Getting up after a knockdown in Tekken is different from other fighting games, as you are not actually forced to stand up as such after a certain amount of time. Instead, you actually have a plethora of options here, and you can even attack your opponent in the process of getting up. But as with anything in this game, a lot of these options come with some inherent risk.
So, what should you do when you’re put on your butt in Tekken 8? Read on to see what your options are on wake-up!
Non-Attacking Options
Tech Roll
Tech rolling (referred to as “quick side roll” in practice mode) is the act of rolling to either the left or right at the exact moment you hit the ground from a knockdown or airborne state. Done by tapping either 1 or 2 as soon as you land, tech rolling is the safest and most reliable way of standing up from a knockdown.
This is due to it having 20 frames of invincibility throughout the 32 frame animation. Opponents simply cannot hit you during this time, which amounts to almost half a second of invincibility. The remaining 12 frames don’t have this invincibility, but you are able to block during that time.
Tech rolling is one of the most important things you need to learn as a Tekken 8 newbie. Most characters have a way of hitting you while you’re in a grounded state, so it’s vital to know when you have to just get up. Devil Jin’s Demon Steel Pedal (b+4) is one of the best examples of this, as it’s a move that will hit you for some pretty good damage while also reliably hitting you on the ground.
That said, relying too much on tech rolling can get you mixed up by characters such as Kazuya, whose mid/low 50/50 is one of the scariest in Tekken 8. You’ll need to keep your opponent’s tendencies in mind when choosing whether or not to tech roll — but of course this counts for just about any other wake-up option.
Still, this will be your go-to option whenever you hit the ground. Tech rolling should be the thing you do the most when it comes to getting up.
Quickstand
Quickstanding (or “stand up” in practice mode) is similar to tech rolling, but without any lateral movement. Instead, your character simply stands straight up from a grounded state. The initial part of the animation takes 10 frames, after which you can start blocking highs or mids. Lows can be blocked during these frames by holding d.
This option sets itself apart from tech rolling by guarding against setups that would otherwise be guaranteed against tech rolling or staying down. Going back to Kazuya for a second, his Right Splits Kick into Demon Steel Pedal setup (f+4, f,f+4) is fully guaranteed if you don’t quickstand against it.
Quickstanding doesn’t create as much space as tech rolling, though, so this option leaves you even more vulnerable to mixups afterwards. Generally you only want to quickstand when absolutely necessary, such as in the case of avoiding guaranteed followups as we mentioned. To do a quickstand, simply press u to get up.
Back Getup
Back getup (or “back roll” from previous Tekken titles) creates the most distance between you and your opponent as far as wake-up options go. It does recover standing, but you can block low attacks by holding d during the 11th frame of the animation. Back getup is done by holding b.
Side Roll
Side rolling is also similar to tech rolling, but causes your character to roll to the left or right before getting up. Done by holding 1 or 2 as opposed to tapping them, side rolling is most useful against non-grounded attacks that would be too fast for you to block if you quickstand or back roll. However, note that your character’s hitbox is extended vertically during a side roll, so it’s possible for some moves that don’t normally hit grounded opponents to connect during this time.
Side rolls can be extended by holding d, for up to 45 frames total.
Attacking Options
Wake-up Kicks
Every character in Tekken 8 can throw out a kick on wake-up by pressing 3 or 4 when grounded. The former is a mid, while the latter is a low. Wake-up kicks are useful for stopping your opponent’s momentum, forcing them to play a bit more conservatively when they score a knockdown on you. This is particularly good against characters that have reliable options for hitting grounded opponents.
However, wake-up kicks aren’t without risk. First of all, they’re quite slow at a minimum of 18 frames, meaning they’re prone to counter hits against tight grounded offense. They’re also all unsafe on block, but the degree of punishability does vary depending on your character’s exact grounded state.
Thus, they should be used sparingly and only if your opponent shows a tendency to recklessly charge at you when you’re lying down. Otherwise, they could bait a wake-up kick and punish you for it.
Spring Kick
When your character is in a face-up, feet towards the opponent (FUFT) position, you can press 3+4 to do a spring kick. Spring kicks are even better at stopping heavy grounded pressure, as it causes your character’s hitbox to retract during the startup frames.
The problem is that it is extremely unsafe on block, so if your opponent baits you into doing a spring kick, or has caught onto your habit of doing so, you’re going to get launched. It should therefore be used even more sparingly than a regular wake-up kick. It also loses to jabs if they connect early enough, which then converts into a float combo.
Toe Kick
Toe kicks represent the fastest attacking option available on wake-up. Though they don’t do much damage, they’re fantastic at stopping oncoming pressure and creating space thereafter. This is because toe kicks automatically cause your character to do a back getup after successfully landing the toe kick.
This option is almost as risky as the spring kick, though. Toe kicks are -16 on block at best, meaning they’re launch punishable no matter what. But because they come out in 13 frames, they can catch people off guard quite regularly.
Front Roll into Cross Chop
There actually exists a wake-up option that involves rolling forward, done by holding f when grounded. Front rolls are practically useless, except for one niche case: the cross chop. Done by pressing 1+2 during a front roll, the cross chop is the only wake-up option that is plus on block, although the frame advantage is minor at just +2.
Still, you can kind of steal turns against more defensive players this way. If your opponent is baiting your wake-up attacks, consider throwing out a cross chop every now and then. You can get a small mixup on them this way, though if they try to challenge your slower moves thereafter (13 frame moves or worse), they will likely win the exchange.
