Timing and rhythm?

[Granbyroll]

Anyone have any tips on having good timing and rhythm? How do you establish a rhythm in this game and then break it? Manipulation of rhythm in fighting is an important concept. How do I do that here?

[Zyaf]

Every player in this game has a beat that they throw to. The way to break your rhythm is to recognize what your beat is, then stop short and break it. If you constantly throw 1 - pause 1-2, and your opponent starts to read that, throw that jab out and then follow up with a 3-2-3. That's pretty basic rhythm breaking, but you'd be surprised at how effective it is.

[Granbyroll]

Quote: Originally Posted by Zyaf

Every player in this game has a beat that they throw to. The way to break your rhythm is to recognize what your beat is, then stop short and break it. If you constantly throw 1 - pause 1-2, and your opponent starts to read that, throw that jab out and then follow up with a 3-2-3. That's pretty basic rhythm breaking, but you'd be surprised at how effective it is.

Interesting. Got any clips and do you have any more advanced examples? I watch your YouTube all the time. Great stuff. Maybe an extensive tutorial is in order? Would help alot of scrubs like me!

[ryangil23]

Footwork is part of it. You can move in and out to try and make them miss and then once they stop throwing when you move forward because they expect you to back out, you can just come straight at them. Now they are unsure whether you’re coming or going.

Another part is combinations. For example, you could start off throwing just 1-2s, a jab-hook, mostly 2 strike combinations so you get them thinking a 3 or 4 strike combo isn’t coming. Now they think it’s safe to just back out without moving their head or they might stay in front of you. Now you can start throwing the 3 or 4 strike combinations since they’ve got used to you just throwing 2 strikes at a time.

Then you can start breaking your rhythm if they start moving their head. So you could throw 2 strikes, like a 1-2, then they move their head thinking you’re going to throw a hook and you can stop for a half second and throw a kick while they’ve moved their head because they were expecting the hook.

[tomitomitomi]

Quote:

Anyone have any tips on having good timing and rhythm? How do you establish a rhythm in this game and then break it? Manipulation of rhythm in fighting is an important concept. How do I do that here?

First you have to comprehend why you think it is important. If you just "establish a rhythm" without realizing its purpose then you don't really benefit from it. As a simple example, if you go to quick matches you will find lots of newbie players who get intimidated easily and start backpedaling if you plod forward. If you try that with any competent player they will stand their ground and throw strikes. Then, if you think they will try to catch you walking in you can zig-zag in and out instead and make them whiff (a very common tactic in footsies).

Moreover, if you analyze "scrub" matches as you put it you will notice people doing this back-and-forth movement a lot but they're not doing as a response to their opponents' actions but instead it's their own arbitrary habit. Ideally you want to put your opponent vs the cage because then it's easier for you to control when you exchange and if they get rocked they can't retreat whereas you can. Hence, if you think your opponent is going to move back, you can simply walk forward to force them closer to the cage.

Similar ideas apply to what Ryangil and Zyaf talked about. Zyaf used 1, 1-2 as an example because it's a safe way to hit your opponent from distance and he then diverts to the other more damaging options when the opponent proves they're sentient and tries to counter the 1, 1-2. At scrub levels you can simplify it to mixing 1-2s with 1-4s (jab-rear hook) until you have a greater understanding of all the tools in the game IMO.

Quote: Originally Posted by Granbyroll

Interesting. Got any clips and do you have any more advanced examples? I watch your YouTube all the time. Great stuff. Maybe an extensive tutorial is in order? Would help alot of scrubs like me!

The problem with that is that it varies greatly depending who you play against so it is difficult to make a general guide on it. However, there are plenty of videos about reading patterns and counter-striking and they essentially cover similar aspects because what you're really asking about is pattern reading and setting up attacks.

[Zyaf]

Quote: Originally Posted by tomitomitomi

First you have to comprehend why you think it is important. If you just "establish a rhythm" without realizing its purpose then you don't really benefit from it. As a simple example, if you go to quick matches you will find lots of newbie players who get intimidated easily and start backpedaling if you plod forward. If you try that with any competent player they will stand their ground and throw strikes. Then, if you think they will try to catch you walking in you can zig-zag in and out instead and make them whiff (a very common tactic in footsies). Moreover, if you analyze "scrub" matches as you put it you will notice people doing this back-and-forth movement a lot but they're not doing as a response to their opponents' actions but instead it's their own arbitrary habit. Ideally you want to put your opponent vs the cage because then it's easier for you to control when you exchange and if they get rocked they can't retreat whereas you can. Hence, if you think your opponent is going to move back, you can simply walk forward to force them closer to the cage. Similar ideas apply to what Ryangil and Zyaf talked about. Zyaf used 1, 1-2 as an example because it's a safe way to hit your opponent from distance and he then diverts to the other more damaging options when the opponent proves they're sentient and tries to counter the 1, 1-2. At scrub levels you can simplify it to mixing 1-2s with 1-4s (jab-rear hook) until you have a greater understanding of all the tools in the game IMO. The problem with that is that it varies greatly depending who you play against so it is difficult to make a general guide on it. However, there are plenty of videos about reading patterns and counter-striking and they essentially cover similar aspects because what you're really asking about is pattern reading and setting up attacks.

This exactly.


Most players just throw without a plan, or without really knowing why they're throwing. If you throw with purpose, it doesn't matter what combos you know or how flashy you are.. just know why you're doing it.