How to break throws in Tekken 8

You can put several fundamental skills to good use in Tekken 8, regardless of your character. Throw breaking is one of those, and as it works differently from before, it’s easy to get wrong. If you’re tired of getting thrown to the ground, here’s how to break throws in Tekken 8.

How to counter Throws in Tekken 8

It’s essential to learn how to break Throws in Tekken 8. If you’re thrown, you take guaranteed damage, but that’s not even the worst part. Good Tekken players will know how to maintain pressure when you hit the ground. 

Every character has a couple of basic throws activated by pressing left punch and left kick (1+3) or right punch and right kick (2+4) simultaneously. These generic throws can be broken by pressing either the right or left punch buttons (1 or 2). You have to respond quickly, or the throw will still land. It’s important to note that you must press a single button instead of both together. 

Every character has another generic throw they can use by pressing up+forward and both punches (u/f 1+2). This throw requires both punch buttons to break (1+2).

It’s hard to spot when you’re new, but you can tell the type of throw based on your opponent’s hands. 

In the pictures above, you can see one of Jun’s hands is in front of the other. If you’re opponents hands look like this, you can break the incoming throw by pressing either right punch or left punch (1 or 2)

Now you can see Jun initiating a throw with both hands together. This is your cue to press both punch buttons (1+2) at the same time. 

 Do I really have to watch my opponent’s hands to break throws?

Watching your opponent’s hands is the most consistent way to tell what throws to break. It’s a subtle visual cue, and learning to react to it will take a long time, but it’s one of the many skills that separates a Tekken novice from a pro.

Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t break throws right away. Even the best players in the world get thrown on occasion. We’re always learning as Tekken players. If you can make getting thrown an exception rather than the norm, that’s an incredible improvement.

How can I escape King’s throws in Tekken 8?

King deserves a section of his own in this guide, as his throw game is unique and can be extremely frustrating. The most common throw King players love to use is the Giant Swing, which is a left punch (1) break. For King’s chain throws, I recommend training against them in practice mode to learn the timings and where the throws link.

If you can shut down King’s oppressive grapple game, you can put a serious dent in your opponent’s plans.

Some characters have other unique throws, like Law’s Run Up Drop (f 2+3), which initiates with a knee. This throw is a left punch break (1), but you’ll have to try any others you find in practice mode. Tekken is a hard game to learn, but you can pick up some great tips from the community if you understand Tekken notation. Check out our guide that explains everything you need to know about reading moves online.