Karakusa in action
The Karakusa (吊るし喉輪・唐草 Tsurushi Nodowa: Karakusa?, "Hoisting Throat Ring: Arabesque") is one of Makoto's special attacks, introduced in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.
Karakusa is the name of a traditional pattern used in Japanese textiles, featuring an arabesque of tangled vines, and also the name of the toothed medick. The term Nodowa (lit. "throat ring") is also a sumō term for a thrust at the throat.
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Description[]
Karakusa as it appears in Third Strike.
Executed by performing a half-circle backward motion and pressing kick, Makoto grabs the opponent by the neck to hoist them up and briefly chokes them. The attack is a command grab that does minimal damage, but leaves the opponent momentarily incapacitated and open to further attacks. The EX Special version inflicts 50% more damage, leaves the opponent incapacitated for slightly longer, and also has Super Armor.
While rather lengthy in animation in 3rd Strike, it has been sped up in Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition onwards.
Tactics[]
In Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, as well as the Street Fighter IV series, this attack is the focal point of one of Makoto's strategies, as it creates an opening for heavy-damage combos. The typical follow up is a standing hard punch followed by a Hayate of any strength. In Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Makoto is most infamous for her potential Touch of Death combos from a Karakusa while she is cornered, where she juggles after an Abare Tosanami for a stun combo, which can then be followed by a second Abare Tosanami to finish her opponent off. In the Street Fighter IV series, she is able to combo directly into the Seichusen Godanzuki if the player execute the follow up fast enough. With the adjustment made to the EX Fukiage in Ultra Street Fighter IV, this is also a possible follow-up to the Karakusa (using the same standing hard punch cancel as the Hayate), allowing Makoto to use any option she would have if she connected with an anti-air Fukiage against a grounded-foe. Hitting an opponent with a level 2 Focus Attack or higher followed by performing a Dash Cancel can permit the use of a Karakusa during the initial frames of the crumple state (as they are considered grounded until their knees touch the ground).
Gallery[]
Sprite[]
| Makoto's Move List | |
|---|---|
| Throws | Tacchuu • Araiso |
| Unique Attacks | Kazami • Kaoruna • Shimaki • Shibuki • Shinbuki • Naruto • Kurushio • Kumoharai |
| Special Attacks | Hayate • Fukiage • Oroshi • Karakusa • Tsurugi • Shikiri • Isana |
| Super Combos | Tanden Renki |
| Super Arts | Seichusen Godanzuki • Abare Tosanami • Tanden Renki |
| Ultra Combos | Seichusen Godanzuki • Abare Tosanami |