Strategy
Kyo has possibly the most useful kick throw in the entire game.
The opponent is left right next to you, is unable to tech roll or slow getup, and the 52 pixel range of Kyo's kick throw even lets him do it after the pushback from a d.LK.
Wake-Up Pressure/Knockdown Mixups
Kyo has some of the nastiest mix-up in the game. The whole point of Kyo is correct meter management coupled with use of low shorts to get your opponent afraid of getting super'd or CC'd. You use his mix-up strategies to make your opponent defensive and afraid so that you can throw them when necessary or confuse them, opening up situations where you can combo into Serpent Wave or Final Showdown.
Tools Kyo has for mix-ups:
236LP (safe on block, not jd)
2LK or wait and then 2LK (link to 2MP and then cancel to 236LP/236KK)
Counterhit 2MP
Whiff to Throw or just Walk-up throw
Counterhit 5HK to super (difficult)
Meaty 5MP > 236LP
236LP => 63214P (overhead that is unsafe on block and can be slightly delayed for confusion)
Low jump HK or empty hop 2LK (50/50 mix-up)
Low jump crossup j.LK (hop over the grounded opponent and work in shorts)
j.2HP command normal mix-up (Small Jump j.2HP, Whiffed SJ j.2HP to throw, Crossup superjump j.2HP *tall characters only*)
Jump into corner to avoid DP (situational and only on cornered opponents)
Wakeup Super
Against players with a nasty DP such as Ken, Sagat or Iori, it's important to not start out reckless. You should try to recognize if your opponent is prone to throw out wake-up dp's. Free jump-ins combined with waiting/blocking should be used when necessary to bait out whiffed dp's that open up huge punishment combos (c.lk x 2, c.mp xx aragami, etc.). Once your opponent is afraid to wake-up dp, begin to throw out more low shorts and to fish for counterhits with c.mp. Do not be afraid to walk up and kick throw, tick throw, or whiff to kick throw.
Groove Specific Strategy
C-Groove
In C-Groove
Against C-Groove
A-Groove
In A-Groove
CC setups (random activates)
blocked close s.HK, CC
blocked c.HK, CC
blocked meaty rdp+LK, CC
blocked meaty c.MK, CC
blocked 2nd hit of qcf+LK,K, CC
combo into qcf+MK,K, close s.HK xx rdp+LK (whiffs), CC
CC, RC rekka
CC, f+MK overhead, continue
hit with qcf+HP, hcb+P, wait, CC
the other obvious random activates, like empty jump, walk forward, etc
Customs
CC, (c.LK), close s.HK x 2, far s.HK, df+HK (1-hit), [far s.HK x 2,
df+HK (1-hit)] x N to corner, df+HK xx qcfx2+P
- you can also switch up to mashed c.LK, df+HK (2-hit) at the end,
but i find it smarter to keep it simple.
CC, [dp+MP, df+HK whiff]x8 (or to 8 hits), c.HP, c.HP, qcb,hcf+P
- this is your combo for many things, like anti-air CC, comboing after
all sorts of juggles, or traded dp+LP/MP
- start with dp+HP (1-hit), df+HK whiff if you need the range, like
after a traded dp
j.HK, close s.HK xx qcf+MK,K, dp+MK, CC, [dp+MP, df+HK whiff] x 2,
dp+MP, s.LK whiff, [j.LP x 4] x N until no meter, close s.HK/c.HP xx
qcf+HK,K, dp+HK (opponent dizzy), j.HK, close s.HK xx qcf+MK,K, dp+HK
- this should dizzy all characters 70 stun and lower if you land the
qcf+HK,K correctly, without a jumpin it should dizzy 60 stun chars
- the final hits after the dizzy won't do good damage because the CC
scaling will still be in effect, this is only useful for flash
- it's smarter to end this combo with a super, then try to land
another combo afterwards to get some real dizzy damage
Special Custom enders
- combo to 8 hits, juggle with hcb+HK, qcf+LP, hcb+P, P (all 3 hits),
continue with mashed ground custom into qcfx2+P super or qcf+MK,K,
dp+HK for dizzy
- combo to 8 hits, juggle with c.HP x 2 (think rolento super at the
end of CC), qcf+LP, hcb+P, P (first 2 whiff), continue with mashed
ground custom into qcfx2+P super or qcf+MK,K, dp+HK for dizzy
- the execution of the connected rekka chains is pretty hard in CC mode, with kara cancels and shit, sometimes you do one rekka, juggle with a jab, then do another jab when you try for the hcb+P, it's hard, i would stick to setting up whiffed chains if you're gonna really practice this
- ground custom, end with qcf+MK,K, dp+HK for dizzy
Against A-Groove
P-Groove
In P-Groove
Against P-Groove
S-Groove
In S-Groove
Against S-Groove
N-Groove
In N-Groove
Against N-Groove
K-Groove
In K-Groove
Against K-Groove
