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Hou'ou Kyaku

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Hou'ou Kyaku (鳳凰（ほうおう）脚（きゃく）; Fenghuang Leg; pronounced "Fuh-ng-h-wah-ng"), is one of Kim Kaphwan's Super Special Moves, first appearing in Fatal Fury 2.

It is essentially Kim's signature ougi (奥義（おうぎ）; "secret skill"), also used by his sons Dong Hwan & Jae Hoon, his student Chae Lim, and his master Gang-il. Kim's own two primary disciples, Choi Bounge and Chang Koehan, also have variations of this attack.

Input
Most appearances + or ( OK, OK)
Feint version (RBFF games only) + +
Ore-sama Hou'ou Kyaku +
KOF XIV onwards + or ( OK, OK)

Description[]

The user dashes towards their opponent with a forward-rushing/gliding knee-assault from either the ground or the air, and upon reaching them, barrages them with a series of rapid kicks ending in various finishers ranging from either somersault kicks, a slamming axe kick or spinning kicks into an airborne axe kick.

This move when performed in the air, still has the onslaught performed on the ground upon connecting.

Back in the Real Bout games and Wild Ambition as his sole strongest super, the Hou'ou Kyaku finished into a rising sideways-tumbling Kuu Sajin-esque kick, with a pillar of energy as a special effect trailing the kick (along with a fenghuang in RBFF2 and Wild Ambition). Kim crosses his arms and nods in approval upon landing, but will shake his head in disappointment if he KOs the victim with it.

This technique also has several other variations formed by Kim and/or several other people closely associated with him, related to him or under his tutelage, including:

Choi[]

Choi's version however, involves his startup being a stationary monkey flip and the connecting dash has him run at his foe dragging his claws along the ground (his default running animation). The ranbu combo itself involves clawing at his victim, using his Toorima Geri in between and doing his spinning victory animation (albeit a more comical and not-as-serious series of assaults), though it also ends in the Hienzan somersault kick finisher like with Kim's variation.

Stronger versions even involve Choi sticking out his rear in a taunting fashion during the onslaught, and adds an extra somersault kick like the other stronger versions.

Unlike Kim however, Choi cannot perform his version in midair.

Dong Hwan[]

Dong Hwan's version, dubbed Ore-sama Hou'ou Kyaku (オレ様（さま）鳳凰（ほうおう）脚（きゃく）; "My-Bad-Self Fenghuang Leg"), is much the same as the regular version - however, the ending Hienzan has an electrical flourish instead of the fiery fenghuang like his brother's.

Unique MAX version[]

Uniquely in 2001, 2002, Neowave and 2002 UM, all carried over from SvC Chaos as his Exceed Super, a MAX-only version of the Hou'ou Kyaku can be performed by Kim that is only done in midair, where Kim kicks at his foe for a bit into a stationary Hishou Kyaku into a heel drop that lands him back on the ground, going into 2 kicks into a flying-upwards spin-kick akin to the Kuu Sajin, and finishes with a delayed aerial axe kick.

Strategy[]

As an iconic ranbu super, in many games it's Kim's definitive combo ender and/or mid-screen punisher in reaction to any reckless tools tossed out, with stronger versions having a greater impact. The fact that Kim's version can be used in midair even makes any form of air confirms (from jump-ins, counter hit midair Blow Backs, or his Tiger Yop Chagi) lead into it easily.

However, in games where the Hou'ou Kyaku only exists as his strongest super (as his P-Power Super in the Real Bout games), then it becomes a bit of a juggling game to decide whether to commit to it or not. However, the major threat of how fast it comes out, how much damage it does and the travel distance of the initial dash makes even its feint version both a safe-on-block pressure ender and/or an effective fake-out tactic (feint version itself recovers around 19 frames).

Specifically in the Real Bout games, Haki Kyaku can easily link into the Hou'ou Kyaku, combined with being a Break Shot tool that's one of Kim's best due to how neutral it is on block or hit. Just the threat of Haki Kyaku alone leading into a Hou'ou Kyaku also spawned variations that can lead into the Hou'ou Kyaku directly (just as Chae Lim's Haisui no Jin stance).

Even then, as with any ranbu super, it can easily be punished if blocked or dodged. Uniquely in some select games (mainly in the KOF games), Kim when he connects with the Hou'ou Kyaku on-block, will perform the ranbu fully without the finisher if none of the strikes connect properly during the blocked onslaught (a trait shared with some versions of the Ryuuko Ranbu). This can make punishing the Hou'ou Kyaku a bit of "delaying-the-inevitable", but this trait can come in handy in scenarios where the defender has no meter to Guard Cancel Evade and/or has low enough HP to be chipped to death.

Gallery[]

Kim[]

Jae Hoon[]

Trivia[]

  • This move and several similar moves is named after the Chinese mythological creature named as the "Fenghuang" (Fuh-ng-hu-wah-ng), read in Japanese on'yomi as the "Hou'ou". While often referred to as a phoenix, it is essentially a firebird chimera made up of various other animals, but primarily both the male-only Feng and the female-only Huang.
  • According to Killer Instinct co-designer Ken Lobb, the Hou'ou Kyaku would inspire him to create the Ultra Combos in the Killer Instinct series.
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