vs. Ryu

Ruining Ryu

Ryu has tools for almost all situations, but none is overwhelming. In SFV, he can no longer mindlessly poke you with crouching Hadoken because they’re much more punishable on block, especially at closer ranges. Additionally, its pushback is less (compared with SFIV), so you’re more likely to be in range to retaliate. With less pushback on his fireballs, it’s also easier to close into mid and close range just through blocking and advancing in between projectiles.

Ryu extends a large hurtbox before and during his Hadoken release, so if you can stick out a quick and active mid-hitting or low poke, you’ll most likely interrupt him (as long as you’re reasonably close). His Solar Plexus Strike is a decent mid-range gap-closer, but on block, he’s left at -2. Don’t be afraid to reply with a light attack or a normal throw after blocking his + to swing tempo in your favor.

Like Ken, he can reversal Shoryuken on his wakeup or recovery, so use meaty attacks wisely. Have your optimal Crush Counter combo in the back of your mind and ready in case you avoid his Shoryuken, so you can punish him for 30-50 percent of his stamina.

While jumping at shotos is usually a losing strategy (especially in other Street Fighter titles), you’ll have to take the risk occasionally against Ryu if he’s pestering you with projectiles. You might eat a MP Shoryuken or two, but learning how to read projectiles properly can reward you with full jump-in combos if you can predict your opponent’s Hadoken patterns. Furthermore, Hadokens have slightly more recovery and are a little bit easier to jump over in SFV. Mix up your approach to keep the Ryu player focused on multiple angles of attack. If you can keep your Ryu challenger occupied with an intimidating ground game, you might be able to sneak in an unpunished forward jump.