Defeating "Fear of faliure"

Dark.Pch

I just got into fighting games deeply at the start of the year. I never understood the things like baiting, footsies, mixups, etc. I would just mash buttons and hope I get a hit.

Im at the point now that I understand it all. The concept of fighters and using frame data to my advantage so I can know my options of what to do and not do. But with all this I still have a problem. And the main one is mix ups.

Sometimes I am afraid to go for mix ups. If I do an attack string three times and my opponent always blocks it, the 4th time I get them in that situation, i should change to a high/low/grab in the middle of it. But I have some mental block that I am afraid to go for it cause I might get punished. Im having this problem with any fighter I have. I guess cause sometimes when I go for these things, I have gotten punished for it. So I am mentally thinking of being safe. But I have taken into account that this is not getting me anywhere.

I guess to put it in simple terms, I see what is happen and answers I have for it. And the answers I have is a high chance of working. But im too afraid to act on it. This also happens when I am blocking. Sometimes I can tell when I should block high/low/dish out attack. but afraid to act out on it. I have lost to many people who are not that good at the games I play and don't know the concepts of a fighter. And I lose to them alot cause of this problem.

I feel this is the only thing that is holding me back from being real good at fighting games. So my question would be how can I deal with this problem. how can I get into the habit of acting on situations such as

" he block this string of attacks twice, so this time Im gonna attack then half way go for an easy grab or go for a high/low mix up early."

Just an example of many things. I find my self struggling in every match I go too cause of this telling myself to switch it up, its getting obvious by now, you are getting the reads so act on it. but too afraid too. So any tips or ideas I am willing to try to get over this fear of failure. I am not sure who to talk to about this matter, so I thought I come here for the best source of help.

ugo_2u

It happens to everyone. You have to realize that there is always risk and also there's always downloading your opponent. Online do not immediately go for mixup after a string but rather just walk back and see what he does if he is the mashin type just step back and punish if he is not the the next round u can now mix up. Note that good players that can cancel their wake up attacks will only mash when they have meter. Once in a while u will eat a random dp but heck 160 damage is not the end of the world

nameingway

if you want to overcome your fear of defeat, embrace it. go play dragon's lair on nes, you can find it on the internet on one of the various java based emu sites. you'll be a better human after that.

Dark.Pch

ugo_2u, post: 7607193, member: 42313 wrote:

It happens to everyone. You have to realize that there is always risk and also there's always downloading your opponent. Online do not immediately go for mixup after a string but rather just walk back and see what he does if he is the mashin type just step back and punish if he is not the the next round u can now mix up. Note that good players that can cancel their wake up attacks will only mash when they have meter. Once in a while u will eat a random dp but heck 160 damage is not the end of the world

Guess that be one way to go on about it.

DanDan

Don't be a robot.
Go for shit.

the saviour

sounds like you're not confident in offense/mixups otherwise you wouldn't be afraid to go for them

Dark.Pch

the saviour, post: 7609549, member: 53972 wrote:

sounds like you're not confident in offense/mixups otherwise you wouldn't be afraid to go for them

Yea. Im having problems dealing with this.

YorKeY

You just need confidence in your ability to apply what you learned during game time, what's the point of all that practice if your scared to use what you've learned?

Kuma Oni

Think less about what you're doing... hear me out!

It sounds like you have a grasp on how your game and character is played. You know your normals, block strings and specials/supers I'd imagine. Feel what to do next. Sometimes, over thinking can be detrimental as you second guess yourself as it sounds you're doing. If you've "trained" your opponent to block during his wake up because you'll do a block string then use that advantage. Don't underestimate the hesitation on the other guys' end! Your attacks, combos and the way you play the match effects him too.

You need to just go for it, bro. Don't be afraid to get smacked around. You can't predict every time a person tosses out an SRK during his wake up or during a block string, but you can train him to know it's a bad idea. As others have said, be cautious at first. You have to "earn" your respect every match against every opponent. Once he knows you will hurt him bad for throwing out things randomly or without thought for consequences, he'll give you more respect, more time and room to do mix ups.

Just go for it, bro!

GordonsBeard

It's scary, you can have all the textbook knowledge in the world, get down every hard combo, master every link, secure each dirty THC setup, and STILL find yourself holding downback in fear while playing. This is part of the thrill and adventure in learning a fighting game. You have to realize that they were/are just as afraid of you, and until that first round or character is dead they usually have no insight into what to expect.

The reason you are afraid of losing is you have no idea exactly how you will lose. A great of learning the many, many, many different ways you can lose is.... losing.

The first couple HUNDRED matches you will fight (in serious, such as a tourney, online, local ranbats, etc.) you will be scared, shaking, get cold hands, sweaty, whatever you do when you're put under pressure - it will come up. That's fine, that's human. After you've lost enough that you really start understanding "why" you lost, then you can start the long process of learning from each loss. Fortune favors of the brave. Nobody is saying mash wakeup Ultras but sometimes the best answer is a full screen dash up SRK.

Street fighter is hard yo.

eltrouble

Here's some motivation and friendly advice for you:



Don't be a fucking pussy. RTSD.

Kuma Oni

GordonsBeard, post: 7614013, member: 70048 wrote:

It's scary, you can have all the textbook knowledge in the world, get down every hard combo, master every link, secure each dirty THC setup, and STILL find yourself holding downback in fear while playing. This is part of the thrill and adventure in learning a fighting game. You have to realize that they were/are just as afraid of you, and until that first round or character is dead they usually have no insight into what to expect.

The reason you are afraid of losing is you have no idea exactly how you will lose. A great of learning the many, many, many different ways you can lose is.... losing.

The first couple HUNDRED matches you will fight (in serious, such as a tourney, online, local ranbats, etc.) you will be scared, shaking, get cold hands, sweaty, whatever you do when you're put under pressure - it will come up. That's fine, that's human. After you've lost enough that you really start understanding "why" you lost, then you can start the long process of learning from each loss. Fortune favors of the brave. Nobody is saying mash wakeup Ultras but sometimes the best answer is a full screen dash up SRK.

Street fighter is hard yo.

I like this post. He's right. I didn't play vanilla SF4 online all too much but I logged about 5000 matches with Ryu, about 3000 with Akuma and a few thousand with random. I played mostly in arcades and at local casual gatherings. I know I listed about 10K matches online as just a few but in all seriousness, it is. Practice and just go for it, bro. It all comes in time, don't be afraid to lose your opponent; just don't lose to YOURSELF.

Jasin Walraven

The best way to deal with fear of failure is to fail a lot. Not just in fighting games but fail at everything you can think of. I blame school for this, they punish you for failing, making you afraid to fail. I've bought 2 houses and 3 cars because I have failed a lot. When you fail two things happen. #1 You can learn why you failed and do better next time. #2 Every time you fail you get less scared to fail the next time. So here is your homework. #1 The next 100 matches do the scariest mixups you can think of (keep notes when you fail on why it failed). #2 The next 20 attractive people you meet tell them how attractive they are and invite them back to your place( and in case you get someone to come home with you, enjoy!).

Kikuichimonji

Say "fuck it, either I win trying to do the good shit or I lose trying to do the good shit." Only way you'll reach your potential. You might look like an idiot, but you know you have a better chance at getting better because you'll be comfortable with all your options.

You don't get better at mixups by not doing them. Same way you don't get better at conversation by not talking to people.

BDl

ugo_2u, post: 7607193, member: 42313 wrote:

Note that good players that can cancel their wake up attacks will only mash when they have meter

good players mash wnenever they see appropriate, so that you don't know what the mofo will do.

ugo_2u

true, but that is where wisdom comes in, to be safer as much as possible

Airk

ugo_2u, post: 7616605, member: 42313 wrote:

true, but that is where wisdom comes in, to be safer as much as possible

Pfft. According to Dieminion, Japan mashes all day, every day. "Safe" is for people who don't make top 8. ;)

In all seriousness though - there's an article here somewhere, probably in domination 101, about how the progression of Street Fighter play. From least skill to most skill, it goes like:

Does wakeup DPS almost all the time -> Does very few wakeup DPs -> Does wakeup DPs when it's safe -> Does lot of wakeup DPs, even when it's not safe.

Look at Daigo, look at Poongko. These guys are not playing it "safe" with their reversals.

ugo_2u

I didnt say to be safe. I said to be "safer" do wakeup dp on every knockdown and you will be punished. calculated risk is also important

CFoto

Just do it I guess. I am still the newb that can't pull off set-ups all the time. Everytime I got a sweep I 'll just go for it, jump in and do whatever you want.

I don't have much ground to talk about techniques, but I'll rather get bodied than hesitate my moves and regret my loss. This is my mindset of learning SF. Join my section to body / troll me again? up to you, I just keep trying new ways to get in while you have fun rofl@ my attempts. win-win.

Maximiliano

This you?

http://www.ssbwiki.com/Smasher:Dark.Pch