Dang.
This might be my favorite episode so far. Even though most of it got lost, i’m happy to finally see at least some of it. Good call releasing it.
“Alright cool.”
This is part 1 of the special live Dogface Show that took place this past year at Evolution 2009. The special guests in this episode were Tom and Tony Cannon, the brothers responsible for so many important things in the Fighting Game community, including Shoryuken.com, the Evolution tournaments themselves, GGPO, and more!
The Dogface Show - Special Live Episode from Evolution 2009
- James
They’re twins?!?!?!
Finally more dogface show! Loved it, wish the sound was a little clearer though. (I understand crowd noise etc makes it hard.)
props again to the dog face show team!
When are we gonna see more? Is the evo burnout aftertaste still in your guys’ mouths?
good stuff as always!
An open letter to Victor “Dogface” Ratliff in response to Episode #5
Dear Victor,
Last month, when I heard you mention that Alex Valle’s favourite movie is Training Day, I knew immediately that I had to watch it. In that split-second, at that very moment, I decided like a knee-jerk reflex that I needed to experience that film.
You see, I felt certain that watching Training Day would give me a glimpse into the mind of the great Alex Valle, a window into the thoughts of this legend. I was so sure of it. I was sure that, by watching Training Day, I would be able to understand in some small way what makes him tick, I would understand his brain just a little bit, and I would be able to capture for myself even just a fraction of his genius, enabling me to ascend as a Street Fighter player to a greater level than I’ve ever before been. Training Day would be my key to realizing my own potential as a Street Fighter champion. I had a sense, a feeling, that watching that movie would change my entire life.
Yesterday, I found a copy of Training Day for sale. ON sale, actually… in the bargain bin at the grocery store, to be precise, for less than it would cost me to rent it anyway. I bought it without so much as a second thought. It was the right course of action; there was nothing else to do with it. Almost as soon as I arrived home, I popped the shining, brand new DVD into the player, sat down and got comfortable, and mentally prepared myself to be transformed. I watched it all without stopping from start to finish. It was to be my break-through. This would be my precursor to glory. This would be MY training day.
The movie was entirely wonderful, absolutely astonishing, nothing short of superb. I was thoroughly engrossed and entertained for two whole hours.
However, as the credits rolled I couldn’t help but feel somewhat dismayed. Though I enjoyed the film immensely, I didn’t understand Alex Valle–or Street Fighter–any better than I did before. I had no revelations or realizations during the movie, and even after it my mind was a confused, swirling blank. I could tell just sitting there that was not a better player. I re-read the synopsis on the back cover, and carefully reviewed the plot summary on Wikipedia hoping to catch a glimmer of insight, but to no avail. I searched my brain and thought and thought until I was too tired to think anymore. I still don’t understand Alex Valle’s brilliance and I still don’t understand what about him makes him the champion he is.
I am convinced that there must be something I missed. There must be something I’ve failed to grasp. There must be something about Training Day that I do not yet understand. …or maybe, it’s this alone that holds me back. Maybe there’s something in there that I cannot yet understand. I wonder now if this is a chicken/egg situation I’ve been approaching from the wrong side. Perhaps it is not a man’s understanding of Training Day that will make him a top player, but a man’s becoming a top player that enables him to understand Training Day. Perhaps a top player views Training Day through different eyes than I do. Perhaps, just perhaps, a top player has a better understanding of life.
I ended the night feeling lost but determined. My desire to understand Training Day outmatches my lack of direction. I will train hard to become the strongest Street Fighter player that I can possibly be. If one day I become a top player, I’ll be sure to watch Training Day again so I can figure out what I didn’t get the first time around. That, or you could just have Alex Valle on the show and ask him for me.
Thank you, Victor, for bringing me the tumultuous, rewarding journey of inspiration and self-discovery that I had last night.
Sincerely,
deadfrog
^best post ever.
epic post.
wtf just happened
Deadfrog: Everything you need to know about Street Fighter can be found in Training Day. And I… will tell you how.
[WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR TRAINING DAY]
It’s all about mind games, son. Mind games.
From the very start of a match, you cannot walk into it without being prepared. You have no idea what your opponent is like, so you have to figure them out as quickly as possible. Test the waters a bit. Throw a fireball. Jump at him. Go for a Throw. See how he reacts. See IF he reacts. But the whole time you are doing all of these things, you’re actually setting him up. You saw that he DP’ed so you know, right when you need it, you’ll be able to Parry it or Custom Through it or use your EX Hurricane Kick to change your Jump Arc so you can punish it much, much later. But you can’t let the opponent know that you’re getting ready for all this, so you gotta make sure they remain unawares the whole entire time.
And even when your opponent starts to catch on, you gotta convince them they haven’t caught on. You gotta ply them with friendly information. Let them “win” a few times to bolster their confidence, or lower their rage. You make a sacrifice or so, but at the same time, you’re really just making sure they are still unawares of what you really have in store for them. You let them Focus your low Roundhouse when you’re Akuma early on. Let them punish you early in a match. Then, later on, when they try it, you’ll cancel the Low Roundhouse into an Ultra. But for a while, you let them believe. Let them think they are safe. Let them think they know what’s actually going on. And when they least expect it…
…you ditch them with your thugs, knock his stupid-ass out, drag him to a tub, and shot gun his face off.
Mind games, son. Mind games.
Alonzo felt Jake out in the diner, figured out exactly what he was up against. He threw a few Fireballs here and there, asked if Jake hit that ass of his former partner. He asked him to tell a story and, well, it was boring, so he knew what he was dealing with. He let him feel like he was a buddy, let him smoke some junk, letting Jake feel like he could get away with a few Jump-ins, all as a means by which to trap Jake if he needed to. He baited that shit hardcore. He calmed Jake down after killing Roger, made himself look vulnerable, like he was concerned and wanting to help him. But even just seconds before he tried to comfort Jake, he hung up the phone talking to the thugs asking them to make sure the bathtub was cleaned after their task was done. He let Jake feel calm, comfortable – let Jake punish his Low Roundhouse a few times. Just so he could land that Ultra.
But you know what? Alonzo didn’t win, did he? No. Not with his leaving traces of drugs in Jake, not with his making Jake believe he was part of the team, not with trying to bribe Jake with the money, not with making Jake feel like the job would lead to what Jake ultimately wanted: to protect people from thugs and drugs and crime. Yeah Alonzo told Jake that all the training he was giving him would allow him to REALLY put the bad guys behind bars, like Alonzo’s fake friend Roger. I mean, was Roger really Alonzo’s friend? Just 'cause he knew his FIRST NAME?!? Nah. And Jake fell for it all, hook, line and sinker. But what happened? Jake won. Jake won in the end. And why?
HOW ON EARTH did Jake win with all the mind games that Alonzo played?
Because at one key moment in the film, Jake did what HE thought he needed to do. Not what Alonzo MADE HIM BELIEVE he needed to do. He saw a girl being raped, and before Alonzo could stop him, he ran out to rescue her. It was the ONLY action in the movie Jake made on his own accord. And it saved his life. The one time he made sure to do what HE wanted, not what someone else made him think he wanted.
And once it saved his life, the momentum turned. Jake became the aggressor. He took action, and even the guys in the Jungle knew he meant business. And in the end, Jake won. Not because he outright beat Alonzo, but because he used all the information he knew about Alonzo against him. He figured out the guys in the Jungle don’t actually like Alonzo, so getting access to him wouldn’t be hard. He figured out that he wouldn’t have to kill Alonzo, that the Russians would do it for him. In other words, he used Alonzo’s own mind games against him. And in the end, Jake won.
Mind games, son. Mind games.
Training Day has everything to do with Street Fighter. You wanna go to jail, or you wanna go home?
- James
when is part 2!? this show gets better and better
Dayum…
lol i think u guys maybe looking into this a little to deeply.
I’m sure it was the Dre Cameo that made this movie no.1 for Valle
I think I will take James Chen’s word over… whoever the hell you are.
Of course we are!!! But what fun would it be if we didn’t?!? 
Training Day is one of the most bad-ass films of all time, man. I love that film. So when I hear someone ask how that film relates to Street Fighter, I gots to chime in. 
- James
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Holy shit, that was awesome.
Oh yeah, the thug scene in that movie is one of the best scenes in anything ever.
And now part 2 of the special live Dogface Show that took place this past year at Evolution 2009.
Again, the special guests in this episode were Tom and Tony Cannon, the brothers responsible for so many important things in the Fighting Game community, including Shoryuken.com, the Evolution tournaments themselves, GGPO, and more!
The Dogface Show - Special Live Episode from Evolution 2009 Part 2
- James
And finally, the final chapter of the special live Dogface Show that took place this past year at Evolution 2009.
One last time, the special guests in this episode were Tom and Tony Cannon, the twin brothers responsible for many important things in the Fighting Game community, including Shoryuken.com, the Evolution tournaments themselves, GGPO, and more!
The Dogface Show - Special Live Episode from Evolution 2009 Part 3
- James