Parrying is one of the most important skills to learn in Gakuran combat. A clean parry turns a dangerous incoming attack into a free opening, and it is often the only way to deal with attacks you simply cannot block through. This guide explains exactly what a parry is, how it differs from a normal block, how to punish attacks with it, and which styles reward it.
What is a parry?
A parry is a timed block performed right as an attack is about to land. If your timing lands inside the parry window and you are facing the attacker, you perfect block the attack instead of taking a normal block. In other words, a parry is a normal block executed with precise timing.
Parry vs. a normal block
The difference is huge. A normal block still costs you posture and takes block chip damage. A parry does none of that:
- No damage taken.
- No block chip damage.
- No posture loss.
- It stuns your attacker temporarily, opening them up for a counterattack.
That stun is the whole point. A successful parry flips the exchange in your favor, giving you a window to punish with your own attack while your opponent is frozen.
Why parrying is essential
Parrying is not optional at higher levels of play because of how heavy attacks work. Heavy attacks (M2) always break your block, so a normal block will not save you. To deal with an incoming M2 you must either parry it, dodge it, or land your own hit before theirs connects. Some heavies are even harder to answer, styles like Boxing have an uninterruptible heavy that you can only beat by parrying or dodging, which makes reliable parrying a core defensive tool.
Styles that reward parrying
Several combat styles have perks built specifically around parrying and perfect blocks, so if you like a defensive, reactive playstyle, these are worth chasing:
- Counterstrike (Basic): +5% damage on your next attack after perfect blocking an attack.
- Perfect Reflex (Boxing): if your heavy (M2) is on cooldown, parrying reduces the remaining cooldown by 1 second.
- Steady Nerves (Karate): perfect blocking an attack increases your posture regen by 15% for 3 seconds.
How to get better at parrying
Parrying is a timing skill, so the best way to improve is to learn the animations of the attacks you face and block at the last possible moment rather than early. Because a mistimed parry becomes a normal block (or worse, leaves you open to a guardbreak), start by parrying predictable heavy attacks, then work up to reacting to faster strings. Once parrying becomes second nature, you will find yourself turning defense into offense over and over.
