Ryu vs Yun

Yun

In arcade edition, though Yun is a really strong character (some might call him broken) and Ryu has been nerfed a lot, but this is actually one of the better match up for Ryu to put up against. A lot of people came to me for tips about this match up and telling me that they are getting bodied by Yuns. I can’t say this is an even match up right now…I would say 5.5:4.5 in Yun’s favor due to his damage output and various tools that can go through projectiles, however, I guarantee that this will be an even or maybe a match up in Ryu’s favor once 2012 hits. In this guide, it will cover little things that Ryu players might not know, and I am sure this will help you with this match up! Here we GO!!

Ground games:

Far Range: It’s free to throw fireball and all Yuns at this range usually build meters with his palm. Aside from building meters with Ryu, make sure you throw different versions of Hadokens to make Yun having difficulties to cancel the projectile with his palm. You can also walk close, NOT too close but right outside of the Palm range, once it whiffs punish Yun with sweep. Don’t forget that Yun has this move called the Lunge punch which reaches from full screen, however, the regular version if SRK reversal-able at this range while Ex version is not. So beware, Yun players with meter might try to get in for free with this tool (it actually not a really fast move, I would say almost same as ex psycho crusher, therefore it’s not too hard to react to)

Mid Range: I personally do believe that Yun has better footises than Ryu. Yun’s low forward (Cr.mk) is better than or as good as Ryu’s as a poke and his far target combo (strong > fierce > back fierce) has great range and the first two hit is safe on block unless Ryu has super. Yun players would usually dive kick in at this range since it is hard to counter SRK his kick (Yuns dive kick has to be reacted quick, otherwise it stuffs any of your moves). Always be ready to anti-air, however, it is not possible to react to his moves every moment (I mean it is…..but not for me at least..), therefore, substitute your SRK with stand jab or stand short as anti-air tools. I personally prefer standing short because of several reasons; first the hit box extends upward, second it beats Yun’s target combo and lastly it makes Yun’s low forward whiffs. As for standing jab, I would only use it when I am in the corner mainly because I can mash it hoping it will hit something, since it’s too hard for me to react to Yun’s dive kick at this situation.

Close Range: At this range, it really limits Ryu’s options. Yun has a 3f low jab which takes control of the whole range leaving Ryu 2 options, which are block or mash on low jab/SRK. Yun doesn’t have much frame trap, but he has a command grab, therefore I would recommend Ryu players to mash on low jab while blocking his poke strings. Worst comes to worst, you get ex command grabbed out of it, but at least you burnt one of Yun’s meter. I don’t think I need to explain why mashing on SRK is a bad idea….just mash it on your own risk.

Counter:

Lunge Punch: Any attack before it hits you. It is also punishable with SRK on block except the lunge punch it performed in max distance, than it is only punishable with SUPER.

Ex Version: Any attack can either beats it or make it trade. MP/EX SRK can beat it clean and THIS MOVE is not punishable on block.

Palm: This special move is like an invisible projectile with little range and can only be countered with MP/EX SRK and ultra.

Ex Version: The ex version gives invincibility on start up, but it still can be beat with MP/EX SRK.

Dragon Kick (Up Kick): Different version of his Up kick has different invincibility and priorities. His round kick version has the most invincibility which makes MP SRK trades (EX SRK beats it clean), however, the other two versions completely lose to MP SRK.

Ex Version: EX SRK only

Shoulder: Any attack including focus attack. It can be reversal SRK on block.

Ex Version: Same as ex version except it breaks guard because it contains 2 hits. This version is also SRK punishable on block.

Flip Grab (Command Grab): Any attack

Ex Version: This move is extremely broken…it beats any of your moves and grabs except SRK/SUPER/ULTRA.

Against Ultra 1: This ultra is usually used to connect into combos and doesn’t really do much damage.

Against Ultra 2: There’s nothing scary about this ultra at all. It does have good range through projectiles when performed, but other than that there’s nothing much you need to worry about. DON’T THROW FIREBALLS RECKLESSLY!

On Ryu’s Wakeup:

As scary as Yun sounds…he actually doesn’t have much mix ups against Ryu. The most common mix up he has is an instant cross up dive kick after Yun hits you with a round house version Up Kick. You can avoid this by not quick waking up or just simply quick wake up and perform jab SRK for a trade or an mp SRK. This mix up is the most often used, but however, Ryu player has to be careful that this mix up can also bait wake up SRKs but delaying his jump and using HK dive kick instead of LK (crossup). Going back to topic, at least from what I know of, Yun’s only mix ups are dive kick front and back to confuse their opponents which can be easily (to me at least) figure out which side they land.

Other mix ups that Yun can do on Ryu would be a frame trap with low strong alternating with command throw. In this case, I would usually just back dash on wake up if I see Yun on the ground, worst scenario is getting hit by an OS lunge punch which can’t be lead to any scary mix ups and it’s totally worth it to take the hit (only if you have enough life to take it).

Mind games and Option Select:

Sadly, there aren’t much OS you can do on Yun due to his round house Up kick, but gladly you can perform safe jump! After a knock down, jump forward HK immediately to make a perfectly timed safe jump and only OS you can follow is sweep or EX SRK (any other attacks lose to his HK Up kick). You can mix the safe jump with cross up hurricane kick like any other characters that have wake up reversals. And of course, without a doubt, on the ground, same OS, sweep.

Since there is only one timing to perform the safe jump, it leaves no extra time for Ryu to perform any threatening jump in mix ups, therefore, other simple mix up becomes handy such as over head.

Tips and Tricks*NEW*

If you guys have ever watched my dvd tutorial or read most of my guides, you should know my on ground hurricane kick mix ups and one of it works against Yun. I will post it here one more time in case some of you don’t know; back throw > forward dash X 2 > HK hurricane kick.

After a knock down, as long as the Yun player quick get up, doing a meaty standing fierce OR standing roundhouse can cover two things. 

1.  Hits him out of his back dash
2. Trades with any version of his UP kicks (except EX version)

It’s a really useful trick because the trade UP kick does barely any damage to you and worst comes to worst, you eat an ex version UP kick trading your life with one of his meter not allowing him to save up for SUPER meter.

*NOTE* when you do a meaty standing fierce, making sure you cancel into fireball for the following reasons

.

-If Yun does an UP kick, the fireball never releases

-If Yun ever blocks your standing fierce, you will never be punished because you canceled into Hadoken

-If Yun back dashes, fireball never comes out

Also you can do this trick now thanks to EX Tatsu’s buff in AE. Forward throw > jump forward (there’s only one range, so try it out in training mode) and do an Ex Air Tatsu. It beats any version of his up kick CLEAN and also allowing you to connect with ultra 1 (Yun will fly really high compared to the ground ex tatsu, therefore a half screen U1 is possible). Why is this useful? As I mentioned above that a safe jump is very hard on Yun, timing is strict. If he is knocked down by a sweep, it does the timing for you, but after a forward throw, it’s all muscle memory and I don’t think it’s 100% possible to perform it every time. With this fact, your opponent wouldn’t know if that timing would be a real safe jump, therefore they might take a chance to UP Kick hoping it will hit. It’s just a very neat option in AE that you can try, and on top of that, even if your EX Air Tatsu whiffs, you land without recovery!

  

Things to be aware of:

Zoning with fireball is a key to win this battle. Maybe to a lot of Ryu players it’s really risky to throw fireballs, but in fact, you do need to throw fireballs (smart ones, not predictable ones) to make Yun move. He basically has to work his way in which is not that easy unless he has ex meters (you can also throw fireball where his ex shoulder only lands 1 hit). Yun either has to get in with shoulder/ex shoulder, far dive kick or regular jump in. With good zoning, either of these 3 can be easily baited and it can be very rewarding.

When a Yun player is down by life, majority of the Yuns will be very desperate and might try to do reset combos with cross up LP shoulder during Genei Jin or command grab on your wake up or during poke strings.  Jumping back during poke strings is the only way out against an ex command grab since it has great range and as I said before, I do not recommend mashing on SRK.

*Incase any of you guys don’t know, cross up LP shoulder can only be done if Yun hits you air to air, and then LP shoulder once he lands, it will be a cross up. So with this info, make sure you block the correct direction. 

As always, any questions or comment, leave it on my Facebook page or the comment box below! Hope this helps!

p.s once 2012 version is released, I will update all my guides with new strategy, tricks, graphics/videos and hopefully a better format! Keep supporting