After a break from the world of YouTube, Sakura player Michael Galardi has made a triumphant return to begin his Street Fighter IV uploads anew. He currently intends to bring viewers two Street Fighter videos per week–on Monday and Friday–with his Monday uploads having a great deal of editing time put in. This dedication to quality is quite clear in his first upload, as everything from the music to the way that the information is displayed fits together to form a wonderfully cohesive unit.
This first episode covers how Sakura handles the most important matchup that can be learned: Ryu. While Galardi does include some basic combos, that isn’t the video’s focus (god knows there certainly isn’t a shortage of Sakura combo videos floating around the internet). He centers instead on how to handle footsies through proper counter-poking as well as how to open Ryu up. Many of these setups, which are built to poke holes in the fighter’s defenses, involve tricky Tatsu crossups that could catch even the most well-prepared opponents off guard.
If you feel as though you’ve plateaued with Sakura, or if you’re simply looking for a better understanding of how to tackle a common matchup, this video isn’t to be missed.
Source: Michael Galardi