Combos

Low Hit-Checks

COMBO 1A

Crouching

COMBO 1B

Standing

Dhalsim doesn’t have conventional low-hitting confirm combos, so he must rely on other means to punish standing guard and ground movement. All of his grounded normal moves are cancelable on hit or block into Yoga Burner. His crouching slide moves forward about a quarter of the screen while hitting low up to 40 percent of the screen away. It’s normally fairly unsafe on block if not canceled into Yoga Burner (unless perfectly spaced, as in Combo 2). Standing is very far-reaching, must be guarded low, and is only cancelable into Yoga Burner. Yoga Burner’s initial flame hit reaches about 25 percent of the screen from Dhalsim, so you’ll have to do this cancel within that range. When using standing in this way (likely against a mid-range fireball, or just as someone gets up from a knockdown nearby or lands from air recovery), Dhalsim’s in danger of eating a clean jump-in if the enemy goes for it as you poke. If you think your adversary wants to jump over your pokes, you should be patient and let them go ahead and do it, anti-airing them repeatedly until they either lose or learn their lesson. If you haven’t discouraged them from jumping ambitiously this way yet, don’t make standing fierce’s 45-frame commitment this close.

On hit in either case, crouching or standing into Yoga Burner, the foe will get knocked down only to wake up in the middle of Dhalsim’s V-Trigger flame carpet, where you should have a meaty mix-up waiting for them.

COMBO 2

Crouching , then cancel to:

168 damage, 310 stun

200 damage, 350 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge)

Against cornered foe, , immediate jumping
298 damage, 518 stun (requires two stocks of EX Gauge)

174 damage, 295 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

If you hit with only the last two active frames of crouching at just about its max slide distance, then there’s enough advantage afterward not only to make it safe, but also to grant you a combo opportunity. Dhalsim can get into this range (which is very particular) by stepping back very slightly after forward throw or MP Yoga Flame knockdowns, then sliding as the enemy quick-rises. The timing is strict, though. With slightly imperfect timing, you can still link crouching EX Yoga Flame for 173 damage and 323 stun, which can be your go-to if you’re having trouble nailing the perfect distance for more optimal finishers.

Grounded Hit-Checks

COMBO 3

Standing standing

A standing hit-confirm into a knockdown. This won’t work from the edge of the ranges of standing and , so don’t attempt this from more than a step away. As with the previous combo, if your target is cornered, you can jump and tack on an immediate EX Yoga Gale for 260 damage and 461 stun. If your opening normals are blocked, Dhalsim’s left at +2 after standing , making a Divine Kick poke here a trap with a four-frame gap. You can also use the opportunity of blocked standing to cancel into backward Yoga Teleport and return to long-range strats.

COMBO 4

Crouching , then cancel into:

()
152 damage, 285 stun (376 damage with Critical Art, requires full EX Gauge)

170 damage, 240 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge, no knockdown)

188 damage, 330 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge)

Against cornered foe, , immediate jumping
300 damage, 522 stun (requires two stocks of EX Gauge)

160 damage, 270 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

When poking on the ground, crouching has a slightly longer range than Divine Kick and leaves Dhalsim at +3 on block (so there’s only a three-frame gap if you follow it up with an immediate Divine Kick). Crouching hits at the same speed as Yoga Upper but deals more damage (though it lacks the forward movement of ).

COMBO 5

Crouching , then cancel to:

()
198 damage, 360 stun (394 damage with Critical Art, requires full EX Gauge)

214 damage, 320 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge, no knockdown)

230 damage, 400 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge)

Against cornered foe, , immediate jumping
328 damage, 568 stun (requires two stocks of EX Gauge)

204 damage, 345 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

A combo with crouching linked to Divine Kick from point-blank range. You can’t lead into this combo from a low-altitude teleport because Dhalsim doesn’t land close enough, but you can link this combo after a perfectly spaced last-active-frame MK or HK Drill Kick (or a perfectly spaced counter-hit LK Drill Kick). Crouching is also a great poke up close from advantage, leaving Dhalsim at positive frames on block. This will be your best punish when the opponent hands you a largish opening.

COMBO 6

HP Yoga Flame, then (depending on position) juggle with:

From close range,
153 damage, 290 stun (in blockstrings, only works after Yoga Upper)

From close range, crouching
135 damage, 290 stun (no knockdown, causes close-range air recovery)

From close range, crouching
171 damage, 335 stun (in blockstrings, only works after Yoga Upper)

From close range,
170 damage, 320 stun (in blockstrings, only works after Yoga Upper; requires full V-Gauge)

From mid range, standing
162 damage, 335 stun (no knockdown, causes long-range air recovery)

From long range, standing
144 damage, 290 stun (no knockdown, causes long-range air recovery)

HP Yoga Flame puts the opponent into a jugglable state and is most relevant against an enemy’s wakeup or from blocked pokes against passive opponents. Yoga Upper, Divine Kick, and crouching can all be canceled on block into HP Yoga Flame as a kind of slow frame trap. This won’t work against people who buffer or mash quick pokes, but it can open up measured, reactive players who are more likely to hit buttons later. Doing HP Yoga Flame into a juggle with crouching slide puts Dhalsim at the exact right spot to go for a tiger knee Yoga Gale against an opponent who tries to counter-poke or tech throws up close.

Jump-Ins

COMBO 7A

Low-altitude aerial /, air , land, , then cancel to:

()
208 damage, 360 stun (404 damage with Critical Art, requires full EX Gauge)

224 damage, 320 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge, no knockdown)

240 damage, 400 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge)

Against cornered foe, , immediate jumping
338 damage, 568 stun (requires two stocks of EX Gauge)

214 damage, 345 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

Dhalsim’s true bread and butter, an air-to-ground assault that begins with an “instant” or tiger knee Yoga Teleport, performed just off the ground from as far away as full screen. Input and then hold , pressing or only after enough frames have elapsed for Dhalsim to have passed through pre-jump frames and actually left the ground. Properly done, Dhalsim will teleport off the ground from wherever he started to just above the enemy, either in front of or behind them. Ideally, you go for this either when you’ve scouted the adversary’s actions and are teleporting when you expect them to be busy (like recovering from their own projectile throw), or when your attack is covering by a falling Yoga Fire.

After teleporting directly above your foe’s head, swing with jumping . This move’s swinging motion all but guarantees they’ll at least have to block, no matter which angle Dhalsim teleports in from. Upon landing, hits farther than but also pushes enemies back farther on contact, so Yoga Sunburst combos won’t work as consistently. Crouching has slightly more range but is slower. Depending on Dhalsim’s teleport jump-in height, Divine Kick’s speed may allow it to link upon landing where Yoga Upper and crouching would fail, allowing the challenger to block or begin a big reversal.

COMBO 7B

Aerial /, air , land, , then cancel to:

()
208 damage, 360 stun (404 damage with Critical Art, requires full EX Gauge)

224 damage, 320 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge, no knockdown)

240 damage, 400 stun

380 damage, 320 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

214 damage, 345 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

A slightly weaker version of the previous combo, but one that’s more consistent. is slower to hit than , so it’s less suitable for fishing up close but keeps Dhalsim and his opponent closer during the hit. It also happens to force standing, so it enables guaranteed combos into Yoga Fire into Yoga Sunburst. (You wouldn’t want to do Yoga Fire in combos except from and right before Yoga Sunburst; without finishing with the Critical Art, Yoga Fire leaves Dhalsim at -6 on hit!) And Dhalsim moves forward slightly during the hit, so certain combos (like the beefy corner juggle listed, which uses three EX moves) work much better with . These combos can also work with (or crouching ) but have a tendency to whiff, depending on the position and state of the victim.

COMBO 8

Late-hitting air-to-ground Drill Kick, then (depending on hit position) link:

(Hitting top of feet (+6) with any version) ()
178 damage, 280 stun (374 damage with Critical Art, requires full EX Gauge)

(Hitting top of feet (+6) with any version) (in corner, juggle jumping )
210 damage, 320 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge; two stocks, 308 damage, and 488 stun in corner)

(Hitting bottom of feet with last active frame (+10) with MK/HK Drill Kick) crouching ()
236 damage, 390 stun (404 damage with Critical Art, requires full EX Gauge)

(Hitting bottom of feet with last active frame (+10) with MK/HK Drill Kick) crouching (in corner, juggle jumping )
264 damage, 425 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge; two stocks, 348 damage, and 569 stun in corner)

At first glance, Drill Kick might seem like it’s mostly bad because it leaves Dhalsim in such bad shape when blocked. But if you aim precisely to hit around the opponent’s feet, Dhalsim is actually afforded big frame advantage, enough for lots of different link combos upon landing. (The same thing applies if you hit tremendously meaty, like an early Drill Kick into someone’s normal-speed wakeup timing.) Using Drill Kicks in this way isn’t much different than attempting the same thing with Yun/Yang dive kicks in SFIII and SFIV, or even Cammy in this very game. The lower to the ground the actual Drill Kick hit occurs, the better. Gauging it just has a different feel because of Dhalsim’s floaty jump, and because you can launch Drill Kicks from awkward positions and timings after Yoga Float and aerial Yoga Teleport. So while this is exacting, as with Combo 2, adding it to your repertoire will make your Dhalsim considerably scarier on offense. Err toward aiming short with Drill Kicks, perhaps missing entirely right in front of your target’s feet instead of aiming slightly ahead and potentially getting blocked at knee-level or above, which is increasingly dangerous. Pulling up short this way not only makes it more likely that you’ll hit correctly, but it also creates more uncertainty for the opponent since their anti-airs will be more likely to whiff the shorter Dhalsim lands. If they see you mostly pulling up short, they may give up anti-airing altogether. Again, this is similar to effectively dive kicking with other characters; it’s just slower and more variable.

Grounded Counter-Hits

COMBO 9

Counter-hit standing , then (depending on range):

Point-blank, crouching
272 damage, 500 stun

Point-blank, crouching
276 damage, 485 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

Up close, crouching
232 damage, 435 stun

Up close, crouching
264 damage, 475 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge)

Up close, crouching
238 damage, 420 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

Up close,
386 damage, 350 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

Mid range, crouching
177 damage, 315 stun

Long range, standing
168 damage, 315 stun (no knockdown)

Standing is one of Dhalsim’s two Crush Counter-capable attacks, along with . Standing strikes half the screen away in 16 frames, causing a spinning grounded hitstun on counter-hit. It doesn’t reach quite as far as standing or , but its range is just short of those. In a mid-range to long-range zoning game, it’s a harder-hitting counterpoint to those pokes when you think your opponent might get fed up and dash forward, or for when they’re trying to actively counter-hit those pokes. After long-range counter-hits, your options are limited. Up close, Crush Counter follow-ups are more open and rewarding, and the only reason you’re likely to use standing up close is to start punish combos against big whiffs anyway.

COMBO 10

Point-blank and midscreen against standing foe, counter-hit , forward dash twice,

This is a very situational grounded counter-hit combo used to punish big Shoryuken-type whiffs up close at midscreen. Yoga Anvil hits faster than standing , so there may be some punish scenarios where you have to err toward for startup’s sake. As with standing , using this up close for any reason besides punishing a whiffed special with a Crush Counter starter is firmly discouraged.

COMBO 11

Counter-hit crouching , then cancel into:

154 damage, 294 stun

168 damage, 454 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge)

170 damage, 294 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

A faster counter-hitting combo than the previous two, this one starts with crouching jab. On counter-hit, this creates enough advantage to link Divine Kick. This is the kind of sequence you might poke with when you’re worried about an unexpected walk-up throw, or just after a deep Drill Kick at the target’s feet. It’s a blockstring that happens to combo if the first strike counter-hits. You will have to verify the first two hits and adjust your finisher as desired, though. When guarded, mix-up between versions of Yoga Flame, or Yoga Teleport back out to long range.

Anti-Air Combos

COMBO 12

Low-altitude air-to-air Yoga Gale, then (depending on positioning):

Air cancel into
332-352 damage, 200 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

Land, juggle
332-352 damage, 200 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

Land, juggle
160-180 damage, 320 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

Land, juggle
188-208 damage, 380 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge)

Near corner, land, juggle , immediate jumping
300-320 damage, 572 stun (requires two stocks of EX Gauge)

Dhalsim has an opportunity for several different juggle combos after air-to-air Yoga Gale. Air-to-air Yoga Gale is most likely if you’re doing Yoga Gales for low-to-ground knockdowns; opponents using airborne moves or jumping up or away may run into them. The chance for time to juggle them is increased the closer to the top of the Yoga Gale gust they hit, so Dhalsim lands earlier, and they’re kind of lofted upward. You might also land Yoga Gale air-to-air if you’re using it as a late fake-out when descending from Yoga Float/air Yoga Teleport. Dhalsim lands quickest after LP Yoga Gale, making juggle chances more likely. But naturally stronger versions lead to more damage, and they still allow juggles if the enemy bounces off the top properly.

COMBO 13

Against cornered foe, jumping foe falling on HP Yoga Flame, then:

Juggle crouching ,
162 damage, 335 stun (no knockdown, opponent air recovers into second HP Yoga Flame)

Juggle crouching
171 damage, 335 stun

Juggle
170 damage, 320 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

Juggle , immediate jumping
310 damage, 572 stun (requires two stocks of EX Gauge)

Juggle
342 damage, 200 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

This situational juggle tree may become relevant when you have someone boxed in and you attack them with HP Yoga Flame. It may clip them early on the way upward during a jump, or they may land atop on the way down from a jump.

Anti-Air Counter-Hits

COMBO 14

Against jumping enemy, counter-hit , then (depending on position):

From max range, juggle standing
162 damage, 270 stun (no knockdown, long-range air recovery)

From just inside max range, cancel to
153 damage, 270 stun

From mid range, cancel to , , air
278 damage, 430 stun (requires two stocks of EX Gauge)

From close range, cancel to
189 damage, 360 stun

An anti-air counter-hit combo using Yoga Anvil. From the correct range, you can cancel anti-air into EX Yoga Fire, which (properly spaced) will juggle for two delayed hits while Dhalsim gets into position to cap off the juggle with HP Yoga Gale. When you use tiger knee Yoga Teleport to catch up with the foe in midair, perform the “instant” teleport as high as possible. Once you swap sides, you’ll need to input the HP Yoga Gale command relative to Dhalsim’s new orientation immediately. You can use LP or MP Yoga Gale here for slightly more leeway on the juggle but less damage. Depending on range and screen position, you can sometimes more simply dash/double-dash forward and juggle with EX Yoga Flame, as seen in Combo 10.