				The New Ken Guide for Sf3 3rd Impact.
				By Eric Chou
				Email:  scuddman@earthlink.net
				mistmoore_train@hotmail.com

Once again, J. Christopher can do whatever he wants to this
faq.  I just never bothered to publish this faq before 
until now.  If you're a beginner, you probably could learn 
a lot more from my Ryu faq.  Why a faq anyways?  Why not?  
You'd be surprised what you can do with him that people
don't know about.

Last Updated 11/22/2000

Table of Contents:
Part 1:  					Ken's Story
Part 2:  					Universal Commands and the Basics
Part 3:  					Ken's Standard Attacks
Part 4: 					Special Moves
Part 5:     				Supers
Part 6:  					Basic Tactics
Part 7:  					Combos
-------------------------------------------------------------
Part 1:  Ken's Story

Um, I don't think he has one.  I guess he's just entering  to fight
like he does every year.  As Ryu would say, "You never get
tired of this, do you?"  His ending is really lame.  His 
story is really lame.  Goodness, you would think Capcom 
would spend more time, but I guess they think nobody cares, 
and Capcom isn't far wrong.

-------------------------------------------------------
Part 2:  The Basics		

Ken's basic tactics tend to be like Forest Law's in
Tekken.  Get in their face, and go for stuffs.  Try
to abuse the fact that he can combo his quicker moves 
into his more damaging specials and supers.

This is assuming Ken is facing right.
When he's facing left, reverse the command motions.

jab(1)	strong(2)	fierce(3)
short(4)	forward(5)	roundhouse(6)

Forward Dash:  Tap Toward Twice
The good thing about Ken's dash (or any shoto's) is that
it's fast.  Doesn't go very far, but lets you cover distance.  
That is its use, so use it that way.  Remember you can't cancel 
the dash, so no blocking if you dash!

Back Dash:  Tap Back Twice
Ken dashes back.  Doesn't go very far, but lets him back up
about a quarter screen distance.  Use it to avoid attacks,
mess up jump-ins, and to get some space.  Remember you can't 
cancel the dash, so no blocking if you dash!

High Jump:  Tap down, then tap straight up.
It's only use is in combos, and only in the corner for
such combos.  It's not useful at all.

Forward Long Jump: Tap down, then tap up-toward.
Covers space faster!  Ken will jump farther, faster, 
possibly giving you a chance to jump over that fireball 
and get a nice jump-in.

Tech Roll: Tap down as you are knocked down.  
Ken will get up quicker and roll backwards out of the way
of most meaty attacks (attacks done as you get up.)
Doing so charges your super meter, so there is now no 
reason not to do it.  
You can never tech roll after getting knocked down by 
the end of a super.  
Sweeps are more difficult to tech roll.

Overhead:  Press strong and forward kick at the same time.
Ahh, the universal overhead.  Ken will hop and punch downwards,
attempting an attack that must be blocked high.  
It will go over some low attacks, so use it to punish low pokes.
I fake with this move a lot, because it has quick recovery
and moves Ken closer to the opponent.  It NEVER combos in 
3rd impact.  That's okay, he's got other overheads that do combo.

Throws:  
1:  Jab + short  
Grab and kick in the nuts.  Mash buttons to get up to 6 hits.
2:  Jab + short holding toward
The grab and dump at your feet throw.  Good Damage
3:  Jab + short holding back
Ken's trademark roll backwards then toss throw.  Covers quite a bit of
distance if your back is near the corner.

Oh yeah, no more combos off throws in corners.  Doesn't work anymore.
I think, someone might surprise me.

Parrys:  
1:  Tap Toward
High parry.  If you parry a move, you can cancel the parry into any
action you want, which means what a parry really does is give you
a time advantage.  Sometimes enough of an advantage to do whatever
you want, sometimes not.  It's important to remember a parry this way
because a parry doesn't gurantee anything.  As an example, if you
parry Akuma's dive kick and try to attack he can block!  Or even stuff
you with a dragon punch.
If you parry a standard jump in and try to do crouching fierce -> fireball,
the opponent has enough time to land and dragon punch you, though he may not have 
enough time to block.  Why this is exactly?  I'm not sure.
You can usually only parry moves from your waist up high.  Certain moves
can be parried high even if they hit your feet, such as Ibuki's Kunai.
2:  Tap Down
Low Parry.  Some moves can only be parried low.
3:  Tap Toward in air
Parry in air.  Only way to air parry now.  Note that if you parry a
move in the air and attack with a slow move such as fierce your
opponent can parry back!
4:  Tap Toward or down immediately after blocking a move
Red Parry.  Causes you to parry the next hit in pre-canned 
combos or chains.  Necessary if you're blocking some supers!

Throw Break:  Press Jab + short as you are thrown.  
Usually when you try to throw someone attempting a throw on you this happens. 
Unlike in Tekken Tag, you cannot break a throw if you are still lagging from 
the recovery of a move.  
If you do a sweep and it is parried, then your opponent throws you, you can't break that 
throw because you're still recovering from the sweep.  

-------------------------------------------------------
Part 3:  The Basics.

Come on! Ken's a shoto! You've gotta know his stuff!
So instead, I'll try to talk about when to use what moves
and about the hit ranges.
High moves can be crouched under.  
Overhead/mids must be blocked/parried high.
Special mids can be blocked/parried high or low
Lows must be blocked/parried low

The Jabs:  
a.  Don't use his standing jab.  It sucks unless you want to 
stuff overheads.  It's a high!  (People can crouch under)
b.  Crouching jab is a special mid.  Special?  How is it special?
You can parry it high or low.  You can block it high or low.  
Only use to stuff moves.
c.  Jumping jab is one of Ken's few JUGGLE starters.  
Too bad his juggles are tough!  I recommend not using it.

The Strongs:
a.  Standing strong is the fastest way to charge your meter.  
It's also a good poke.  It's a high.
The close version is a mid that links into Ken's fierce uppercut.
Keep this in mind when doing combos, especially after blocking moves
that leave you right next to your opponent. 
b.  Crouching strong is a special mid.  You have no time 
disadvantage if it is blocked!  Keep that in mind when poking.
It has very high priority vs. a lot of other moves, including 
most low pokes.  Just make sure you have good timing.
Stuff low dash moves such as Sean's tackle and cancel into super.
c.  Jumping strong stinks.  Never use it.

The Fierces:
a.  Standing fierce isn't very good.  It's slow, 
is a high, but is very damaging.  
Close up, Ken will do his classic uppercut.
The uppercut is special mid, cancellable, and pushes back 
when it connects.  Use as a combo filler.
b.  Crouching fierce works a lot like his other uppercut.  
Use it the same way.  You can use it as a crappy anti-air.
c.  jumping fierce is the jump attack to use.  If it connects, you have
a million years to do as you like.

The Shorts: 
a.  Standing short is a linkable poke (it'll link into itself).
It's no longer cancellable.  It is a low, so use it as a low poke.
(Want an example?  Watch Eddie Lee's Ibuki in the B4 tape.  
He uses that Toward + short of Ibuki's to good effect.)
b.  Crouching short is linkable into itself and cancellable.
It's a great low poke.  Take advantage of the cancel!.
c.  Jumping short is a juggle starter.  Too bad Ken's juggles are Tough!

The Forwards: 
a.  Standing forward is a high.  Yuck.  Think of it as a crappy
version of Ryu's roundhouse.  It's best use as a poke is when you think
your opponent is going to jump, especially as they get up.  
b.  Crouching forward kick.  Everyone knows about this move.  
Just one caveat!  You have time disadvantage if it is blocked, so
don't try to attack again immediately after.  
If it is blocked and you try another attack immediately, all the 
opponent has to do is any quick poke and you will be stuffed.
Fortunately, you can still parry.  
If you do this move from sufficiently far away enough, you don't
have to worry too much about the end lag of the move, so keep that
in mind as well.
In other words, don't do this move if you are too close to your opponent.
c.  Jumping forward kick.
This is Ken's crossup kick.  That's really its only use.
 
The Roundhouses:
a.  Standing roundhouse is slow!  Damaging, good range, special mid,
but slow!  
SLOW!  So slow a wary opponent can simply jump over it and do as they like.
Safe when blocked though, surprise people with dragon punches.
b.  Crouching roundhouse.  Low, knocks down, fast, but bad lag at end.  
If you are a beginning player:
DO NOT USE.
If you are an expert player:
ONLY USE IF THEY HAVE NO WAY TO PUNISH THIS MOVE.
As soon as Chun-Li has that super charged up, stop using it.
Now if only I'd take my own advice...<sigh>
Oh yeah, I've played in 5 tournaments and I always get ousted by this move.
That's not to say don't use this move, just be careful.  
Heck, I've even seen John Choi use this move and get smacked for it.
He won anyways, but it was funny, even though it looked like to me he did it
on purpose.

Toward + forward kick:  
This is one of those weird funky kicks.  Ken will step forward
and do a really crappy, slow, special mid.  Safe if blocked. 
They have ten years to punish you.

Back + forward kick, or hold down forward kick after doing frward kick:
Double hit overhead/mid.  When it connects it pushes back.  
You can combo shippu jinrai kyaku after it.

Toward + roundhouse:  
Super slow wind up overhead.  One hit only.
So slow, that it's impossible to land on
some people.  If it connects you have an eon to do whatever you like.
Land that Shin Ryu Ken!

------------------------------------------------------------
Part 4:  The Specials

HADOU-KEN:  Fireball motion plus punch.
Plus Two punches to Ex.
I don't know anybody that doesn't know what this is.  
It is a special mid, but can only be parried high. 
Only use to stuff people trying to come in.
Examples:  Urien's chariot rush, Ryu's Hurricane kick.  
The ex version hits twice and always knocks down.  
Always use the fierce version, because it comes out the fastest.  
Some cancels into fireball will only combo if the fierce or
ex version was used, rare as it is, they do exist.
Of course that only happens because Ken's hadou-ken is slow!

SHO RYU KEN:  Dragon punch motion plus punch.
Plus Two punches to Ex.
a.  Jab version.  Knocks up, great range, fastest dragon punch of
all the shotos.  Also has the least priority of all the shotos. 
<sigh>  It is a juggle starter in certain instances.
b.  Strong version.  Double hit.  Only the last hit knocks down.
Has the least range of all his dragon punches.  
Also unreliable, occasionally the 2nd hit doesn't hit.  
Only use in super-cancels.
c.  Fierce version.  3 hits, great range, great damage, great priority.
Really, really, really BAD recovery.
The ex version is a 4 hit version almost exactly like the Fierce version.

TATSUMAKI-SENPUU-KYAKU: Backwards fireball motion plus kick.
Plus two kicks to ex.
The versions are all the same, just the button used determine the number
of hits.  The first hit is a special mid, but will no longer force
the opponent to stand up.  Sorry, it sucks in combos now, because all the
other hits are highs.  To this day I'm not sure exactly what this move is for,
I personally use it as a confusion tactic and to move closer to my opponent.
The air version is a decent anti-air and crossup tactic.  The air version is also
a potential juggle starter.
Oh yeah, a caveat.  You have severe time disadvantage if the move actually connects!
You're better off if they block it.  Your opponent has enough time to do a super
if it connects.  Yuck. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 5:  Supers.   

Just one note about damage:  When your bar changes to orange, you take significantly 
less damage, so it's hard to calculate damage since moves look to do more damage
at the start of a match.

I:  ShoRyuReppa.  12 hits, about 25-30% damage on Ryu.  
Charge Max two.  
All hits are special mid except for the last two, which are highs.
The super is basically 2 fierce dragon punches followed by a 6 hit dragon punch.
The super nobody uses.  
If you like comboing into super for damage, use this super.  Of all 
the supers, this one is the most versatile.  It's also the slowest.  
The trick to using this super is watching the range.  If opponents are too far, or 
too high, the super will miss.  It has more horizontal range than Shinryuken and more
vertical range than shippujinraikyaku, but it doesn't do anything well.  
If you combo into it, the horizontal range increases.
The super is invincible on start up.  You can go through fireballs, but it
travels too slow to punish people with this trick.
The only supers that have more priority than this super are:
Ryu's ShinShoRyuKen
Akuma's MessatsuGoShoRyu
It will STUFF all other supers on startup.    
Recommended ways of landing it:  
Super cancelled off fierce dragon punch on the ground (learn those short -> dragon punch
combos!)
As a deep anti-air.  (You'll get 7 to 9 hits, but the damage is still good)
After a jump-in
After a quick poke, such as crouching short or crouching forward kick.
After Ken's toward + roundhouse overhead (OWWW)
Use to go through Akuma's air-fireball and give him an unpleasant surprise.

II:  ShinRyuKen.   15 hits, about 30-35% damage on Ryu.
Charge Max one.  
Everyone uses this super as an anti-air.  That's what it's good for.  
Don't forget that it's also very comboable.
Recommended ways of landing it:
Super cancelled or comboed off any dragon punch or crouching fierce on an air opponent.
After a jump-in
After Ken's toward + roundhouse overhead (Risky).

III: ShippuJinraiKyaku.  9 hits  About the same damage as fierce-> dragon punch
Charge Max 3.  
This is the rush super of Ken's.  Very comboable.  The best thing about it, since 
it does very little damage for a super, super cancelling it doesn't affect it as much.
The first 5 moves are all special mid, but the hits must be parried high.  
If the super is blocked, Ken stops on the fifth hit.
The bad thing about this super is that the priority sucks.  
It'll stuff moves normals and specials, but don't count on it.  Don't try to stuff
command throws with this super.  Use the ShoRyuReppa if you want to do that.
Recommended ways of landing it:
Off any super cancel on the ground.  (Do not use jab dragon punch, it'll launch)
AFter a jump-in
After a quick poke.
After either of Ken's overheads.  (Back + forward kick or Toward + roundhouse)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 6:  Basic Tactics.

My basic tactic is to take advantage of the fact that ken's moves are so comboable and try
to link his damaging moves into his quicker and higher priority pokes.  
This is my plan from the beginning, and involves a lot of close and mid range games that 
allow Ken to take advantage of all of his specials and supers.  
It's a simple battle plan, and effective.  The key things to remember are quick safe pokes
comboed into damaging moves when they connect (and only when), and a tight defense.
That's it, really inelegant.  I also know it's very irritating on the receiving end.
There are very few openings (to a perfectly played Ken), and as soon as a mistake is made,
wham! quick damaging combo.

  a.  Ken's flaws.
I'd have to say Ken's biggest flaws are his bad recovery on many moves and his lack of a
long range game.  All of his specials favor close range except for his hadoken, and all of
his damaging moves have horrendous end lag.  Try to stay away from those slow moves and 
doing random supers, and go for those pokes.  Eventually you will get an opening.  
Moves to be careful of because of lag:
hadouken
all fierce and roundhouse moves.
tatsumakiSenpuuKyaku
his command overheads
his sweep
Did I mention his sweep?
Let me mention his sweep one more time.  

  b.  Some Other stuff.  
Ken has amazing anti-air, but a crappy air game, so try to stay out of the air.  
Make sure to use more than just dragon punches as an anti-air. 
Keep in mind that you can punish stupidly whiffed moves with an ex-hadoken fairly often. 
Do not do crouching forward kick -> fireball if either you or your opponent is in the 
corner.
Do not do a fireball if either you or your opponent is in the corner.  
Do not do full screen fireballs unless you are SURE they cannot retaliate.
If you block a sweep, resist the urge to sweep in return.  Try to land crouching forward kick
instead.

  c.  Poking and Initiative.  
When poking, try to keep poking, and give them a hard time attacking back.  This is
difficult on expert players, true, but it is very frustrating when you get into your
rhythm.  If you can help it, try not to back up.  I notice people have a lot of trouble 
again Yun/Yang/Ibuki/Akuma players, and it is important that you are the one dictating the
match in these kinds of fights.  If you are doing nothing except blocking, in general
you will not win unless your opponent does something stupid.  Avoid this at all cost.  

  d.  Keep Away.
Ken's keep away sucks, it consists of the classic hadoken, hadoken, shoryuken when they
jump trick.  He can't back up his fireball, so he has no real range game.  It's still
useful to take note of against characters such as Q and Hugo.  The tough part is when
your opponent does keep away back.  That's tough to deal with.  Obviously you want to get 
close and pressure, but in the event you can't crack the keep away, try to watch for 
patterns and openings.  If you cannot parry, you will lose to a keep away character such as
Remy every single time, so learn to parry moves used to push you back.  
Classic ones are Akuma's air fireball and Remy's Light of Virtue, Cold Blue Kick tactics.
Oh, and ShoRyuReppa is invincible on start up, but don't rely on that tactic.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 7:  Combos.
Ken's a very basic combo character.  Nothing special.  
The order to remember is:
Jump-in -> Normal -> Special -> Super
Any jump in, any special (yes, even tatsumaki senpuu kyaku), and any super.
You can use any normal that gives you enough stun to link another move together or
is cancellable into a special or super.
Those are the rules, with that, you can imagine how many combos he has.
It doesn't matter what jump-in you do.  
I recommend using crouching forward kick for most of your combos.  
Don't get fancy, even if you know you can do some wacky combo.  
In general, a few damaging hits comboed together do more than Ken's
flashier combos.  So keep it simple.

For Damage, Damaging combos without supers.
close strong -> close fierce -> jab dragon punch  (Do after a cross up jumping forward kick)
crouching fierce -> fierce dragon punch (or ex dragon punch)
crouching forward -> fierce dragon punch (or ex dragon punch)

For combos with a bit more safety.  (Watch for fast supers though!!!)
crouching forward -> fireball or ex fireball.  
crouching forward -> short hurricance kick
close strong -> close fierce -> fierce hadoken
crouching fierce -> hadoken

Must know super combos.
crouching short -> crouching short -> ShippuJinraiKyaku
Probably the easiest way to land this super in tournament play
Name of Cancellable Normal -> Any Super
Toward + roundhouse -> Any Super  (Overhead into super.  Surprise people)
fierce dragon punch (2 hits) -> shoryureppa or shinryuken

Damaging Super Combos.
jump-in roundhouse -> crouching fierce -> any super
close strong -> close fierce -> shippu jinrai kyaku
jump-in roundhouse -> crouching forward -> fierce dragon punch (2 hits) 
    -> shippu jinrai kyaku

Juggles:  
I'm not too good on this section.  For one thing, juggles aren't too universal with 
Ken.  They vary depending on your opponent's size and weight, as well as certain conditions.
In general, to do a juggle you want to launch them so another hit will hit afterwards.  
This was MUCH easier to do in older versions of SF3, but it can still be done.  
I first took note of juggles when I saw Ryu's jumping short -> standing roundhouse juggle,
and since then I've found that some characters have some nasty guaranteed juggles.  
Ken's launcher's are:
Jab dragon punch
Crouching fierce
air hurricane kick
ex air hurricane kick
jumping jab or short.

The easiest followup is a normal such as standing forward kick or a dragon punch.
The supers also make pretty good followups, and some of his flashier combos involve
incredibly wacky juggles with supers in them.
I've actually seen on Hugo in the air in the corner:
jumping short -> standing jab -> standing forward kick -> air hurricane kick
   -> crouching strong cancelled -> shoryureppa -> shoryureppa -> air hurricane kick
   -> standing jab -> standing forward kick
It was 16 hits, since most of the super missed, but impressive none the less.  The stun
was incredible, the actual damage pathetic, considering two supers were burned.
Then again, jump in roundhouse -> crouching fierce -> shoryureppa would have done 
more damage anyways.
Also, for the life of me, I've never ever been able to reproduce such a flashy combo.
For the most part, just keep your eye on when your opponent is falling in front of you.  
With experience, you'll know what you can and can't land.

Here are some common, easier juggles, naturally the opponent has to be in the air first:
jab dragon punch -> jab dragon punch.  You have to land the first one so they fall upward then
down at your feet.
air hurricane kick -> dragon punch.  Corner only.
Jumping short -> dragon punch.  Easier in corner.  It's difficult to get this to work right, 
I don't really know how to do this consistently.
Since all these juggles only occur on an opponent in the air, I don't really see how one
can land these in any sort of higher level game.

That's it!