Countering
Learn how to read your opponent, bait predictable reactions and turn their attacks into opportunities.
What is countering?
Countering is the act of turning your opponent's commitment into an opportunity for yourself.
Instead of trying to win every exchange by attacking first, you can allow your opponent to reveal their intention and respond accordingly.
This does not mean simply waiting for attacks. Strong counterplay comes from understanding your opponent's habits and deliberately creating situations where those habits become predictable.
Read → React → Punish
Identify the habit
Watch what your opponent repeatedly does when approaching, attacking or defending.
Choose your response
Block, dodge, reposition or otherwise respond to the situation instead of panicking.
Take the opening
Once your opponent has committed, use the opening to regain control of the exchange.
Force predictable reactions
A bait is an action designed to encourage your opponent to respond in a predictable way.
The important part is that the bait should have a purpose. You are not trying to trick your opponent through random movement. You are testing how they respond.
Make them expect an attack
Approach in a way that suggests you are about to attack, then observe their reaction.
Break the expected rhythm
Not attacking can sometimes be more effective than completing the sequence your opponent expects.
Invite a commitment
Position yourself so that your opponent feels encouraged to chase or attack.
Capitalise on the reaction
Once they commit, respond instead of allowing them to dictate the exchange.
Learn your opponent's habits
After getting hit
Do they immediately attack back, defend or move away?
When pressured
Do they panic, retreat, block or attempt to fight their way out?
When approaching
Do they approach aggressively or wait for you to make the first move?
After defending
Do they immediately counterattack or continue playing defensively?
Do not overpredict
A prediction is only useful until your opponent changes their behaviour.
If you successfully counter the same action several times, a good opponent may adapt. Continuing to expect the exact same response can turn your strength into a weakness.
Bad counterplay
Predicting everything
You do not need to predict every action. Sometimes reacting normally is safer.
Overcommitting to a read
A prediction can be wrong. Do not sacrifice your entire game plan because you expect one particular action.
Repeating the same punish
Once your opponent recognises your response, they can adapt to it.
Trying to counter too early
Give yourself enough information before deciding that a pattern actually exists.
How to practise countering
Spend the beginning of a match collecting information about your opponent.
Do not try to analyse everything at once. Identify one repeated behaviour.
Look for another situation where the same behaviour appears.
If your opponent changes their behaviour, change your response too.