For turtling in fighting games, I think it means to keep defending and block all of your opponents attacks the best you can until there's an appropriate time to attack. They're usually in a crouching position as well doing this.

Defensive players either run away or wait for a counter attack. They make counter attacking their offense and may be a little offensive if it's appropriate. In comparison to turtles, defensive players move. Turtles sit there most of the time. You can be both.

May 22, 2009 -- 5:49PM, EXO-grey-fox wrote:

Okay so I was playing this Zangief a couple mins ago.. I was taunting him because he wasn't really doing anything just sitting there. I almost won the match. but he did his crazy ultra. anyways after the match he message's me saying. "only taunt if your going to win" and told me to get better. I told him only reasson I was tauting cus he was turtling. but he calls it being defensive.  I know there has to be a diffrent when your almost about to die. and being defensive. but at the beginning of the match? letting your oponent do all the woork. -_-; I told him I would post here to find out. and he said people would laugh at me >_>;

This is used to be my problem with most Zangiefs they just sit there wait for you to get near and either piledrive you or spam that stupid lariet which is really annoying and boring playing these types of Zangiefs.

Exo, my main is Zangief and if you were playing Cammy vs this Zangief, he was definitely turtling since Gief can counter most of your moves:

- protect on spiral arrow > 360 or 720

- Lariat on spin knuckle and hooligan

- lariat on cannon strike or protect > 360 or if you do a cannon spike after a cannon strike , gief still protects > ex green hand

This is a true turtling! And there's no fun at all for both of the players... He could check your fighting style by jumping + MK and hit some crouching LP at mid distance and then protect during the 1st round, but you said he just sit at start and did nothing at all while you were taunting him several times ( summary: he was just waiting for you). Seriously that sucks, let these ppl in their self-importance, if they don't want to try new tricks they'll never be better.

But if you nearly beat him I guess you did some good tricks vs a turtling gief machine, feints are the key, spiral LK when you are far and then throw him if you are close enough, start a focus near him when he's on the ground > dash back, if he does a lariat > spiral arrow, if he jumps > cannon spike or ultra at the right timing, check sometimes if cross ups work vs them but it can be dangerous vs a Gief who knows what to do and there's more...

if he was really a retard, full focus > dash foward > ultra or cannon spike > cancel + dash back > ultra, you can do a full ultra when someone jumps, you must do it when the oppenent is near the ground.

Throw him asap if he really never moves, on his ultra, spam jump during the animation you never know, a 720 can't be combo beside the focus > dash > 720, if you really couldn't do nothing it was a real counter attack, like after a special move or a combo.

Never do a spiral arrow vs a turtling gief... never beside you want to do a feint, I mean you're far and your spiral with LK won't touch him