Tips for Ralf/Clark:
Argentine Backbreaker is your #1 counterattack for any opening where you might not be able to get a combo.
Examples:
vs shallow jump punch/kick from opponent, blocked or not
vs opponent landing in front of you
after blocking a combo attempt
Also, learn to 2-in-1 standing C (1-hit for Clark) to Argentine Backbreaker for a solid combo, it works in every game since '95 or '96. Follow Clark's backbreaker with the qcf+P ground hit always except when the opponent is totally cornered.
Don't attack with the backbreaker unless you are playing '94/'95 and doing that crazy f,f hop buffered into the throw. Or unless you are comboing it as with j.C/D,C(1-hit with Clark),hcf+K,(qcf+P with Clark).
Other Ikari throws:
Clark's hcf+P move is mainly a counterattack as well, to be done from a distance rather than up close. For instance, if your opponent is half a screen away and does a DP, punish them with hcf+P, don't try to run up to them and do hcf+K because they will have an excellent chance to land and first-frame DP you. The followup to this move depends on the game, some games the move gets qcf+P followup, some games you have to finish the throw with d,d+A/B/C/D where the C version gets the followup, and in 2002 where the move is counterable you want to mix up the followups.
Speaking of 2002, Clark gets an unusual but sick close range combo for that throw with C(1-hit),f+B,hcf+P,d,d+A/B/C/D. 2002 is also the only recent game where you can't use the trick (j.C/D),hcb+C(1-hit),hcb+C to combo Clark's super easily. I privately suspect that the dippy hcb+P move was added to Clark solely to weaken him.
Now if you want to jump in or run up and throw someone with Clark, that's what dp+K is for. It is faster than it looks and hard to punish.
The thing about both Ralf and Clark is that they have a lot more combo potential in the early KOF's and a lot more throw potential in the later KOF's. So in '94 I can do crossup j.C,c.A,AxN with Clark and not worry about forcing a backbreaker situation. In 2001, I have to use a lot of jumping CD's to keep the opponent grounded and contained long enough to throw them. But Clark's Argentine Backbreaker is so stupidly powerful in 2001, it is worth the trouble to set up. The combo j.C/D,C(1-hit),hcf+K,qcf+P is at least half a bar unless the ratios are against you.
Ralf has more combo potential throughout the KOF series than Clark. In particular j.C/D,b,c/s.C,f+P is bread and butter. For both Ralf and Clark (in the years he has this move), the gatling attack is best used as a combo finisher and not by itself. Clark in particular was extremely powerful in KOF 2000 because he had the combo j.D,b,C(1-hit),f+P,dp+P,qcf+P which did stupid damage and with the help of a striker only got worse.
That's my Ikari brain dump for now.
Edit: Getting back to the point in the topic (I rambled), the grapples by themselves are basically defensive except for Clark's dp+K which is essentially a cheap shot. Almost all grapplers in all games have high-priority normals intended to scare opponents into reducing their mobility and number of attacks. This creates situations in which you can throw them or in which they will do desperate attacks that result in throw opportunities for you.
<small>[ April 08, 2003, 02:22 PM: Message edited by: neojedi ]</small>