Watching gameplay is a huge step to knowing what things should look like as well. Cruise over to the kitana forums, look for the combo threads/videos and practice, practice practice.
Also, just to get ahead of this:
1 = square
2 = triangle
3 = X
4 = O
b = back, f = forward, etc. Inputs are notated in this way. So 112124 would be square, square, triangle, square, triangle, O
and b14, db2 4, rc 12, rc 2134 Is what a combo might look like. What this means is: back + square, O, down->back triangle (special move) O, run cancel (run at them), square triangle, run cancel, triangle, square, X, O.
All assuming default inputs.
Critical things to learn in the game are how strings cancel into special moves (so like 12 into fans or something) and running between combos/pressure/combos.