Ken — Counter-Guide

Recommended Counter

• 236LP
  • When pressing parry, buffer a jump
    • Often used as a safe fireball, so Ken frequently inputs the next 236P
  • After blocking, the next 236P is often a safe fireball — don't jump after blocking a slow projectile

• 236MP
  • Same counter as 236LP
• 236HP
  • When pressing parry up close, buffer a heavy attack or raw rush
  • At long range on parry, buffer a forward attack to get reward on the safe fireball follow-up

• 236PP
  • After blocking, depending on distance, Ken can crush reversals and continue offense
  • When you recognize this setup, use an invincible move with fast startup and long reach on the rush flash

Recommended Counter

• On 623P hit
  • Be aware that a mix-up between in-place recovery and back-roll recovery exists
  • During rush oki:
    • Taking in-place recovery cancels out the walk shimmy option

• During walk oki:
  • Taking back-roll recovery eliminates the oki
  • In-place recovery gives Ken shimmy-possible oki without rush

• On 623PP hit
  • Ken is at +22F
  • Using rush creates complete oki
    • In-place recovery
      • Throw lands
    • Back-roll recovery
      • HP crushes reversals
  • Recommended:
    • Take back-roll recovery and aim for perfect parry against HP, or just block — throw won't land

Recommended Counter

• 623HK in neutral
  • Perfect parry

• Drive Impact (DI)
  • Guaranteed on reaction
  • You may get countered if slow, but go for it

• Standing 4F move

  • Would be ideal to press a 4F move on reaction, but doing it in a real match was impossible
    • Even slight delay leads to a counter hit for massive damage — risk vs. reward doesn't work out
  • This guide recommends perfect parry or Drive Impact

• After 623HK on block

  • +1F within throw range
  • Using OD invincible or delayed tech throw here has bad risk vs. reward
  • Recommended — just these 3 options:
    • Instant 4F mash
      • Beats Ken's tech throw
      • Also beats his raw reversal attempt
    • Instant tech throw
      • Beats shimmy
        • Always watch for anti-air when doing this
      • Loses to instant moves but accept it
    • Perfect parry
      • Beats opponent's instant 4F mash
      • Risky if they throw, so don't overuse
      • Use when the mix-up loops back and they're stuck on 4F reversal crush only

The video below records Ken doing the following after 623HK on block:

• Instant 4F move
• Neutral jump
• Throw

Recommended Counter

Distinguishing L/M/H by sound and animation isn't impossible, but it's extremely hard mid-match and memorizing sounds is tedious.

The recommended approach: match your response to what it was canceled from.

A key property of 236K: each strength version only combos from normals of the same strength or lower.

• LK cannot link into 236MK
• 2MK cannot link into 236HK
• 2MK can link into 236MK
• HP can link into 236MK

With that in mind, assume Ken generally uses the same strength as the preceding normal.

• LK→236LK
  • You can interrupt before the follow-up — do it

• 2MK→236MK
  • Mashing loses to M Dragonlash Kick → LK branch
  • The overhead mix-up does exist, but if they're only using the instant branch, fuzzy is possible — give it a try
    • Note it's on punish counter, so use a punish counter starter

• HP→236HK
  • There's a gap between HP and 236K, so a jab interrupt is difficult but worth attempting
    • Even if it turns out to be 236MK, it's a block string so the mash still pays off
    • It's hard and risky on failure, so recommended for confident players only
      • The author of this guide can't do it reliably

• If the interrupt is too hard, block solidly and don't mash randomly
  • DI is very effective when you read a follow-up branch
  • If not using DI, note that Ken often dashes 236K→6LK at max speed — track that as part of the mix-up

Once you're used to it, you can cover all of the above:

Recommended Counter

• On KK→623P hit
  • Taking in-place recovery prevents walk shimmy
  • Don't take back-roll recovery out of habit — take in-place recovery, then use invincible or early throw tech to put Ken at risk

Recommended Counter

Back-roll recovery still allows rush oki. Even with rush, OD invincible is not guaranteed — the situation is still very good for Ken.

• After LPLK hit → in-place recovery
  • Ken's only shimmy option from in-place recovery is rush → LP, which leaves Ken at -4F
  • Know that instant mash gives you a punish counter

• Showing this makes Ken commit to hit-confirms more, so then use in-place recovery + OD invincible

• After LPLK hit → back-roll recovery

  • Without rush, no oki applies

Recommended Counter

Back-roll recovery is the default. Distance is too far for oki to apply.