How to get out of corner bullying?

Question

My opponents keep trapping me in the corner and destroying me whenever I get up... What should I do to get out of this situation?

This is in Third Strike. I play Akuma, but general tips would also be nice.

Answer 1

Usually, the best thing to do on wakeup is block. This goes for most Street Fighter games, and 3rd Strike is no exception. If you keep getting destroyed when you get up, then you should block more.

Your opponent is at the advantage when you are getting up, especially in the corner. Don't make things easier for him by trying to attack from a bad position! By simply blocking, you deflate his momentum and can wait for an opportunity to work your way out of the corner.

For example, let's say you do an uppercut on wakeup. In the best case, you'll hit your opponent for ~15% damage and gain momentum. But if your opponent blocks/parries, you will eat a full damage combo for 50% of your life! And unlike other games, most uppercuts in 3rd Strike are vulnerable before they hit. This means that you can get hit out of wakeup uppercuts by a well-timed meaty attack! (EX uppercuts are invincible until after they hit, but Akuma doesn't have these.)

If you block, then the only way the opponent can hurt you is by throwing. Don't be afraid of eating a throw or two. They don't do much damage, and it's better to eat a throw than to eat a full combo.

There is also the problem of overheads. Characters like Ken and Dudley can combo into super from their overhead, giving them very potent mixups when they knock you down. For example, Dudley can either do cr.LK, cr.LK xx super to hit you low, or he can do F+HK > super to hit you overhead. But the overhead has a bit of startup, and you can try to react to it. Start by holding down-back, and if you see the opponent go for an overhead, switch to holding back.

This is not to say that blocking is the only thing you should do—a good read on the opponent and a well-placed wakeup uppercut or super can be a life-saver. But keep the risk-reward in mind, and avoid guessing when it's not in your favor. Particularly as Akuma, who has a low amount of life.

When you have gotten up safely, you can work your way out of the corner. Here are a few ideas:

• Walk. Simply walking out of the corner can be effective. You can take short steps, walking a few pixels, block, walk a few more...
• Throw out normals to push your opponent back. Moves like far MP, far MK and far HP have a lot of range and pushback, giving you room to move out of the corner.
• Hurricane kick. Akuma's HK hurricane kick is very good and difficult to punish, especially when playing online. It can even cross up in some situations. Just keep in mind that it is punishable, and skilled players can punish it with a full combo.
• Super jump out. You could try doing an air hurricane kick, or you can do an empty jump, allowing you to parry in the air if your opponent tries to counterattack.
• Teleport. This is risky, but it's a good way to get out of Urien's Aegis Reflector.

Answer 2

The corner is a dangerous place to be, and you should avoid getting led there in first place. Akuma is a quite mobile character, so you should keep up the aggression instead of running back to the corner.

A good opponent may mix-up their aggression so there's no "one size fits all" answer. If they jump at you when you are waking up, you can try a jab dragon punch, but they can parry if they are predicting it. If they are very close to you when you are waking up, they might want to throw you if you don't dragon punch (if you do, they'll block). Teleporting is risky unless they are starting to jump. If you duck, you can't be thrown, but they can overhead you.

Overall, the Yomi is against you when you are in the corner, so you should be aware of your options and bet on a mistake on your opponent's part, so you can exit the corner as soon as possible. Be aware that your opponent will know that, so they can play it safe in order to trap you there (e.g. Urien can Aegis Reflect upwards to prevent you from jumping).