Conditioning, willing yourself to improve

[Flagg]

How do you condition yourself?

It's one thing to condition your opponent, but what about yourself?

I find for one to improve, you must improve on what you are good at while eliminating bad habits.

I always want to improve to the point if I get demolished, even by someone really good I get bummed out.

I think my biggest issue is im simply obsessed with pressure constantly. It means I don't block enough and I eat wakeup attacks like there is no tomorrow. Thing is, if I try and consciously change during the game, like "okay, I will just run and block on knockdown" it seems to unsettle me, like I should be doing something, especially if he is just standing there blocking as well. My character always seems to be moving or doing something, if you know what I mean.

I've been playing fighting games for years, so I've got decent fundamentals but MK 9 has made me super competitive!

 

[xenogorgeous]

People should consider doing training session sometimes only for defense purpose.

Kinda .... going in training mode, puting AI in the maximum difficult, and trying to defend/avoid every single move, blocking, jumping, crouching, using tech throw, etc .... making react to attacks, in properly way, a second nature almost.

Both attack and defense are equal important in this game, but, some players tend to dedicate to one more than other, and , if exaggerated, finishes up having a super rushdown player, or a super turtle player, both with flaws in their own gameplay.

Sometimes, what counts in this game , and can save your ass, it is how fast you react to something, and counter-attack next.

 

[Justice]

You play like me! I feel that if I'm standing around or blocking that I'm just waiting to die. Course, the non-stop offense usually ends with me getting countered, thrown or fireballed to oblivion......

All I can suggest is reading some articles that someone linked me to long ago about game psychology: http://www.sirlin.net/ptw. Very helpful.
Spend an hour a day in the lab perfecting your execution and hammering out your flaws.
Try to find respectable players online or offline who are willing to give advice on what you are doing right and wrong.
Do fun things to relax.
TAKE BREAKS FROM THE GAME! Sounds silly I know, but that's where the muscle memory kicks in. Your muscles will repeat things like your brain will to remember them.

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

I am the same way. I tend to work on something for an hour in ranked. Wins and loses there just really don't bother me. Especially when most of the players are not skilled enough.

My main weakness is spacing. I tend to forget the distances where a jump can be destroyed ... and where I can get in. I make it a point to always try and catch a jump in by simply walking back and AA'ing it. Even online this is not a hard thing. I find that accomplishing this type of thing is a huge confidence boost, even if I lose the match.

Honestly, playing good players and learning kept me going. You don't like running up and blocking... thing is, that is one of the most useful things to condition people to be LESS aggressive against you. When you get that, you are in the driver's seat, as you have now taken over the pace of the match. Then, you can continue pressure without blocking, because the wakeup will not arrive.

I will also say this, I don't play more than an hour at a time (unless with a bunch of friends or a tourney) just so I don't get lazy and create bad habits.
Keep at it man. The community needs you!!! Take it to f0xy and the gang!!!

 

[Jim]

People should consider doing training session sometimes only for defense purpose.

Kinda .... going in training mode, puting AI in the maximum difficult, and trying to defend/avoid every single move, blocking, jumping, crouching, using tech throw, etc .... making react to attacks, in properly way, a second nature almost.

Both attack and defense are equal important in this game, but, some players tend to dedicate to one more than other, and , if exaggerated, finishes up having a super rushdown player, or a super turtle player, both with flaws in their own gameplay.

Sometimes, what counts in this game , and can save your ass, it is how fast you react to something, and counter-attack next.

Very good advice I've been doing similar things myself. I spend a lot of time in training and have noticed a few things. The computer is very bad as a general opponent but very good for helping specific situations. One thing I noticed is that if you are close them on knock down they will always wake up attack on reaction to an input. You can do this to make training for wakeup attack options more exciting then just turning the computer to wake up attack. A down 1 will activate the wake up but you still must read what attack it is. Plus this is helpful because not every wakeup will be enhanced like it is if you just turn on wake up attacks.

I also go into training mode and turn on the computer to Max with only a specific situation in mind. Just keep blocking or doing bnb's until that situation then just make sure the second it starts you know exactly what you are going to do so that on reaction you start the right inputs.



You can also practice decent blocking with the computer. They will not turtle you out eventually they always attack. Instead of punishing work 100% on blocking/dodging. This also teaches better understanding of character dash/walk speed. Try to get in on Sindel without giving her full meter on blocked projectiles. Read what she is throwing and jump over it or duck under it. Remember every blocked projectile gives them 1/12th of a bar of meter. Any character works but most characters the computer will just start running towards you even Kitana, Sindel they seem happy to just throw projectiles all day.


Outside of practice if I am alone I talk to myself out loud on what I did wrong. Sometimes just saying "pay the fuck attention" during a match is enough to put you back in the game and react. Between every match I look away and just think about what I did wrong, even if I won. I find just closing my eyes even between rounds directs my attention to only what I need to think about and I get better reads and hit confirms.

 

[Flagg]

Very interesting posts guys because I identify a LOT with some of these traits.

For instance, I stopped playing MK 9 before christmas eve and I probably didn't play it again for like 2 weeks. I remember playing a friend of mine a day after my break, Baraka vs Sektor, and the first round I flawlessed him and the second round I pretty much beat him with 80% health. Now im struggling to beat him!

The first night I get on, I go online, and blow everyone up! Now that i've been playing for a few days in a row again, i've started back into lazy/impatient play.

I think breaks definitely improve a person, but then how would one improve if they never practised consistently.

 

[GNG Iniquity]

I have many of these problems as well, I'm not patient enough. Due to the fact that I'm forced to play online for the majority of my competition I've pretty much just thrown away the thought of AAs since the beginning due to online being horribly inconsistent. Sometimes you can AA, most of the time you cannot however. So I just spend the majority of my time hammering down my execution for bnbs in the lab now until I can get to the point where I can have a strong circle offline to actually start developing a real foundation for my gameplay - one where I don't constantly have to think about if I can or cannot AA, if my bnbs will land, etc etc.

Online has really killed my motivation to get better at this game due to thinking about all this shit all the time. I just auto-pilot online and attempt to get some MU experience, it's frustrating but that genuinely feels like the most I can get out of this game at the moment. Occasionally I'll have moments of genius where I'm doing well but a poorly placed lag spike usually kills that momentum then I lose! Or the match just randomly DCs! That's fun too. Ugh.

And yes, I take a LOT of breaks. I'll play for an hour max and usually take a 2-3 day break because at this moment in time it feels more like a chore than genuine enjoyment dealing with online's BS. Just waiting for that moment where I can re-learn the game, build an actual offline consistent foundation for my gameplay and use my hundreds of hours of continually conditioning my muscle memory and do well. I pick up 2-3 characters a month now just to keep myself entertained with this game...

 

[quandaghost]

usually in training mode i leave the dummy alone and just practice my execution until i no longer have to practice and its just my muscles remembering the motions as i think it. the most i'll do with the dummy is set-up wake up attacks and then try to come up with a bait for them or a set-up to take advantage of my opponents fear or lack there of. i suggest just placing the dummy where you need to and practice your combos, your execution, like everyday i spend like an hour just doing tk teleports, run blocks, or now since im learning kung lao i just sit there for hours practicing one combo then the next one and coming up with baits, and such. it doesn't hurt to learn patience in this game too don't get twitchy when your constantly rushing in you leave yourself vulnerable to what ever counter the opponent maybe thinking of sometimes its better to think your situation through and see what they will do next or see if they are getting twitchy and punish them for it. anti airing with anything less than a jip is sketchy for me but i found a way to get that consistently, my best advise is to try and analyze your game learn times where you need to be offensive and defensive, learn how to be tricky, learn how to read, learn how to unsettle your opponent, then try and apply it as needed

 

[salvificblood]

It's all about adjusting to your opponent's habits, not so muchcharacters. if you are against somebody who loves to wakeup attack and throws stuff out at random seemingly, just press fewer buttons yourself, man. Some people will take enough rope to hang themselves. If I am against somebody who loves to take the safe option, I am going to abuse thatby using all my mixups on offense against them and juststaying on them in general.

That's why when I play sub-Zero, I will throw out slides to get them blocking low and to make them think I am a slide-happy player, and then I'll just start jumping on them from certain distances. If they keep trying to AA me, I'll just keep killing them with slides or I'll use more jump kicks and pressure off the knockdown.

On their wakeup, why not just do nothing sometimes? You're making them commit to doing something that way. you don't always have to be doing something to win in this game.

 

[xenogorgeous]

Training as daily routine is an old secret in all real sports, and for e-sports, and as everything else in life, if you don't keep yourself in constantly "training mode", I mean, dedicating part of your time with MK9, just training the basics and being in lab to refine skill and correct time execution, you turn "rusted". You start suffering from "skill level degradation" effect .... that occurs naturally.

Just like a shark that is obligated to keep in constantly movement while swimming, otherwise, it sinks in the bottom of sea.

Training is really boring for some people, but, there is not other way to keep "ready and loaded" and "stay sharp" for high competitive level matches, if this is your focus with this game.

 

[quandaghost]

Training as daily routine is an old secret in all real sports, and for e-sports, and as everything else in life, if you don't keep yourself in constantly "training mode", I mean, dedicating part of your time with MK9, just training the basics and being in lab to refine skill and correct time execution, you turn "rusted". You start suffering from "skill level degradation" effect .... that occurs naturally.

Just like a shark that is obligated to keep in constantly movement while swimming, otherwise, it sinks in the bottom of sea.

Training is really boring for some people, but, there is not other way to keep "ready and loaded" and "stay sharp" for high competitive level matches, if this is your focus with this game.

i agree wholeheartedly this is a game that you need knowledge to play, and you also need to have basic fundamentals as well as great execution to play at a significant level, the dash nerfs hit everyone hard so why not go in and practice your dash blocking, your character has a teleport why not go in and figure out how to make it safe, how to whiff it, make set-ups for it so you can punish. i wouldn't worry so much about the players you play worry about the character. players can only play within the confines of said character but you need to go into the matchup not just thinking you know how to derp this or that cause every player has habits with a character, or has their own set-ups those you can learn on the fly, just know the basic of what you need to do to win and what the character wants/ is capable of, and then adjust as needed but you will need the patience to do so. Like said before analyze your play improve on your execution, combos, set-ups, patience, and mix-ups and you can go far in this game