(you have to say this sentence out loud in a 1940's olde tyme radio announcer voice...ok, read on)
You have all encountered this online, both in ranked matches and player matches - Ken. Lots and lots of people using Ken. Some are more skilled than others, but most are dragon punch-spamming noobs. The intent of this thread is to compile some strategies for new players to use so they can counter the ever-expanding Ken menace. I'll start with a couple of the most basic strategies that can also be applied against the other Shoto characters such as Ryu, Sagat, and Akuma.
1) Bait Ken into a dragon punch.
Most beginning Ken players tend to use a fierce dragon punch over and over, especially as a reversal after getting knocked down. Don't touch the blob!The trick here is to walk towards the downed Ken as if you're going to attack, and then block at the last second as he does a reversal fierce dragon punch. As he sails past you harmlessly and floats through the air, punish his foolish mistake harshly with a devastating combo or preferably, a combo into an Ultra. This will typically work against most Ken players a couple of times before they smarten up, but by then, it's too late.
2) Use cross-ups.
A cross-up is when you jump nearly all of the way over a character and attack their opposite side on the way down, setting yourself up for a combo or a throw. This technique can easily confuse newer players - it's easy to block in the wrong direction. In addition, you can jump over and cross-up Ken players who are standing up and bait them into a dragon punch. If done correctly, they will fly through the air while you land safely on their opposite side. You are now free to execute any number of high-damage combos as Ken floats back down to the ground.
Use these two techniques, and then go on offense as Ken will probably then retreat to the far side of the screen and start tossing fireballs. Watch for Ken trying to dragon punch you out of a jump as you come in over a fireball - again, these are easily avoided if you watch your distance and jump carefully.
These two strategies alone should be enough to easily beat any newer Ken player you run into online at least once. This isn't mean to be a be-all end-all of SFIV strategy, but more as a beginning point for people to post their own ideas and techniques.
