#04 - About Ukemi vs Okizeme Setup Attacks
If you go to learn judo, what do you learn first? You need to know what to do after getting hit so you don't get helplessly beaten up. If you've mastered movement, let's now sort out the situation after being attacked and knocked down.
Ukemi vs Lying Down
🛡️ Ukemi (P+K+G)
From the moment it's executed until ukemi ends, you get invincibility frames (exception: downed attacks).
🛌 Lying Down
Generally a better option than ukemi. You don't need to worry about a single stomp, and downed throws (2P+G/3P+G) can be escaped with the same command input.
↩️ Ukemi Direction
| Direction | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Stationary Ukemi | Input window is longer and you get up faster than side ukemi. Can choose between crouching/standing after ukemi, a short period exists where defenses other than guard are impossible. |
| Side Ukemi | Very disadvantageous immediately after, usually attempting guard/evade. Ends in a crouching state (cannot guard low with neutral stick · can guard mid), all other defenses impossible for approximately 2F. |
⚠️ Caution when spinning and flying away
- Ukemi in this state leads to a much more disadvantageous situation than normal ukemi
- Sometimes turns their back when performing stationary ukemi — Mid/low guard impossible for approximately 3F, low guard impossible when transitioning to standing state unconditionally
- Sometimes exposes their side when performing side ukemi — Still a better option than stationary
✨ Just Ukemi
Some moves or throws that embed you into the ground can have their extra damage reduced with Just Ukemi. Utilize the P+K+G shortcut button, and increase the chances with stationary ukemi.
🔼 3 Ways to Get Up from Lying Down
| Method | Input | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Simply Get Up | Mash P | Stick down + mash → crouching state, neutral → standing state. Guard is possible, but there's a period where evade is impossible. |
| Roll and Get Up | Mash G | Can choose up/down/back directions. Can choose crouching state with previous lever 2 directions. |
| Wake-up Attack | Mash K (K during roll also possible) | Invincible until just before activation. Divided into 3 types below. |
📌 Wake-up Attack Frames
Hit confirmation is virtually impossible — a strong 6F frame advantage mix-up is initiated
The Key is Randomness
In this game, if you get hit by a move and fall, you generally remain on the defensive. Making it difficult for your opponent to predict is key.
Ukemi or Not?
Mix randomly with a ratio of 5:5 to 2:8 · choose a direction that is less disadvantageous, keeping ring-outs and wall combos in mind.
Useful Options Immediately After Ukemi
💡 Why is Not Doing Ukemi Advantageous?
Ukemi is vulnerable to setup play that targets the evade-impossible window. During ukemi, there's no time to devise a comeback plan or examine the opponent's patterns. Virtua Fighter rarely has timeouts, so there's ample time for a comeback.
🎲 What if you don't do ukemi at all?
Keep changing your wake-up method. Repeating only one method becomes a worse option than ukemi. Whether to roll, when to roll, whether to do a wake-up attack · mid/low — there are many elements to vary.
🧍 State Selection When Getting Up Without Attacking
| State | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Crouching State | Long period of vulnerability where only guard is possible (Evade starts late when attempting evade) |
| Standing State | Short period of vulnerability where only guard is possible (Evade immediately after wake-up is relatively safe) |
If you slowly return the stick to neutral after waking up in a crouching state, a natural fuzzy guard is created.
🎯 Setup Attacks
Exactly overlapping an attack at a special timing immediately after ukemi/wake-up where guard is possible but evade is not. If a mid or low move is overlapped at this timing, the attack will be treated as a normal hit if G is not pressed during evade input. Cannot be created with high attacks.
🏋️ Setup Attack Practice
Utilize the Counter function in Training Mode!
🛡️ Dealing with Setup Attacks
Evade + Throw Escape simultaneous input — If the setup isn't active, evade succeeds; if it is, guard succeeds with high probability (escapes 1/3 of throws)
🔑 Key Points
- The principle for all choices is to mix randomly to make it difficult for the opponent to predict
- Bound combos with a green combo display that allow ukemi can be easily escaped with stationary ukemi
- There is a moment immediately after wake-up/ukemi when evade is impossible, and setup attacks exist to target this
- When waking up without an attack, crouching wake-up is possible and can transition into fuzzy guard
Original Source: Ruliweb (rchacha)
※ Written before the R.E.V.O World Stage update — some details may differ from the current version.