Additional Topic: Maximizing Use of Dee Jay's Thrust Forward Kick (AKA How to Break the "No Standing While Poking" Rule When the Rhythm Calls For It)
One of the cardinal rules of Dee Jay play that has been put forth in the early parts of this journal is that you should never sacrifice charge unnecessarily, including by standing up (which, in effect, kills whatever Down charge you had, though Back charge can sometimes be maintained). The reason for this is that your best anti-airs are inevitably built around your Down charge (either Upkicks or your Ultra 2). Consequently, the use of walking Towards or Back – as well as the use of a standing normal outside of a perfectly distanced anti-air – has generally been frowned upon in my study of the character. However, there is one important exception to this rule, which arises in the form of Dee Jay’s standing medium (or Forward) kick for poking. Not just any old version of the Forward kick, either, but specifically the one where he does a two-hit version of a thrusting kick. To get this version of the Forward kick, you actually have to be a fair distance out from the opponent when you perform it. The best way to eyeball it is to throw it at a range where just the tip of your standing knee would hit the opponent (or, in some cases, his/her extended normal).
So why do I consider this version of Dee Jay’s medium strike an exception to the “no standing poke” rule? It’s mainly because of the benefits this version of the kick offers while also minimizing any risks or dangers to the highest degree possible. Specifically:
a) this version of the kick has a nice fat hitbox and strikes fast, making it a useful poke at two different points in its animation (during the first hit as he thrusts his kick out as well as during the second hit when his foot is fully extended). This means that you can catch opponents with it at two different ranges, should they not be blocking at those moments.
b) because the kick strikes twice, it will break focus attacks when both hits of the kick connect (NOT when only the second one connects, though, which is why having that perfect range for the two-hit strike is so important for employing this tactic).
c) the first hit of the attack can be used to cancel into Dee Jay’s specials, most notably, his Dread Kick and his Super/Ultra 1 Combination. He can do this from some pretty far out ranges if he happens to land the first hit of the Forward on an opponent’s extended normal attack. And the damage return can often be HUGE. See the next post of this journal here for more on this powerful technique.
d) both strikes of this kick together do a ridiculous amount of damage for such a quick normal – 110 points of damage on normal hit alone (which is almost as much as his most damaging close Roundhouse normal and far more practical than that attack in general play).
e) the arc of the kick is good for striking at multiple heights and ranges, maintaining Dee Jay’s optimal position from the opponent, and even for catching opponents who are beginning to jump forward during your strike. In short, it provides an offense tool at a range where Dee Jay is usually vulnerable to many types of counterattacks and arguably provides him with a form of shield against an opponent’s offense from the front.
f) the longer animation time of the double-hitting Forward kick provides you with enough time to store most, if not all, of an additional Down/Back charge. This property, in combination with a push out on the attack that leaves Dee Jay safe from counterattack AND at his optimal range, is what makes the Forward kick the potent tool that it is (and, for these reasons, exempt from the sacrificed charge rule mentioned previously).
g) on block, the double-hitting Forward also awards a nice chunk of Super meter, further decreasing the time it takes for you to reach four bars and power up your offense and damage potential to Max.
In short, the double-hitting medium kick gives maximum (heh, heh) Dee Jay gains while also negating most of his risk when he does it from the proper range. A deceptively useful normal attack that shouldn’t be slept on. Be sure to incorporate it into your rhythm.
PRO NOTE: An excellent way to set up this kick is to throw a blocked Max Out on a rising opponent, then walk forward to the perfect range to do the two-hit version of the kick (the key is to be at a range where just the tip of your knee would connect on an opponent when you perform this move). When doing this, make sure you pull back on the stick as you press the Medium kick button so that you don’t accidentally unleash a charged Dread Kick that you didn’t intend. Done correctly, the opponent will often either block your two hits (meaning good meter gain for you) . . . or eat the attack in the midst of trying something else (meaning good meter gain as well as damage in that instance). Note that this tactic is not a true block string, so opponents can often do a reversal between your Max Out and follow-up Forward kick. This just opens up a new form of mix up for you, though, where you can sometimes not do the Forward kick after the Max Out and then punish them after their reversal attempt. In other words, another form of advantage if you can see it ahead of time and monopolize on it.
 |
| "Are my "kooky kick combos" too much for you, Mon?" |