The Rumble Fish 2/Hazama

Introduction

Gender	Male	Blood type	O (Rh+)	Birthday	Unknown	Fighting Style	His own unique version of Piguaquan	Birthplace	Unknown (but assumed to be from Japan because of his name)	Height	184cm	Weight	72kg	Voice Actor	Doujin Utsumi

Fun fact: Does not have a skill (or rather, the purpose of strong or weak points seems arbitrary to him). His hobby is reading and collecting books for a large-library-sized selection of them.

His full name is Kaoru Hazama, but it's unknown of it's his real name.

image = Hazama_funnyface.gif

Gameplay

Punishment, and accordance. Kaoru Hazama is defined as a well-rounded attacker who has tools that can combat almost anything his foe does, ranging from 2 DP anti-airs, 2 crush moves, 2 overheads, a teleport dash and a stance to add further into the mix. If played perfectly, Hazama can easily make his opponent regret pressing buttons in response to their actions in neutral or on okizeme with vortex setups. His Boost Dive can even break the chaining rules for his normals and allow him to chain his attacks in any order he pleases for the duration, giving him extremely dangerous hit confirms.

Even then, Hazama still needs to be played perfectly despite all of his positives, for his guard gauge and overall durability is amongst the lowest in the cast. Precision and hard-reads are needed to dominate with him lest he gets blown-up hard. He also has seen many revisions in the later patches due to his weaknesses being hard to exploit on initial release (given how broken he was as a boss character especially in his first promo release in the console version of the first Rumble Fish game), but he's been toned down to still be effective-yet-not as easy for most beginners.

Pros	Cons
Has amazing coverage on many of his tools, even a projectile reflector.	Low HP and guard gauge total causes less room for mistakes on top of some unsafe pressure.
Disgusting damage potential on nearly all of his moves and Boost Dive.	All of his tools require specific usage and can be reacted to accordingly if misused.
Can vortex into a tech-chase or mixup into a conversion with relative ease.	Lacks true projectiles as his reflector can be reacted to if seen coming.

Version Differences

Note any important changes from Atomiswave to Nesica if relevant

Move Set

Standing Normals

5LP	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

5SP	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

cl.SP	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

5LK	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

5SK	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

cl.SK	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

Crouching Normals

2LP	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

2SP	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

2LK	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - Low - - - - No - Move Description

2SK	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - Low - - - - No - Move Description

Jumping Normals

j.LP	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High - - - - No - Move Description

j.SP	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High - - - - No - Move Description

j.LK	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High - - - - No - Move Description

j.SK	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High - - - - No - Move Description

Command Normal

Houshinshou 6SP	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High 25 - - 0 No - Hazama's overhead command normal which somehow shares the same name phonetically as Zen's Defensive Art. Second hit vacuums the opponent in to make sure they stay in range of his mixups.

Special Moves

Kouhazan 236P 236LP 236LP 236SP 236SP

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge LP - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - A forward outwards chop, and is used solely for cancelling into stuff such as supers. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge SP - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - Forward outwards chop that follows up with a spinning chop attack in a forward leap, mainly used as a combo ender to setup for oki.

Shinku 214K

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge LK - - - - - - - - Forward teleport dash. Doesn't pass through the opponent. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge SK - - - - - - - - Forward teleport dash that goes further than the LK version, and passes through his opponent. Automatically enters his stance upon recovering.

Kuukashou 214P

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge LP - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - Ducks under attacks in a Pubu-styled stance into an uppercut chop. Staple high-crush attack into a launcher. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge SP - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - Unlike the LP version, this one can be delayed/extended by holding down SP to have Hazama stay indefinitely ducking until you release the button. While ducking, you can scoot Hazama forward or backward with 4/6 to reposition if needed.

Soutensan 623P

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge LP - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - Standard DP. Despite the amount of active hitboxes, it's still easy to punish this move like most if blocked. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge SP - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - Rises higher with a bit more invul, but only the SP version can be held down to have Hazama stay in a Pubu-styled stance for a set amount of time before he does the DP on his own.

Tenrinshuu 421K	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High - - - - - - An overhead reverse backflip kick. Ground bounces, and the SK version if held down makes him enter his stance automatically.

Hanhekishou 41236K	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - Projectile reflect. Unlike most reflectors, Hazama has to catch-absorb a projectile with it and shoots back his own afterwards. The animation while it recovers a bit fast, can still be reacted to easily; it's there to mainly force a reaction from the opponent.

Kamae of Kaishinruten 22K Backturn Stance Backturn Stance	Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge 22K - - - - - - - - Hazama's primary stance to further catch out his foes with.

Stance Followups Press button (after 22K, 214SK or 421[SK]) Choushinchuu (LP) Choushinchuu (LP) Koushuutai (LK) Koushuutai (LK) Renhekishou (SP) Renhekishou (SP) Senkyuukyaku (SK) Senkyuukyaku (SK) Chikatsusen (2SK) Chikatsusen (2SK)

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge LP - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - Forward elbow charge that some other Chinese martial arts fighting game characters have. Hazama's is used to gap-close on earlier frames but at the cost of some recovery. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge LK - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - Hazama's other DP, though it's just as punishable. Mainly used to stop air approaches and to CH into a juggle. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge SP - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - Finisher to his SP Kouhazan. Safe-on-block gap closer that has some startup unlike Choushinchuu. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge SK - High/Mid/Low - - - - - - Launcher that's more safe than Koushuutai, but not as much range. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge 2SK - Low - - - - - - Low slide that can knockdown and setup some oki, but doesn't go as far as his LP or SP followups. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge Cancel (D) - - - - - - - - Exits stance.

Universal Mechanics

Throw 4/6SP	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

Shouenbu LK+SP/LP+SK	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Hazama gains a slight damage buff and breaks the rules of chain combos, making him become far more freeform in his offense.

Jolt Attack (air OK) LP+LK	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

Advancing Attack SP+SK	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

Super Arts

Tenra Sou'unkyaku 236236K Offensive Arts Offensive Arts	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

Chisetsu Souhekishou 236236P Defensive Arts Defensive Arts	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Move Description

Shishin Mumyou Renbugeki 2363214P Critical Arts Critical Arts	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv I-Blow OK Punishes G.Dodge - High/Mid/Low - - - - No - Deadly ranbu super that does a surprising amount of damage. P version determines what starter Hazama uses for the attack which have their specific uses.

Combos

LP > LK > SP > SK > 623P

Strategy

quit mashing and block!

External Links

youtube.com twitch.tv