is incorrect.

The key behind all this working is the fact that a normal (slow) Escape can be cancelled with a CD, and if done fast enough can foil any throw attempt even when you're at a 3 ~ 4 frame disadvantage.

 

Myke, where are you getting the Arcadia mags from?

My friend gets them from a local Japanese book store.

 

whats tha command/notation 4 tha ECD?

It's exactly as the name suggests, Escape - Crouch Dash (ECD).

Escape (E) = u or d
Crouch Dash (CD) = df, df

ECD = u (or d), df, df

Something worth noting is that you can only cancel a normal Escape with a forward CD, i.e. backward CDs won't work.

 

So is it evade, then CD,CD?

No. Just Evade, then Crouch Dash (CD).

 

can you do evade first, then crouch dash?
or does it have to be evade - crouch dash?

If you're asking whether or not you must cancel the Evade with a CD, the answer is yes, you must cancel. If you wait for a normal Evade to finish before you CD, you'll be thrown.

also, does backwards crouch dash work?

Nope. Like I said, you cannot cancel a normal Evade with a backward CD.

does it work if you don't evade, i.e. just crouch dash?

Mike92123 already answered this.


Remember, just like TEG and ETEG, the ECD is an option-select defensive technique which protects you from two choices - a fast mid attack or throw.

 

this is great! just what i've been looking for... can the CD be lead into anythin else?

CDs can be cancelled with anything.