When to use Akira's KNEE

First I'd like to thank all them mo-fos that participated in the "how to do Akira's KNEE" thread for all the help in the execution of this move.

Well now that you have reached a point where you can pull it off consistently, when should you use it?

I noticed that it is not a super fast move...tried to use it in the start of the round and nearly every time I get interrupted (either by a jab or semi-fast moves);
The execution of it is at 17frames with -13 on guard, so it's somewhat fast and somewhat safe.
If it was any faster or safer it probably would be unbalanced, but since I keep getting smacked out of my knees or thrown after a blocked one, I have been thinking that given the difficulty of this move the payoff should be something more (mayb safe on block).

The only use of it that I have found at the moment is after a successful sidestep I throw it out there, and this is how I land most of my knees.

Well...any tips or tactics on when to use the almighty Standing Knee?

 

-13 is both throw and hit counterable, i.e. it's not safe. Your opponent gets a guaranteed jab or jab string or a throw afterwards, depending on what defensive options you take.

 

Yeah, -13 is pretty unsafe compared to a lot of other disadvantages. -13 guarantees your opponent a P combo or a throw attempt, so you will eat a small combo or get thrown/escape a throw if your opponent knows when to punish.

The KNEE has good low hit detection so it can scrape people off the ground so a lot of people use it in wall combos for extra damage as the opponent is falling down off the wall.

The KNEE also floats really high so you can do some nice damage with float combos off of it. I agree 100% this move is ridiculously hard for me to do but there are many Akira players out there that can do the KNEE automatically. I was playing King of Carnage last night and he just did it for fun 5 times in a row after the round ended so it is possible to train yourself to do this move as consistently as any other, if you're willing to put in the time to practice.

Even though this move is difficult I would say you should really try to learn it. It's one of Akira's best moves except that it's so difficult to pull off but I would hate to play a character and not have every single one of his moves open as an option. Then you can keep your opponent on his toes more and one more move makes you that much less predictable. Plus, because it's such a good move, if you can do it consistently then your opponent will have to waste some of his focus and brain-power just watching out for the KNEE cause they won't want to get hit by it.

If you want to use a character and TRULY master him or her, mastering every move in his or her repertoire is really an absolute must...

 

Do it at the end of a round after half a dragon dance into a sidestep.

Talk about rubbing it in your opponents face...

 

I noticed that Knee work pretty fine after /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+ /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif

You can also use it in combo /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/df.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/df.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif+ /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif (released /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif after one frame)

During a wall combo too

I hope that advice will help you

 

KNEE, like any other launcher, is best put to use when you know it's going to work. Watch what your opponent is doing after certain situations. Let's say that any time you connect a smaller attack like P or 66P, you notice your opponent is usually trying to attack you or usually evading. In the first scenario, you are likely to connect KNEE as an MC for a big combo opportunity. In the second scenario, delay your KNEE to launch them out of a failed evade and combo accordingly.

 

Use at +5 (to beat /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/d.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif)---edit--- and to punish at +17, and whenever you know your opponent is dumb enough to abare with a slow attack.

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-13 is "safe" compared to -14 or -15. Throws can be escaped and only Aoi (/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif), Eileen (/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif), and Sarah (/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif) can get knockdown. At -14 several characters have /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif like attacks for knock downs, and Lau, Wolf, Brad, OS Vanessa, Goh, Pai, and Akira get a standing palm-like attacks> combos.

So at -13, 37 damage with no knockdown at most (unless you factor Ao, Ei, and Sa).

 

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif +! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif is one of Akira's strongest scraping the ground moves.

Get the hang of his high damage staple combo /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/d_.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif, /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif (wall),Knee.

 

Plague is the king of the knee~

 

I found that it works pretty well after /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif, /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif (even if blocked)
I try to play out the Plague-scenario (either KNEE right of the bat, or delay KNEE since they will sidestep)

 

Its /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif and yes, it does work when you counterhit with that.

Also its a better punish for blocked lowsweeps than yoho since you usually get minor counterhit with knee and hence higher float than yoho.

 

If you're actually talking about /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif, then sure, KNEE will work. On hit you get a flop and the KNEE will connect (although there are better combos). On block, you have +4 so KNEE beats probably anything that's 13 frames or slower if you do it right away. And, like you stated, delay attack works too.

 

Woups...I ment what Rouronin-Manjimaru said, just /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif .

In regards to blocked sweeps, I never thought you had enough time to counter hit with slow moves. Mayb cause the bit of lag that you get online makes it seem like you cannot punish most sweeps (I should check the frames on all character).

Although, I still can't make much sense of the KNEE I have to say that Akira is so much fun to play...I'm an Akira noob and he seems to me the most difficult character I have used in any fighting game (from EWGFs in Tekken and Kara-Shoryus/partitions/etc. in SF3); nevertheless, he is super fun /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

Well Akira has hard inputs but a not so hard general style of play. He doesn't have a lot of moves and basically you will have a good pressure game with his fast mids mixed with throws and his few lows ( 3p+k, 1k, 1p+k+g>k>p+g but do not abuse of those)
to master him of course it takes a lot of time