Thanks to Mad Possum for this Honda Guide.

Normals.
Before doing anything you should become familiar with Honda's normals, he has some great pokes and normals if you know when to use them. Here are some of his most usefull ones.

Crouching jab - Honda's best poke, it's fast and it beats a ton of stuff (Blanka ball, other Honda's headbutt, Cammy's Spiral Arrow, Balrog's dash punches, etc.). If your in a footsie battle with someone and/or trying to slowly move forward, cr. jab is a good poke to throw there. You can also follow it with a Headbutt or HHS if your quick. Works as a good tick for Ochio set ups.

Standing jab - Doesn't have the range of cr.jab but is also quick and beats a lot of things. Works as decent AA if spaced right.

Crouching Strong - A very good poke, good way to to counter other character's annoying crouching pokes like Guile's cr.forward kick.

Crouching Short - Doesn't have much range but can be cancelled into a Fierce Headbutt, making it usefull for combos. Also a good tick for Ochio set ups.

Crouching Forward - An underused move by most Honda players. It can't be used in a combo like cr.short but has great range, is relatively fast, and very good priority.

Standing Forward - Another underutilized move. Hits for two hits if up close. Makes for a very good AA against far jump-ins (I use it a lot against Zangief and Fei Long).

Crouching Roundhouse - A decent sweep, not a ton of range. It circles Honda and hits from both sides, making it good against missed cross-ups. Also creates a decent mix-up after a bear-hug throw - walk under the opponent crossing them up and then do the sweep, it will it from the other side. Works best when close to the corner.

Towards + Roundhouse - Honda's long range sweep. It's slow but has great range. Use it to trade or stuff Fireball attempts when in range. [Can also be executed with backwards + Roundhouse.]

Standing Roundhouse - Hits for two big damage hits when in close. Easy good damage combo - cross-up down +Forward splash, standing roundhouse. Limited use as AA (have to be at just the right range and height).

Jump Ins

Jumping Short - One of the best. You can hit short as soon as Honda leaves the ground to make him jump farther and closer to the ground (Good way to get in after a towards+roundhouse or Headbutt knockdown). It can beat out sweeps from the right range (especially good against DeeJay's Roundhouse slide). Change it up between j.Short and j.Roundhouse to keep fireballers guessing. Easy way to jump in for an Ochio attempt.

Jumping forward kick - Not many Honda players use the regular jumping Forward, I use it a lot. It looks the same as j.roundhouse but it stays out longer, and has a huge hit box all around his lead leg (check out hit-box mode in training and compare). I find it safer and easier to jump in with against certain opponents in certain situations. I use it a lot against Chun Li, jumping in over her fireball. Note that it can't be used as a cross up (no hitting area along his trail leg).

Jumping roundhouse - Good jump-in, good damage. Can be used as a cross-up to set up big damage combos.

Jumping strong punch - Very good air-to-air. Use it a lot against Hawk, Chun, Blanka, Vega (hitting him as he goes towards the wall), etc.

Jumping fierce - the most usefull version of jumping fierce is the jump straight up one. You can push left or right afterwards to make Honda "float" in the air for a moment. It is a very usefull tool for safely getting over fireballs, even slow moving ones.

Down+Forward kick - Honda's "splash" move. Works great as a cross-up and as a regular jump-in (it's relatively easy to safe jump with this move). If blocked can be easily followed with an Ochio.

Specials

Headbutt - Honda's bread and butter. Jab headbutt will beat any jump-in in the game if timed right. Fierce headbutt is fast and is a great way to punish wiffed moves. Also works great as a reversal, especially on wake up. Jab headbutt goes through fireballs as long as Honda is completely horizontal, but shouldn't used too much, he is very vulnerable during recover and most good fireballrs will be looking for this and will punish accordingly. Learn the safe times and ranges for jab HB against fireballs.

Sumo Splash - Another very good move. Short and Forward versions are great AA's. Roundhouse version doesn't hit on the way up but is usefull to use as a cross-up. I use forward SS a LOT, as reversal, as AA, as long range punisher. Any move that is hard to beat with Headbutt (Chun's jumping kicks, Blanka's jumping kick, 'Gief's splash) loses easily to short or forward SS.

Ochio throw - My main weapon of choice. A command throw with good range, good damage, and two unique properties in HDR that you should use to your advantage. #1 - It is storable. If you do the motion and then hold down+back, the move is "stored". As long as you continue to hold down+back you can unleash the Ochio by just hitting punch whenever you want. This makes it usefull to reversal throw attempts, do the motion as your blocking a tick then just piano all the punch buttons rapidly, you don't have to worry about timing the motion and you get multiple attempts at the throw coming out by pianoing.
#2 - It can be negative edged to make it safe from reversals. It is the only command throw in HDR that doesn't have a wiff animation, therefore if you use negative edge when you Ochio (do the special by releasing the punch button, instead of tapping it), if the opponent does a non-throw reversal (like a Dragon punch), Honda will simply block. Example - you have Ryu knocked down in the corner. You throw out a meaty cr.jab to force him to block, you hold down the jab button after throwing out the jab and do the half-circle back for the Ochio command, stopping at down+back. You release the jab button to negative edge activate the Ochio. If Ryu does nothing or misses his reversal timing - he gets Ochio'ed. If he hits his reversal Honda blocks (because you were holding down+back). With neg,edge and storing you can make Honda's Ochio a feared weapon!

Hundred Hand Slap - The scrub killing special. Gets way too much respect from scrubs, good players will punish HHS if you just throw it out randomly, look for right time and spacing. Strong and Fierce HHS good way to move Honda forward quickly.

Combos

Combos aren't a huge part of Honda's game (pokes and throws are), but he has some nice, big damage combos that you can add to your game.

Jump-in Roundhouse, cr.short, Headbutt - basic, easy 3-hitter. Knocks down (which is always good for Honda).

Jump-in Short or Forward Splash, cr.short, Headbutt - I use this a lot to catch people trying to reverse the expected Ochio attempt after a jumping short or splash. When they get used to this then I start Ochioing because I know they'll block. Mix it up!

Cross-up Roundhouse or splash, cr.short, standing jab, HHS. A very good damage combo, another good mix-up against people expecting cross-up, cr.short, Ochio.

Cross-up splash, standing roundhouse - easy 3-hitter (I think it misses on Blanka). Decent damage, good way to get a dizzy.

Cross-up splash, standing jab, standing strong, standing fierce. - A somewhat hard to time chain combo. Decent damage but doesn't knock down.

Ochio set-ups

Knock down opponent, meaty cr.jab, Ochio - My favorite, works best in the corner. Make sure to neg.edge Ochio attempt for safety (opponent can still the reversal the crouching jab, though). Try to space out the jab so you are out of their throw range but they are still in Ochio range (remember jab Ochio has most range).

Cross-up splash, crouching jab, Ochio - My main set-up against a knocked down opponent mid-screen.

Cross-up splash, crouching short, Ochio - mix up between short and jab to throw off reversal timing.

Jump-in Short, Ochio - hit short kick as soon as you jump to jump far and low to the ground, good way to tick into Ochio when you're from farther away.

Jump-in splash, Ochio - Learn to safe jump with the splash and neg.edge your Ochios and this becomes very dangerous to a knocked down opponent, it will be safe from all special move reversals (though the Ochio can reversal thrown).

I will get into more advanced stuff and match-up specific stuff later. Hope some of this helps all the other Sumo faithfull out there (and makes for some less-scrubby Hondas giving us all a bad name, LOL).

 

Mad Possums Matchup Guide

1.

Guile - You have to be very patient against Guile. Try not to jump over many Sonic Booms and don't Use the Sumo Smash to go over Booms unless you're in range for them to hit, it's really easy of guile to walk up and punish you as you land. The best way to get in on Guile is to just "bulldog" you're way in (just walk forward, blocking Sonic Booms at the last second). As you get closer Guile will start sticking out low Forward kicks, you can counter them with an early crouching strong, crouching jab, or the best way is a crouching forward kick. I walk forward and stick out crouching forwards to catch his leg, and if it hits I jam on the Fierce button for a Fierce HHS to move forward and get some chip damage. Guile will usually hide in the corner, you need to slowly and carefully work your way in, and once your in Sumo Smash range look for the Sonic Boom so you can Roundhouse Sumo Smash in, negative edging an Ochio as you land if he blocks. Once you have him in the corner it's just a waiting game, waiting to SS over SBs, throwing out cr.Forward kicks to counter his, and the occasional cr.jab or cr.strong, sometimes following with HHS for chip damage.

If you can score a knockdown go for the cross-up, either jumping down+forward splash or jumping roundhouse. It's really hard for Guile to stop a deep cross-up on wake-up. If the cross-up hits go for a combo (cr. short kick->strong HHS, followed by Ochio is great if you can pull it off). If he blocks then follow with a cr.jab or cr.short tick followed by Ochio.

One last thing, it really helps if you learn how to safe jump, Guile is very vulnerable if you safe jump after a knock down and he tries to Flash Kick. If he does nothing you throw him.

2.

Honda v. Honda - Ugh. Probably the least fun match-up in the game (I'd rather face Ryu, LOL). Again, it's usually the more patient player that wins. A jumping backwards short kick will stop random Fierce headbutts. I usually jump back and wait on the other player to come to me, doing the occasional jab HHS to build Super meter. If he does the Fierce headbutt a simple crouching jab will hit him out clean if your quick. If he he comes at you with a HHS a Forward kick Sumo Smash will hit clean with good timing and spacing. You really need to try and play it safe and stay ahead on life, so you can make them come to you. If you get behind and must attack, a well positioned down+forward splash is hard to headbutt (but will lose clean to mSumo Smash). If you get a knock down a jumping in forward kick (the regular forward kick, not the splash) that only hits at the very edge of his foot is very hard for a downed Honda to counter, it will hit them as they try to reversal off the ground a lot, follow with HHS. Also good after a knockdown is a jumping straght up short kick, it will stuff a Headbutt or Sumo Smash if you time it right.

Once you have Super you need to only use it for Anti-Air or as a reversal, don't just throw it out there randomly (this goes for all characters but is especially important against another Honda). If the other Honda blocks your Super he can jab headbutt inbetween the two hits, get the knockdown, follow with HHS and all of a sudden your down on life and he can turtle (right where you don't want to be). I usually get my Super, wait for my opponent to get theirs, then just wait them out. So many players just can't wait to throw that Super out there, as soon as they do I block the 1st hit, then use my Super in-between hits. It hits from point-blank range, giving you all 4 hits for big damage.

Still, the best advice for Honda v. Honda is be patient, and try not to fasll asleep from boredom (LOL).

3.

One more thing about Honda v. Honda, I usually stay away from Ochio throw set-ups (depending on who the other player is). You're taking the chance of the other player counter Ochio throwing you, which results in you knocked down and in a bad situation. It's just generally not woth the risk unless you're really sure your Ochio timing is much better than the other player's.