I think this method is mostly useful for linkers, since you can tell earlier than the final hit which one is hitting you. For ADs it’s actually slower since you can’t tell until your character is hit, so it gives you less time to break.
Yes good point. I am using it for linkers only.
It’s most useful for certain types of linkers, I think… the ones that are really long and you can’t really tell what’s happening until it’s a little too late (TJ’s spin fist, Tusk’s skull splitter, Rash boot etc). It helps you break the medium versions of these linkers primarily, because usually you wait until you see the “obvious” 3rd hit, which makes the medium version especially good here, because people will see 2 hits and often deliberately not break.
But going between looking at the opponent and looking at your own character, and trying to figure out which thing you’re supposed to react to is pretty difficult, I think. I would probably only try to use it in certain matchups with long linkers that don’t have an easy tell until late.
It also sucks because if you play a bunch of characters, it’s just that much more to remember. Maybe you are randomly playing Tusk today and you don’t know what his “medium reaction” looks like, so you’re just kinda hosed until you figure it out. So yeah, it’s a good tool in the box but I definitely don’t think it’s the only way (or even the best way) to break most things.
Of course the sound effect helps, but I have to turn of BGM to be able to really tell what’s coming. And even then it’s only to distinguish medium from hard.
I shouldve said that I am “practicing” it on linkers rather than “using”, because I was testing for myself how easy and useful this could be going forward…
I knew about it being slower on ADs, which is why I never really used it, but I never thought about it being faster on linkers, which is where I usually have trouble breaking, so thanks for helping me realize that - I may actually go learn them now so I can have more successful opportunities at breaking during linkers. 
Lots of good advice in the topic. I am also looking for help on combo breakers and can implement this information when I go into the dojo next or combo breaker training.
My main problem is I am a avid button masher. As soon as a combo starts I want to try and guess it right then and there. If they had an MK Test Your Might Tournament at EVO I’m shipping the tournament 100% of the time because I can button mash.
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This is useful information indeed, being having the same problem here
Quick question,
I was playing online and had my opponent down to danger during a combo. I immediately went to Ultra and the screen paused, my Aria started the Ultra animation and then magically I got broken. Is this normal? Was it always possible? I watched the replay and I am still puzzled by this.
Sounds like a bug (or a big rollback), if you have the replay you should post a video of it.
The replay is in the in-game archive, I will try to capture it and post in bug thread. I have put some quick and dirty screens below. I did the Ultra and three (!) frames steps after this I got broken.
Going into Ultra…
then three frames later…
(a bit off-topic, but wanted to see if there was any logic behind combo breakers in relation to Ultras.)
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Yesterday I did some combo breakers training against Isako, cuz I can’t memorize her moves and have really hard times to figure out what and when to break.
As suggested in that topic, I started to focus on my character hit stun animations to know what to do.
I found that according to the moves of my character’s head, I can know the power of the attack (Light, Medium, Heavy):
Head going down: Light
Head going to the opposite direction of the opponent: Medium
Head going up: Heavy.
After few tries I was able to break almost every auto double/linker.
Of course, it is much more difficult to use that tip in real fights as we are not supposed to get hit intentionally. But it is still a useful hint if you can manage it properly.
I’ve found these two to be the exact opposite; with mediums the head goes up and back a little, and with heavies it turns opposite the opponent.
The only problem with using this method is that’s only half of the reel animations, the other half being a bit less distinct. I still fall back on the “head tilt” queues somewhat regularly though.
I have made another test with another opponent, and the head of my character (the same one), and my head went another way for mediums and Heavies 
So I guess that observation is specific to who you fight against and not reliable.
Weird…