There is one golden rule for all three of these matchups:
DON'T JUMP. In Kabal's case, you don't even want to iAF.
I like these threads so I can give my scrubby advice that then gets corrected by the pros, thus helping my game:
Kabal
- Dash cancel-happy Kabals can be checked with ground fans--ground fans beat both dash and EX dash (except on wakeup).
- Don't try to outzone, don't use iAFs (ground fans only).
- Always d1 out of pressure. Kabal's fastest normal is 7 frames vs. Kitana's 6 frame d1. Her d3 is 7 frames, which means he can potentially out-poke you.
- I get blown up with EX dash by trying to d1 under iAGBs, so i usually just duck and block and take the chip.
- Pretty much want to stick with 21~cutter and b12 here. Other strings are too risky.
Freddy
- instant EX ass is your friend. It beats out Sweet Dreams and Dream Shift. Instant ass also beats a naked Nightmare Stance (i.e. if it isn't immediately followed by a NS attack).
Kenshi
- I follow Mr. Mileena's advice here:
- Throw fans to make him respect them (remember that 2 rapid iafs will cancel out the first reflected iaf)
- Dash block in (pay attention to his meter so you know when you should be blocking a low teleflurry)
- Bait out a Rising Karma and punish with 21.
- Capitalize on whiffed telekenesis moves by crossing up.
- Don't get impatient and try to jump in too soon.
Ermac
Honestly, this shouldn't be that hard of a matchup. He has ONE frame trap (F1,1,4) that's only +4 on block, so in reality he shouldn't be pressuring you at all. The only thing that makes this matchup a tossup is that he has a very high damage potential and that you have to take a lot of chip to get in if you're knocked full screen.
Sektor
The trick here is to respect Sektor's options. His low starter, his safe teleport, and his flamethrower zoning are all godly. Do not try to beat them! Don't throw fans in this match, either--you WILL eat an instant air teleport.
Interested to hear what people have to say about Sonya.