Tekken 7 Beginner's Guide: Movement and Defense

Players generally start with offense when learning new games. Tekken 7 is different. You’ll almost never get to take your turn without first understanding the fundamentals of 3D movement and defense.

Effective movement strengthens patient defense and leads to offensive opportunities. Part two of our Tekken 7 tutorial will guide you every step of the way. Check out the entire series for a better chance of success in the community.

Movement Tips

Movement is the most critical aspect of Tekken 7. Players can slowly walk forward and backward, although quicker options like dashes, backdashes, and sidesteps are preferable. You always want to move. Stay too still and you’ll be at the mercy of your opponent’s offense.

Dash Cancels

Both dashes can be canceled into sidesteps, ducks, or attacks with nearly any command in the game. Learn to efficiently mix-up cancels throughout matches to keep up with Tekken's break-neck pace. Remember, everyone learns at a different speed. Don't rush into more complex techniques like wavedashes and Korean backdashes until your basics are consistent.

Crouch Dash

Not every character can Crouch Dash. This advancing maneuver (quarter-circle motion on the pad or stick) ducks under high attacks and can chain into offensive moves. Some fighters can even wave dash, an advanced crouch dash that is generally faster. These moves also possess more explosive launching attacks. Both wave dashes and the famous, linked electric uppercut are trademarks of the Mishima characters.

Sidestepping

Sidestepping is a distinct feature in 3D fighters that allows players to literally step around their opponent’s attacks. On walled stages, it is also used for repositioning and escaping the corner. Some attacks feature an automatic sidestep, while others can only be performed after a sidestep. You can also “sidewalk” to avoid strings by holding up or down after a sidestep. Honing and tracking attacks cannot be sidestepped.

Blocking

Tekken 7 uses unique controls for blocking attacks.

Your character will automatically stand block when you press no buttons.
You can also hold back on the stick or pad to stand block, but will back up when your opponent isn’t attacking.
Ducking blocks lows and dodges high attacks. However, you are still susceptible to mids, so don’t stay crouched in your opponent’s face forever.
There is no chip damage on blocked attacks in Tekken 7 except for some rare cases at the wall. This means your guard is an unlimited resource, although every character in the game has at least one unblockable attack.

Parries

Many characters have one or more standard parries in their tool kit. Precise timing on an incoming move will result in a successful reversal. Each individual parry counters specific types of attacks. Some only work against high punches while others can reverse kicks and mids. Few such as Master Raven’s Utsusemi Escape can parry all normal attacks, including lows. Be mindful that you will still carry out the attack animation even if the counter doesn’t land. This gives your opponent ample time to whiff punish, so parry with caution.

Low Parries

Press down and forward right when an opponent’s low attack will land to low parry. Instead of crouching, you will throw them to the ground and can follow up with a combo from the bound animation. Low parry combos deal less damage, but reap better rewards than most while-rising punishes. Some moves like slow, launch-punishable lows are better to block for high damage conversions.

How to break throws

Throw breaks are simplified in Tekken 7 after they were one of the more complicated mechanics in previous entries. Generic throws are essentially 50-50’s. Players can press the 1 or 2 input accordingly to tech or escape throws (throw break). Command throws require specific directional inputs, but most still follow the same tech guidelines. Other throws use dual button inputs and require 1+2 to be pressed together.

All throws feature telling animations that signal the correlating break input. Throws can also be ducked for big whiff punishes. A few throws such as Yoshimitsu’s Spirited Away out of Dragonfly stance are unbreakable and must be ducked.

Tech chain throws

Grapplers like King, Armor King, and Marduk have ground throws that even work on downed opponents. Ground throws can be broken just like normal ones with a 1 or 2 input. King and Nina are infamous for devastating, linkable chain throws. These oppressive moves require just one successful break to end, but escaping isn’t always so simple. Different throws can be mixed up within the chains. It is important to break the initial grab of a chain throw before you’re trapped in a guessing game.

Defense with Offense

Move lists in Tekken feature a wide variety of attacks. Several come with defensive properties. As mentioned earlier, some automatically sidestep around the opponent for easy punishes or better positioning. Others tech crouch under highs and are perfect counters for jab pressure. Jumping attacks such as Hopkicks and Orbitals tech jump over lows. These are great tools for when you anticipate a low mix-up.

The newly introduced Powercrush mechanic is another way to play defense with offense in Tekken 7. These moves can armor through nearly every attack. While you still absorb damage, you will continue your Powercrush until the animation is complete. Every character has at least one Powercrush command.

Most are slow and unsafe on block, so it is not smart to simply spam them in hopes of armoring through your opponent’s offense. They are ideal for countering heavy rushdown pressure or retaliating when your back is at the wall.

Now that you learned all about movement and defense in Tekken 7, we will focus on offense in our next installment. Let us know if your movement is crisp enough for the competition!

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