Throwing in SF4

I can't stop writing ideas down or thinking up new stuff, thoughts just keep popping up!  This blog gets pretty analytical, but hopefully it'll be a good read for others.  This piece has to do with throwing and it's importance in the game.  Personally, I look at the "throwing game" as a a game of roshambo.  Blocking is beat by throws, throws are beat by attacks, and throws can be stalemated by tech'ing.  This blog goes over tech'ing, how you can use throws to your advantage to possibly get an opening, and my personal ideas about SF4 and throws.  All in all, this blog is about learning how throws can be used to gain advantage.  

Why throws are used:  Throws are used to break an opponent's guard and gain opportunity for ourselves.  When an opponent is sitting there blocking all of your strings, other ways of breaking defenses need to be used.  Simply put, you gotta go back to the drawing board, something isn't working.  This is why we have throws.  Throws beat blocking, thus a person who is blocking all of my strings can be beat by a cleverly set up throw.  A throw can be set up in a variety of ways, the most common being "tick throws."  This is a very effective way to throw because you are essentially using 2 ways to break a defense, attacking and throwing right after.  The opponent expects to block a possible string, yet you are "one step ahead" by throwing instead.  

The mentality of throwing:  Certain thoughts come with throws.  For most players (myself included), teching throws can be very difficult.  I find that I don't start tech'ing throws until I've been thrown once or twice.  However, good players will be able to read telegraphed throws, and be able to tech on command.  Note how I said that I feel as if I start tech'ing throws after I have been thrown once or twice.  All in all, I wasn't threatened until my opponent forced me to be scared of it.  This is essential to "learning" how to tech throws well.  Basically to tech throws you must be looking for the throw at all times, it's not enough to merely react.  By tech'ing throws, it limits the opponent's options.  By proving that you can tech efficiently, you make it apparent that they must think of different ways to gain advantage.  Thus, it becomes a battle of who thinks ahead first.  

The risks of tech'ing:  When an opponent is constantly tech'ing throw attempts, and is blocking all my strings, options seem exhausted.  The alternative becomes attacking during their tech.  Say that an attempt to tech is whiffed.  This would make my opponent stand (the animation happens), and also give me time to punish during the recovery of the throw.  Nonetheless, it hammers the idea that my opponent needs to second guess himself (to tech, or possibly eat a combo).  This is a bit of an "advanced" way of thinking, however it is needed at top level play.  

Throws come out real quick, in 3 frames meaning jabbing out of a throw attempt is nearly impossible...at times I'll even hear my jab come out and still get thrown.  It's even more stupid when I attempt to c.mk out of it and SEE my c.mk animation come out however STILL get thrown.  Basically if you don't want to get thrown, you must tech.  The main challenge with tech'ing in SF4 has to do with when to tech.  Think about it like this, on tick setups it becomes very difficult to realize when to tech after a set amount of blocked hits.  Do I tech after the first tick?  The second?  Or do I tech after the crossover?  This becomes important to know because if I choose to tech during the wrong time, I could potentially set myself up for 1 of 2 things: getting thrown after my mistimed tech, or potentially setting myself up to be combo'ed.  Basically a mistimed tech can give my opponent options and opportunity.  

I think this'll wrap up my thoughts on throws for now.  There are still things that I need to test out and learn about however I think this is a pretty good start.