How Daigo ‘The Beast’ Umehara Mastered the Parrying Technique and Its Impact on His Match Against Justin Wong
In the world of esports, few moments have achieved the iconic status of ‘Evo Moment #37’. This historic event, which took place at the Evolution Championship Series (Evo) in 2004, saw two juggernauts of the fighting game scene, Daigo ‘The Beast’ Umehara and Justin Wong, locked in a nail-biting match. Central to this defining moment was Daigo’s extraordinary use of the parrying technique—a feat that left an indelible mark on the gaming community.
Daigo played Marth and I played Falco! https://t.co/WHDVv5fids
— Justin Wong @ EVO (@JWonggg) March 16, 2017
Learning the Parrying Technique
Before delving into the match, it’s essential to understand how Daigo Umehara familiarized himself with the parrying skill, a maneuver that would go on to etch his name in esports folklore. Unlike today’s world, where gaming tutorials and forums are ubiquitous online, the early 2000s were different. Information spread through word of mouth, practice sessions, and limited online resources.
Daigo, hailing from Japan, honed his parrying ability while practicing at a friend’s house. The intense training sessions were not just about winning but also about showcasing flashy and skillful plays. Daigo mentions, “Anyone who was into Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and played it seriously would have known I could’ve made a comeback by parrying the Houyoku-sen. Whether I could pull it off was another story.”
The Match Against Justin Wong
The stage was Evo 2004, with Daigo playing Ken and Justin Wong controlling Chun-Li. As Daigo’s health dwindled to a sliver, Justin used Chun-Li’s super-art move ‘Houyoku-sen,’ a multi-hit combo attack. Most players would have blocked, incurring chip damage, which would have led to defeat. However, Daigo, tapping into his refined parrying skill, nullified each of the 17 successive hits, a task that required immaculate timing. As if that weren’t enough, he countered with his own super move, stunning both Wong and the audience.
Come see what we're cooking up for this year's Evo.
The #Evo2024 announcement show is live now!https://t.co/pRm0CRum2yhttps://t.co/FOIhWMT9tU pic.twitter.com/d44gk1JXK1
— Evo (@Evo) February 7, 2024
The Wonder of Parrying
For the uninitiated, parrying in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is not just a defensive maneuver; it’s an art form. It involves pressing forward at the exact moment an attack lands, completely nullifying the damage. What sets Daigo’s maneuver apart is the sheer number of parries performed in rapid succession. This was not just a display of reflexes but of muscle memory and nerves of steel.
Impact on the Gaming Community
Daigo’s parrying feat during his match against Wong didn’t just win him the game; it won the hearts of fans worldwide. Before YouTube or social media, the clip circulated through gaming networks and forums, eventually going viral. It inspired a generation of gamers and significantly boosted the popularity of Street Fighter and competitive fighting games.
Reflecting on the event, Wong admits, “Back in the day, compared to now, we were bad at fighting games. We were good at the time, but when you think about how much fighting games have progressed and how people can learn fighting games so much faster—the understanding of it—we were bad.”
The moment wasn’t lost on Daigo either, who had initially come to the tournament considering it might be his last. Following the event, he became an international icon and continues to be a revered figure in the gaming world.
Legacy and Ongoing Influence
The legacy of Evo Moment #37 extends beyond its immediate impact. It symbolized the global community’s unity, bringing together players from different corners of the world. The moment played a significant role in professionalizing esports, making it accessible and exciting to larger audiences.
Wong, who continues to thrive as a content creator and commentator, states, “Every tournament, every time I stream, I’ll have at least one person that comes up to me and says, ‘I got into fighting games because of Moment #37.’” Daigo shares a similar sentiment, noting that the continued recognition is like “a gift I received.”
Despite their extensive careers since that fateful match, the mutual respect between Daigo and Wong remains palpable. They acknowledge that their rivalry helped push the boundaries of what was possible in competitive gaming, inspiring countless others.
As the 20th anniversary of Evo Moment #37 approaches, its significance in the esports community is more profound than ever. It serves as a reminder of the beauty of skill, the thrill of competition, and the uniting power of games. For both Daigo and Wong, and for gamers around the world, it remains a defining moment that changed the landscape of esports forever.
Divya