As a defensive fighter, Guile expects to go second and doesn't get much benefit from initiating strikes. He does possess a few mixups to surprise opponents who try to out-power him by using slower attacks, such as the Spinning Back Knuckle, which is capable of breaking Sweeps and Focus Attacks with sheer power.

Most of Guile's moves give him some movement after the attack, so that he can withdraw to recover resources OR step in to continue putting on pressure. Since Guile is usually not initiating attacks, he's often going to get the next turn, and these small 'tempo moves' give him the ability to set up a deadly follow-up attack.