Saba Ori

"Clasp both arms around your opponent's back, squeeze them, and slam them to the ground. Throws your opponent without switching places with them."

—Street Fighter 6

Saba-Ori (さば折り, Saba-Ori^? Forward Force-Down) is one of E. Honda's throws dating back to Street Fighter II.

Input

All appearances	+ (Forward)
Street Fighter 6 (Modern)	+ (Forward)

Description

E. Honda squeezing Cammy's body using Saba-Ori.

Executed by pressing Light Punch and Light Kick near an opponent, E. Honda grabs his opponent and squeezes them in a bear hug. In the Street Fighter II series of games, the amount of times E. Honda squeezes the opponent can vary, along with the damage (meaning the move could be lethal at higher difficulties). In the Street Fighter IV series, E. Honda only squeezes the opponent once; Omega Mode adds a Command Grab version where he squeezes them repeatedly, in reference to its Street Fighter II variant. In Street Fighter V, E. Honda squeezes his opponent twice before releasing them, causing them to land back-first on the ground.

Tactics

Using Soba Ori against Ibuki.

E. Honda's forward throw leaves his opponent fairly close to him. While this does slightly less damage than his back throw, E. Honda can maintain offensive pressure as his opponent quick or back rises. In Street Fighter V, he can fish for Crush Counter hits with Crouching Heavy Punch to beat out his opponent's 3-frame normals. He can also hit-confirm Standing Heavy Punch into Sumo Headbutt. Another option is to immediately perform Sumo Smash to go for an ambiguous cross-up and open up their defenses for extra damage.

Even though this attack does significantly less damage than his command throw, it has a faster recovery. This means that E. Honda can still counter his opponent if they jump to avoid his grabs, giving him time to use his anti-air moves to clip them out of the air. By mixing E. Honda's normal throws with his command grabs and pressuring attacks, it puts the opponent in a difficult situation where they are forced to guess his next move.

Gallery

Saba Ori against Cammy in Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers.

Saba Ori Street Fighter Alpha 3 sequence.

Saba Ori on Ibuki.

Gif animation of the Omega version on Ibuki.

Saba-Ori in Street Fighter V

Saba Ori in Street Fighter 6

Videos

Tawara Nage SFAIII