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The Hanagashi (葉流し Hanagashi?, lit. "Leaf Flowing") is one of Ryu's special attacks, introduced in the OMEGA Mode of Ultra Street Fighter IV.
| Initial: Hanagashi |  + +
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|---|---|
| Follow-up: Tesshin | 
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| Follow-up: Isshin | after absorbing a hit
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Description
Ryu 'parrying' Ken's attack.
Executed by moving forward and pressing both heavy buttons, the move replicates the parry mechanic from the Street Fighter III series; Ryu even assumes his parrying pose from the series, granting him Super Armor for its duration.
While performing the move, pressing 3 punch buttons will execute a follow-up strike known as the Tesshin (徹心 Tesshin?, lit. "Piercing Heart"); doing so after successfully absorbing a hit will instead perform the Isshin (一心 Isshin?, lit. "One Mind").
Tactics
Hanagashi has instant startup and nullifies all damage taken. If Ryu successfully parries an attack, he recovers immediately and can either block or perform another parry. However, since it uses Super Armor, it cannot parry moves that can Armor Break.
Tesshin can be done during Hanagashi's animation. If Ryu misses a parry, he can spend two bars of his Super Gauge to surprise an opponent with a devastating punch, dealing 300 damage. While incredibly powerful and fast, Tesshin is also unsafe on block, leaving Ryu extremely vulnerable if he fails two guesses in a row. Isshin deals 320 damage and has invincibility, making it a powerful reward that can greatly shift the momentum of the round.
Trivia
- Hanagashi, along with the animation for Tesshin, are inspired by Street Fighter III: Ryu Final. The name comes from Ryu's early training under Gouken, where he is told to catch a leaf falling through the air by hearing the voice of the trees. After encountering a sacred tree in Dudley's estate that lets him communicate with Elena, Ryu becomes one with nature and develops the Kaze no Kobushi, a powerful straight punch that flows with the wind. While the Kaze no Kobushi has not appeared in the series proper, many attacks inspired by its animation have shown up instead.