Sifu Parry Timing: How To Parry And Dodge In Sifu

Are you struggling to get the right Sifu parry timing? Sifu is stirring up the difficulty discourse once more - probably warming us up for Elden Ring - and parry timing is chief among the issues a lot of players have. With fighting games like the Arkham series, players are used to prepping their blocks and dodges based on some very noticeable visual queues, but Sifu takes a lot of that away in the form of more nuanced attacks. With that being said, if you are struggling to decipher your parries from your dodges, we're here to break down the Sifu parry timing and dodging, so you can save that health bar, and more importantly, stay young. 

• Standing trying to find your feet with Sifu? Check out our guide on the best Sifu tips. 

Sifu Parry Timing: How And When To Parry In Sifu?  

The Sifu parry time is a difficult thing to put down in writing. As you become more familiar with the game, you will begin to find a rhythm and timing to each attack, which differs in the various enemy types. However, technically speaking, you should be pre-emptively blocking right before an attack. This does increase the risk of being hit if you aren't hard blocking, but it also opens up a window to deal out some killer blows.

On PlayStation, this means tapping the L1 button, and for PC, the spacebar. One important thing to keep an eye out for is your resilience. This is your counter bar, and if you block too many hits, enemies will eventually break your stance and leave you open to attacks. You can upgrade your resilience by seeking out Sifu Shrine locations.

• Want to know why we think Sifu is an early game of the year contender? Check out our Sifu review. 

Sifu Parry Timing: How And When To Dodge? 

When in doubt of your Sifu parry timing, dodge. The dodge can be your saving grace in Sifu. Not only does it create some space between you and your opponent, but it can also give you time to decrease your resilience - although you will need to stand still for this. Dodging also doesn't use up any form of stamina so you can spam that dodge button all day, especially when facing off against one of the Sifu bosses like Sean. 

• Want to know how to skip ahead to bosses like Sean? Have a read of our Sifu Detective Board guide, which walks you through every collectible and key that'll let you take shortcuts. 

However, blocking isn't just a great alternative, sometimes it is preferred over parrying. Enemies that focus on heavy attacks or high and low kicks are often best to dodge, as they fill up your resilience quickly and deal out massive damage. A general rule of thumb is that any attack coming that highlights an enemy's limb in a yellowy-red should be dodged, as they are often the deadliest. And while it is tempting and often default to dodge backward, dodging side to side is often more effective, as most enemies generally only attack directly forward. 

Lastly, it is easy to forget but, dodges don't just come in the form of physically moving away from the danger. By pressing L1 and directionally up and down on PlayStation, or spacebar and W or S on PC, you will be able to dodge low swipes and high kicks. This can be difficult to time, but if done right, your resilience won't fill up and you are in close for some heavy attacks and combos, once their attack pattern is finished. 

That's everything you need to know about Sifu parry timing. Ensure that you are equipped with the best combos and counters for when you are done parrying with our Sifu skill guide.