Hadouken / Fireball
- LP, MP, HP versions travel at different speeds, but are otherwise pretty interchangeable.
- You can cancel into hadouken from crouch MK, but against good players you will get (red) parried and punished. Don't make it a habit, but its fine occasionally. Also enables an easier hit confirm to SA3, but only close-up, otherwise they can often block.
- Gives you more time to complete the super motion when performing TC xx Hadouken xx SA3. Does not give you more time to confirm. Don't let the hadouken rock on block, you will get parried.
EX Hadouken
- A safer cancel into a knockdown from crouch MK. Beware of overusing this and wasting meter that can go to SA3.
- An OK confirm from target combo when used occasionally. If the TC hits, it's better to go into LP DP, but pretty safe if you let it rip on block: sometimes it catches people tryin to take their turn back after they block TC.
LP DP / Dragon Punch / Shoryuken
- Not truly invincible, but makes Ken's hurtbox small so it can go through a lot of moves anyway.
- Used for Shoryu-shoryu.
- Rewarding (if you get the juggle) but risky anti-air.
- Can sometimes go through fireballs.
- Useful for anti parry OS.
MP DP
- Does more damage than HP when canceled into SA3.
- Looks like LP but is 2 hits, good for mixing up anti-air.
- In the corner, you can juggle with this one (see matchup pages).
HP DP
- Actually meterless invulnerable!
- Most damage in meterless punish combos without double shoryu.
- 3 hits and only the last one launches, opponent may fall out.
- This makes it a decent anti-air against jump-in single parry.
- Can catch very high jumps like Necro's.
EX DP
- A lot of invulnerable frames.
- 4 hits, opponent seems to fall out often.
- I barely use it, except as maybe an anti air.
Tatsu / Hurricane Kick
- Not very useful on the ground.
- LK tatsu is the "most" useful, being the safest at -5 on block and -3 on hit. Good vs Urien sometimes.
- Occasional chip KO usage.
- Can be used instead of a dash to close distance after SA3, since it builds a little meter.
- Air version is also not great, but sometimes useful for an ambiguous cross-up.
- Air version is also used for some Shippu Cross-ups.
EX Tatsu
- On hit, pushes you and the opponent full screen distance. Useful for getting out of the corner.
- On stand block it's the same, but some characters can crouch it.
- Airborne / throw invulnerable at frame 7, so if you do it with reversal timing on wake-up there's only one frame to throw you.
- Pretty safe, punishable with some supers only.
- Does more damage than EX Hadouken when cancelled from crouch MK or TC. Useful when you have to close out a round and only have half a bar.
- Decent chip KO option.
Air EX Tatsu
- Very fast, almost like a dive-kick when done late.
- When done early after a super jump, makes you soar through the air, good for getting out of the corner.
- Does great damage air-to-air.
- You can often juggle after you hit it.
- Against a standing opponent, you can usually get stand MK as a juggle.
- Against some characters you can get stand HK instead.
- In the corner you can juggle LP DP (> LP/MP DP)
- (HARD) midscreen you can dash LP DP (> LP DP)
- Air to air you can juggle MP DP