Grabs and Throws

Grabs, also referring to interchangeably as throws, are attacks available to each character in the Street Fighter series.

Description
Introduced in Street Fighter II, each character has a normal grab/throw attack; the input depends on the game.

Normal throws can be performed either forward/neutral or backward. In addition, certain characters can use throws in midair. Still other characters have special attacks that use grabs and throws, referred to as command grabs and throws respectively.

Most characters have at least a forward throw, and either a backward or air throw. In later games, including the Street Fighter IV games, characters would possess both forward and backward throws by default.

Tactics
Forward throws will often knock or throw the foe away from the user, making them useful when cornered, and act as the "default". Backward throws often cause the user to "switch" with the foe in the process; this re-positioning makes it even more useful for escaping corners and setting up combos. Some Grabs (Like the Brain Buster or the Head Bomber) will not throw the opponent but instead deal rapid prolong damage to the grappled foe. A few throws may even work as 'graps' (a combination of a grab and a grapple) which a user deals one or more hits followed by a 'final' blow which either pushes or throws the opponent away (T. Hawk's Neck Hanging Tree and Yun's Gekitei Futai in the Street Fighter IV series works like a grap).

While a character cannot quick stand after being grabbed or thrown prior to Street Fighter V, they can escape if caught in a normal grab by performing one at or near the same time.

In addition, the spacing of the grab and/or the specific type of attack performed (and thus its strategical uses) varies with each character.

Character-specific tactics
Ryu's forward throw in the Street Fighter III series leaves a brief window for attack; one of his trials in 3rd Strike requires him to follow a forward throw on Dudley with a Shin Shoryuken.

Gouken's Amaoroshi has him simply lift and toss the opponent straight upward, causing no damage if they land on the ground afterward; it is the only move of its type to function in this way. As such, it provides a perfect opportunity for juggles and other attacks, such as the Tatsumaki Gorasen or his Super and Ultra Combos.

List of Normal Grabs/Throws
Note: Attacks with the ^ note were replaced or renamed in the Street Fighter IV games. Attacks with the * note were replaced or renamed in the Street Fighter V games. Attacks with the + note were only used as air throws in the Street Fighter Alpha series.

Trivia

 * Ken, Yun, Yang, Twelve and R. Mika are some of the Street Fighter characters that have three (or more) throws.


 * Guile is the only character in Street Fighter V to not only have two aerial throws, but also the only character to have four throws.


 * Since Street Fighter Alpha 3, throws are done by pressing (Arcade-Stick-Left.png or Arcade-Stick-Right.png) (Arcade-Button-2xPunch.png or Arcade_Button_2xKick.png). In 3rd Strike, this was changed to pressing (Arcade-Stick-Left.png or Arcade-Stick-Right.png)  Arcade-Button-LPunch.png  Arcade-Button-LKick.png. This has been carried over to new Street Fighter games.


 * Newer Street Fighter games, such as Street Fighter Alpha 3, had throw animations have been made to animate relative to the command direction pressed at the time the command was pulled off. This meant that throw animations looked more fluid and realistic, rather than look static from merely being flipped in a blink of an eye. This is most evident with Ryu's shoulder (or punch) throw serving as a comparison from Alpha 2 and Alpha 3. This trend has been carried over to newer games, especially in 2.5D/3D graphics such as Street Fighter IV and beyond.


 * Both Gill and his brother, Urien, have the same grabs but different names, reflecting each of their personalities.


 * Q's grabs (like most of his moves) are roughly translated and shortened from the original manual.


 * Ryu's throws are his forward and back throws in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U.