For Shen's Bakuten, is it possible for me to input it fast enough so that he just does it without doing a st.C first?
No, but you can use something else to buffer it like d.A
The mook talks about hold down and tap, d.A, d.C (d.C doesn't come out), d.A, d.B (d.B doesn't either) and press C to confirm. Visually, it looks like you're doing d.A x2 but if they jump, just complete the input. The buffer time is pretty lenient, you can do something like d.C, dash (not too far) --> A.B.C.
How exactly am I pressuring as Shen? What I'm doing is fishing for a knock down and then constant hop C or run for way longer than I should aiming for a counterhit C into a combo. I'm also using things like C f.B qcf+C and either charging or canceling into sweep right away. Any other techniques I should be aware of that would help my pressure game?
Sounds like you got the gist of it but remember there are like 5-6 Shen players now in our arcade and everyone plays him slightly differently. Generally:
-I use qcf+A for quick poking, it does wonders on hoppers as well
-qcf C is used for the cancel into mixups for sweeps or dash command grabs or fully charged punches
-s.C, f.B, hcb~f+P is the combo of choice if you're not using drive or stocks
-s.C, f.B, qcf+BD, qcf D, qcf B, far B if you don't want to use drive.
-j.CD to control the air
-Vertical j.CD stops so many attacks it's not funny
-After conditioning your opponent to block a lot, dash command throw. The Ex version setups nasty combos (--> qcf+BD etc...)
-s.As for poking into dash pokes and then some more pokes.
-If possible, avoid using f.B in a block string and only use if you know it's going to connect. d.C (blocked), qcf+C (hold).D into whatever is good enough pressure and harder for your opponent to GCAB out of.
-Never use Shen's Hammer in a block string if you don't want to eat a combo.
-Far C (autoguard) into DM if it's a "counter" for air-to-ground attack, or just cancel into DM if you autoguard a ground attack
-Far C (autoguard) into HD mode works well but takes some practice.
-Some ppl like to go for Shen's 1 drive+super combo (s.C, f.B, qcf+BD, (delay) qcf+D, qcb+A.qcf+A, [DC], qcf+D, (qcf+A), DM and some ppl rather save it for Hyperdrive.
-End a HD combo in CABC
if you know the more damaging Ex DM (qcf x2+AC)
isn't going to kill them. The extra 30% damage of the CABC will pay off as long as you're not too defensive.
EDIT: I stand corrected, turns out his CABC is subjected to the 30% increase in damage itself, so it does
312dmg instead of the original 240 I thought. Ex qcf x2+P does 320dmg.
-Kunio likes to s.CD from afar, fish for a counter, then DM
I know that's not answering your question directly but I hope that helps.