"That's what good defense is all about, it's not just blocking ... good defense is part of recognizing you are in a situation that's bad, and escaping it thoroughly" - Lord Kizzie

Anything that involves you evading or dodging a hit is defense. Creating space, air dashing, back dashing, ect. And once you master your character, keep your eyes on your opponent. In a fight you don't look at yourself, you pay attention to the enemy's movements. You will win a whole lot more if you do that.

“Just block” and “wait your turn” are both super common pieces of beginner advice but the whole path to growth is finding where those don’t apply. As a player you really need to be finding how to nose your way out of situations.

Having an unbreakable defense is the hardest and best skill to have in a fighting game

I feel defense is based off game knowledge and situational awareness. Like how kizzie used the Bison example with Diago.

i strongly agree also i love how you always use clips from multiple games to cover a larger audience so more people have a chance to understand whats going on

At our local fighting game scene, we often discuss the idea of "taking turns" when talking about offence and defence and that was a good way of breaking it down for me when learning, because it adjusted my attitude towards the attack/defence dynamic. Offence and Defence don't happen in a vaccuum, they're cyclical. When it's your turn on offense, you need to know when your turn is ending, the gaps in your offense, where an opponent has a response and what those responses are character by character. Meanwhile, when you're on defence, it's not your turn and your mind needs to be on getting your turn back and finding your opportunity to do so. In both situations, you are thinking on both sides of the fence. On defence, you are looking for a chance to take offensive action and on offense, you're trying to use a defensive maneuver at the end of your pressure to keep your aggression going (Like in the Daigo example).

Learning to play against big setplay characters helped me learn this. You can block all day, but you have to push back or else you will get run over.

I didn’t pay 60 bones to block

Something you didn't go over that is also an important part of defense is learning when to take a calculated hit. If you know a bad situation and mix up is coming and see a chance to mess that up by taking an unintended hit from the attacker you should. More than likely they will get a little damage and maybe some oki at best but depending on the situation that's probably preferred over you blocking that and eating something even worse right after.

Kizzie is absolutely right. Defense just like offense is multi-faceted. Good defense is different from being able to block well. The best defense is preventing offense. Having great neutral not only helps in mounting an offense, but it also prevents your opponents offense. Also, knowing your defensive options is good. A lot of newer fighting games are giving you more options in case you are forced into a defensive position. Just be glad that Darkstalkers' defensive mechanics aren't mainstream. Block teching was a mash fest, and counters meant you had to do a Dp in one frame.... Good times.

Yup defense for me was learning how to counter in tekken, I was always stuck blocking and never able to get the opponent off of me. To me defence was learning how to get out of a bad situation.

This is great stuff. Personally I have always thought of defense as "the ability to consistently recognize and select the least risky option". Sometimes that means blocking for a while. Sometimes that means wake-up DP.

I need more of these videos from you. This would be a really nice KZfaq serious of you explaining similar fighting game misconceptions and giving us your insight.

2:55 Kizzie casually explaining good defense while displaying it himself with that Sin play.

Great tips. I love how GGStrive keep track of the defensive factors of how you evade and guard. Helps to focus how to play off what strengths a player can strategize their gameplay defensively

Great vid way to make light of the subtleties of defense!

I’m starting to get serious about my game and I’m mostly focused on defending and countering. This really helped shift my perspective for what I should be focusing on rn, dope insight

Great tips kizzie. After watching this I've decided I will mash dp whenever my opponent is anywhere near me, even when it's my turn.

When i wrestled in high school, my coach always said, "When in doubt, reset to neutral." Same applies here also.

That dbfz clip was absolutely insane it was really the definition of a DBZ fight where they're evenly matched

You got yourself a suscriber, amazing work please do more theory videos like this :)

I think a way of putting this is that blocking is about mitigating damage, which yeah, it's a cornerstone of defensive play, sure. But I feel defence in a more broad sense is about mitigating risk and taking control of the match, turning the tables so you can be the one setting the tempo instead I play Potemkin in Strive and, yeah, if you play a character like that, who's generally slower and has limited mobility, you end up having to play defence a lot. But playing good defence needs to mean that attacking you is dangerous. So on your end, you're always looking for your way in. "When can I punish? Are they overextending here, is it time for a Mega Fist? Where's the gap in this blockstring, can I grab them out of it?". It does mean that you will take risks yourself and when you do, can be you're wrong and get smacked in the face. But the longer you're sitting there, the longer you're taking chip, gaining RISC and just generally risking getting opened up by a mix.

there's a lot of things you don't understand until you get a lot better at the game. A lot of players might wonder things like why people don't just burst or guard cancel in some situations as well and good defense is also knowing when not to press those things because your opponent wants to bait it

Loved seeing your matches at Frosty Kizzie. I hope you had a good time!

Great video and great showing at frosty it was my first time at a tournament and hope one day I can place high enough to have a match with you one day!

Rushdown Revolt did it in an interesting way you have a unbreakable forward block that can be turned around but if your crossed up your stunned

Great stuff kizzy 👍

Good perspective Kizzie. This helps me out! Us players of competitive games are spoiled these days being able to so easily access high level insight on the internet

You spitting about this video. I had this feeling about when I see people in DBFZ who you can never hit but it looks like their mashing. A LOT IF THEM ARE MASHING but I feel like their are some cases where even if it’s not calculated, it still smart to just get out of the situation.

Agreed, definitely defense is about character knowledge. Especially when it comes to things like resets. Example: a combo into a reset. Sometimes it's better to not tech so the combo scales terribly instead of taking another new combo. Great video!!

Oh wow, you went deep into the past with that GO1 x Leffen match Is still amazing to this day. Amazing defence from both players, you can see Leffen tried to get out

that extremely true, i struggled a lot against hope in kof and my characters doesn't have good anti air so i felt stuck until i look at my metter and think "wait i can garde cancel my way out ". that also apply for offense to keep the corner staying there is not always the option especially in game with penalty for blocking to much

I’ve applied this to Tekken. Before I used to think I had to always stand and block in situations where I was minus. I’d still lose matches because I’d eventually get opened up. I realized I was not being defensive I was being passive. There is such a thing as being proactive defensively. This meant utilizing movement (step, kbd), my character’s defensive tools, crushes, even abare if I read my opponent was not gonna commit to a frame trap. I realized I must consider ALL options at my disposal and not just block all the time. Very good video highlighting this concept.

Fascinating discussion topic! I'm glad someone talked about this a bit. Thanks Kizzie. Great video, what are the chances of you making a video about getting better at this kind of complete defense?

I think that optimal defense is somewhere in between blocking long strings and using what you can to get out, especially if you can bait them into using their resources to open you up, but failing and then using whatever 'get out of defense' options you have at your disposal. Edit: Good mix doesn't always have to be on offense. Defensive mix is a thing, and more than just choosing a button out of defense, you can choose to let a bad attack hit so that (depending on the game) you have frame advantage and can start your offense (just as an example)

Good defense + effective defense = great defense 😃

I term that’s I use when teaching is active defense vs passive. But great video

Did you catch grand finals of BBCF at the recent Frosty Faustings? Monarch's defense was incredible.

Wow that earned a subscription my guy im now subbed

Could Umi even take back their turn against that Leo though? I don't play HC, but Leo Backstance is a tough customer sometimes. But I like the way you put that; defense isn't just blocking, it's what you do around blocking.

I remember when Justin Wong was interviewed, and someone asked him how was his defense in MvC2 so good? His response was simply to avoid the worst possible situations. Look at how Justin plays defense vs other players. Also, Ogawa (XX & Xrd) has this thing with Zato of what I like to call "the box" Ogawa will air dash back right as his turn ends and keep his position so that when he summons Eddie, he has enough time to use him fully.

Man goated I swear Underrated

I think the important part about defense is to be able to cover from it and turn it into an advantageous situation for yourself. Whether by blocking, jumping, dashing, using reversals etc I don't think it will matter how good your defense is if you came eventually use it to take or create space, get your offense started, bait the opponent into doing something risky or get a get up of some kind.

In fight sports, like boxing and Muay Thai, there’s a lot of talk about “stacking defense.” You have avoiding, parrying, blocking, and absorbing. If you can’t get out of the way, move the strike away from you. If you can’t move it, put something in its way. If you can’t get something in its way, brace yourself against it or roll with it (depending on context). You train and layer these defensive techniques so you can minimize the damage you’re taking while trying to set up your own opportunities to deal damage. What you describe in this video is very much that, applied to fighting games. Movement and pressure that keeps your opponent from effectively utilizing their offense is good defense, even if it involves you attacking or moving in.

I feel like you can compare blocking to keeping someone in a blockstring on offense. Yeah it's good that you kept then in blockstun but you aren't any closer to hitting them if you don't do something to get through. You gotta spice it up to make your offense actually good and it's the same for defence.

The risc meter is Homer strangling Bart. “I’ll teach you to block for that long!”

“ I feel a really good defense is rage quitting “ LTG

I've studied Historical European Martial Arts for almost 20 years now, so I approach this the same way I approach a fight. You don't really "block" in a fight (unless you have a buckler/shield). You can parry, move your opponent's blade offline or utilize your footwork. If I face someone that utilizes one of those options more than any other, I know a way to beat them. It's situational. You don't always want to do the same thing. You gotta mix it up to keep your opponent on their toes.

Already know this finna be a good vid

This is something that I had a misconception about when I started playing X2. That game has a wealth of options on block (Dead Angle, Slashback, FD, and IB are all pretty good), so I was really focused on using all of them. I was practicing slashback punishes on Ino's Divekick when I realised I could just backdash if it was done from neutral or had a gap, and punish with HS (I play Johnny, so that leads into a lot with 25 meter in that game). I also realized that moving and not getting hit is probably better than going into blockstun as all. Blocking is meant to help mitigate pressure, but getting into a long ass block string is really bad, nobody can 100% consistently block a hard string mixup. Not as bad as getting hit and going into combo, but certainly worse than just not getting hit by the starter with good movement. This is particularly true in games with high blockstring potential and lots of movement options (so basically every anime fighter). Blocking is not at all the best defensive tool, it is only super beneficial in situations where you can't get away from a move that doesn't lead into a long combo (a poke). Blocking a poke is really good because your opponent gets basically nothing from it, which lets you keep playing the game and trying to get a read on it, until you can start predicting the pokes and use the better defensive option (dodging it by either jumping over it, or running under it, or using an invincible move, or something else that actually gives you advantage against it).

1.Evasion 2.Blocking 3.Parrying 4.Countering 5.Reversals

I learned this playing Poison in USF4. Her defense isn't just zoning, that's just part of it.

Peace to sensei Kizzie for this!

What I've noticed is the god teir players from most games like the knees, daigos, and GO1s for example is they all have insane defence and are known for it.

It seems like a good defensive stance to take in fighting games is to use defense to find an opportunity to gain offense, essentially using your opponents offense against them... With a proper Hiiragi/Azami it's always Baiken's turn.

Very nice

so true Kizzie

Great breakdown and helpful to my noob ears

Good defense is alwy knowing how to weight risk vs Reward. Its also undertanding you will be put in bad situations and you can't escape but your also able to minize how much it impacts you. like letting your self get air reset instead of eating a full combo/pressure. Or the popular one "Just take the throw" Your sacraficing some life momentuem to not baited into a shimmy which could lead to worst psotition then being thrown. Edit: I think another thing folks forget is just as good rushdown need to cycle their offensive options from strike, throw, and high.lows. Good defense also need to cyle their option from block, evade/escape, and reversal.

I would say defense is specifically when you are "acting on disadvantage." Not even necessarily frame data, but also in situations where your character isn't as good. Acting in your disadvantage and trying to get back to an advantaged state is what I would call defense.

In summary, we can classify we can classify defense as any/all actions that are the antithesis of offensive actions. Defense is including, but not limited to, actions such as blocking, counterattacking, escaping, utilizing defensive system mechanics, and identifying openings. Proper use of these tactics can help elevate your defense strategies to effectively overcome offensive pressure from your opponent.

Very good video, but I think there is an even better way to explain it. I do this all the time in Tekken and show it in my videos. Defense is blocking, evading, spacing, zoning, you need good awareness and decision making (even though this goes out the window because most people copy what they see online so just destroy the meta) once you have a good fault line, you can even get inside your opponents head simply by mimicking them which destroys their defense. You can freeze an opponent through mixing up your defense so they don't know what you will block or avoid. Don't react to the same things the same way. Have like 2 or 3 ways to negate a move. The reason so many people think blocking is defense is because they live and die by frames. In Tekken at least, you don't always need frames, that's just meta. But then there is the other side that when I play like this people ask me to stand still so they can hit me or they say they can no longer see the openings to come in on. I have been playing Tekken for years just by feeling and eyeballing things. I don't know most frames to this day and I can play high lvl. Most people block all day or space you out.

Offence and moving goes really well with defense without it just means you're only delaying the time until you get hit

Yo content like this is sick. Teach ppl the way.

Most underrated defensive move is the backwards jump in Tekken.

I truly believe that anti airing is a big part of defense as you’re denying your opponents offensive approach through the air and forcing them to play grounded.

In the Umisho situation, where should they have challenged/escaped? What would have it taken for it to be "good" defense?

Dang Kizzie u not gonna put my boy Chris G in this Category lol it was made for him nah but seriously great vid bro!

To me, good defense is the ability to turn a shitty situation into a good one so i"d say this video is really on point. Its not just "blocking" Its knowing why you're blocking and how to get out of it.

I'll be honest this is why I'm nervous for tekken 8 as the want more aggression but harada has said "why side step when you can block and punish" like are you serious my dude that's like saying "why would daigo jump that psyco crusher when he could just block it!"

Sometimes getting hit is good defense! Here's an example of Daigo attacking into Aegis to get the advantage: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j7BniKtp08imY30.html

Average GG enjoyer: "Garuda is so damn oppressive, I hate it!" Potemkin mains: "Ah, it feels good not holding block for a change."

9:05 HOLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

I thought he was gonna bring up that "BY FAR" latif clip. But that daigo example was perfect. Showed pretty poor defense initially into what kizzie considers great defensive play.

Good defense is knowing when to block and when to dodge. Its knowing what your opponent can do and how to leverage that knowledge to create openings in your enemy's defense.

before i watch the video, i want to write down what i define as defense/good defense. at core its very simple, defense is everything that stops the enemy from putting you in a bad spot or opening you up. yes blocking and throwtagging is part of defense, but so is movement when you remove yourself out of a bad spot or avoid an attack, and so is a reversal like a dp when you clip your enemies attempt of opening you up or making you block to force a mix on you. thinking about it like that means alot of moves like projectiles or pokes can be part of a good defense if you just use it for screencontrol and to keep your opponent in check so he doesnt get in. its defense if you try to keep it in a neutral position and avoid getting into bad spots or if you try to get out of a bad spot back into neutral, and it only becomes offense if you try to move out of neutral game and start the offense yourself by putting your enemy into these disadvantageous positions where he has to take your mix

I got so good at mortal kombat x that I stopped blocking high attacks I’d duck them and counter it for a string

Take away for me is that while the goal of defense is partly not to get hit, it is more so about escaping disadvantage generally. That said, being content with blocking is also beneficial for seeing how your opponent structures their offense, how comfortable they are with resetting pressure (or if they are prone to overextending), and an excellent way to see if you're playing someone impatient. For that reason, while blocking in and of itself may not be considered good defense, blocking an extended bout of pressure and still getting hit doesn't necessarily constitute bad defense either in my opinion (context-dependent of course). Side point: Blocking long pressure strings is the dopamine-boosting equivalent of doing flashy combos for lame players (it is me. I am the lame player).

forme im all about attacking and forget to block lol

Never forget your options. A good defense can be a good offense. I feel things like movement, mind games, or game specific mechanics are always pliable for defense. Never ever ever forget your options as a player and as your character

Blocking can come in real handy if you're a strategist. I would suggest for anyone else to not rely on it too heavily without a good strategy in mind!😂

Got clapped by a dude before that had horrible offense, but was a master of defense, frame data, and the matchup in general; dude was blocking almost every mix I could think of 😂

Yeah Go1 had to come up in a video like this lol

Tekken plays have it the hardest. They gotta worry about moves that have built in dodging mechanics and even counters. If you're blocking in Tekken, you're playing it wrong straight up.

I've been ahead of the game. I was never blocking to begin with

Also, people gotta learn that you can improve your offense if you learn defense

Basically what I got from this is “put intention into your defense” don’t just block to block. Block with intention to do something. Anything to give yourself momentum to gain pressure or an advantage. That was my main take away.

A good defense is a strong offense. Knowing when to guard/counter and then go on the aggressive. If you're just blocking and can't find an opening then you are just being overwhelmed. Real world example is Floyd Mayweather has incredible defense. He's able to dodge, block and counter while rarely ever taking any damage.

Me not having played a 2d fighting game in years, watches the entire thing anyways.

If the guy blocks for 10 sec but getting his is good patience or good composure but not great defence

A great defence is a strong offence. a well placed DP or jab can break you out of a bad place and shift the tide of battle.

They will know what defense is in a game that actually have Guard meter~ I mean, like in old SF game or CvS 2~ you cant just block forever in such situation~

Defense in strive is definitely tough though.

If all you do defensively is blocking, it makes you predictable. And that's not a particularly good defensive strategy.

Bro 1on1 in dfz is easy to defend.. The fun begins with your assist into 50/50. Have fun blocking that every time, dbz is not the game to be passive.. I think the only option to escape baby assist mix is to get hit on the last punch. That's defense as well.. Good Video anyway, greatings from germany Kizzie 🤙

That was like watching actual Dragon Ball 😂

I mean 6P and DP is defense in offense Then backdash Wake Up Foudre Arc against grapplers.... List goes on really

Good defense = Take the least damage necessary to win

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