Spin Kick
Spin Kick is one of Ibuki's Unique Attacks in Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter X Tekken.
Description
Ibuki sticks her foot out in front of her. Spin Kick was removed in Street Fighter V, however her regular standing light kick is visually similar, replacing her SFIV era LK completely.
Tactics
Street Fighter IV
This attack starts up in 4 frames, due to the latest version of Ultra Street Fighter IV not only already having her close and far LP have 3 frame startup as previous games, but also making her crouching light punch 3 frame it devalues spin kick. It does have a little more horizontal range than said attacks making Spin Kick rather favorable in footsies. Unlike most of Ibuki's normals this attack can not be jump or super jump canceled. limiting the options it can be canceled into.
Street Fighter X Tekken
This attack has similar frame data to it's IV incarnation with the same 4 frame startup. It's horizontal range was nerfed in the 2013 patch of the game, making her toe area of her foot not actually connect with her opponent. Still this attack was buffed in that it does 60 rather than 30 damage on hit, making it's damage on par with medium attacks despite Spin Kick itself coming from a light kick. This can be useful in Juggles such as after Tsumuji, as it starts up faster and recovers faster than her medium kick.
Despite this attack's horizontal range, it does suffer from being classified as a Unique Attack, as it's Unique Attack status means it can not be used in conjunction at all with the game's Cross Rush mechanics. Another hindrance is that despite the medium-like damage, it still does the hitstun and Screen Freeze of a light attack, mostly restricting Ibuki to canceling this attack into light kick or EX Tsumuji, or her Super Art. Spin Kick provides Ibuki chances to punish attacks that others without horizontal range can not, such as Lars's non EX Dynamic Entry, with Spin Kick Ibuki can punish the attack on block and actually cut off his followup attack.
For Footsies while this attack is decent it's use is debatable, due to how it extends her horizontal hurtbox compared to her crouching light punch. Recent SFXT meta has been testing a community termed "Anti Lars Tech", a technique that attempts to catch extended hurtboxes and immediately Buffer into launcher. Ibuki's crouching jab doesn't extend her hurtbox much in comparison to it's horizontal hitbox despite overall less range than Spin Kick, meaning Ibuki can actually catch high range horizontal attacks such as the aforementioned Lars's crouching medium kick with her crouching jab and tag in her partner for high damage. This is something Spin Kick can not do due to not working with Cross Rush.
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