Joudan Sokutogeri

The Joudan Sokutogeri (上段足刀蹴り), is one of Ryu's special attacks, introduced in the Street Fighter III series.

Description
The attack is a simple, yet strong, forward-stepping side kick. If it hits, the opponent is sent flying. The forward step range and power are determined by the kick button pressed: light kick version has Ryu flip his legs and kick the opponent for light damage; heavy kick version has him step forward and kick the foe (seen below) for high damage; and the medium kick version is somewhere in between.

The EX Special version introduced in the Street Fighter III series bounces the opponent off the wall, which allows Ryu to juggle them afterwards.

Tactics
The attack is rather slow and relatively easy to parry; thus, it is not used often. It still has some use as a combo finisher, and the move also has combo-extending abilities in its recent appearances. The EX Special version can create a perfect setup for a Super Art.