https://x.com/superloreboys/status/2033047166609141832#mWatching Tozaisen this morning, a viewer asked why the Ken players whiff jabs at the start of the round. I started explaining proximity guard (影縫い kage nui), a simple but layered concept. You can see the varying degree of results with PECO and Makiri conditioning one another.
Clips #1 + #2: Tsuyoki* Hadouken
Clip #3: Trade
Clip #4: Successful preventing walk back
Clip #5: Stalemate
Clip #6: Deny sweep by walk up grab
*Tsuyoki (強気) means confident. Even though the Hadouken is not safe to throw, it was successful against the kage nui poke attempts.
The proximity guard-adjacent is renkan jumps. Kara cancel chainable normals into a jump attack to keep your opponent from walking back.
PECO used this for added pressure or deep crossups.
Makiri forced Suzuka to slide as an anti-air, got the sac-throw and rode it to victory.