Why do I always choke?

Newbie Saikyo Dojo
1

Hi all

I’m new to fighting games and have been playing SFV for the past day or two. Although I have been enjoying it j always seem to choke when I go into a fight with someone.

I have been playing Ryu because he seems a very basic character to learn with and I do okay with him in the training mode however as soon as I go into a fight either against a person or the cpu I seem to choke.

By this I mean I forget what every button does. I forget the simple combos I have learnt. I miss all my special moves.

I was just wondering if anybody had any tips that would help or is it just a matter of playing he game more?

Thanks all

2

Play the game more. That’s the main way to do it.

Also, when you say you do okay with him in training mode, do you mean you can get the move down most of the time? In reality you should be able to do each special move at least 10x in a row without fail, on both sides. I’d argue I’m comfortable with my execution, but even then I can’t guarantee I can get it down in a match when I need it unless I drill it out in training mode in the same session.

But as I said, just play the game more. After getting the moves down 100% in training mode, you will find it a little bit easier/more comfortable to pull off those moves in a match. If not, practice these moves against the CPU, since they move and fight back AND they give you a fair chance to try things out. Online players usually aren’t as forgiving.

3

Take it one step at a time.
Start with your basic buttons:

Pokes:
st. MK for far range
cr. MK for medium range poking at people who don’t like to crouch block
cr. MP for medium range
st. MP and all your light attacks at close range

Anti Airs:

st. LP and forward dash for crossup jumps and other close proximity jumps
cr. HP for jump ins that land above your head or slightly before that
st. HK for anticipated jump ins that land a good distance before your character. It has slow startup so only use it when you’re sure you can react to it.

It’s perfectly normal to not be able to perform combos or special moves in real games even though you can do them in your sleep in training mode

Since you’re new I suggest focusing on anti airs and blocking and not on winning.
It’s perfectly normal to not be able to perform combos or special moves in real games even though you can do them in your sleep in training mode. That’s why it is important to play to learn not to win. Next time you go into a match you say to yourself: “I want to anti air every jump in or at least block it” if you win or not doesn’t fucking matter since you set yourself an achievable goal that will make you a better player in the long run.
When you got that move down in training mode, it’s important that you try to do it an uncontrolled setting like a real game and try to do it consciously.
Don’t worry you’ll get to the point where you don’t have to think about the move anymore and can do it on a whim, through simple practice against real opponents.

If you’re from Europe I can play set with you and show you what I mean.

I’m by no means great at this game, but good enough to get people started who have no idea what’s going on.

4

Practice. It looks like your problem is muscle memory at this point. The more you play, the easier it becomes to do your moves in a match or recognize that you want to use this particular move at this particular point in time. There are also extra variables at stake in a match that make it harder to perform a move or combo. Your opponent is attacking back, so you can’t take your time and make sure you do the move correctly. You have to be able to hit it immediately and without thinking.

5

Practice and try to get your strats / combos at a point where its almost second nature. No matter what anyone tells you, fighting games is still about nerves and how you react to situations (and that includes nerves), so try to take a deep breath while playing against people as often as you can. And if you lose, don’t harp over it, pick up from where you left off. In a way, fighting games is similar to how Ryu does always frame his own journey: it’s all about the battle where you learn about yourself and no great player / fighter was born as good as they were. Good luck!

6

Get used to your character in situations you are accustomed to in training mode. When I start losing in my matches, it’s because I go into old habits too much and don’t take the time to really see the match from an objective view. Try to feel the flow of a match, that way you can set it at your own pace.

7

that’s why you choke

8

Yeah this is really just about comfort and familiarity. It’s one thing to know what you’re doing in training, in a controlled environment, trying to learn and apply one concept or technique at a time. You’re “choking” because your situation recognition is bad right now. That will improve with experience.

Trying to remember how and when to apply all of that in the relatively chaotic conditions of an actual match is an entirely separate beast. There is no easy answer other than to “play more.” Over time you’ll start to become more comfortable at recognizing situations in actual matches and focusing only on the details that are actually important at any given time. The ‘signal to noise’ ratio will become much better for you as you start to appreciate what is actually the ‘signal’ (important information) and what is ‘noise’ (everything else you’re thinking about or paying attention to), and that can change in an instant in games where timings down to a fraction of a second can make a difference.

The other piece of advice I’ll give, though, is this:

Focus on learning, not winning.

Winning is good, but don’t put pressure on yourself to win. You’re new to the game - don’t be surprised if people who’ve been playing the SF series for 20 years are kicking your ass, and don’t let it get in your head. Instead of focusing on “damnit, I just keep losing!” you need to focus on “how did my opponent beat me? what could I have done better in that round? what am I learning from this?”

As soon as you stop caring about winning, and start thinking more about being patient and learning, I think you’ll both a) start enjoying the game a lot more, and b) stop choking as much because you aren’t paralyzed by a fear of losing/the desire to win, but instead understand that you’re going to get beat up again and again, and that each of those losses is an opportunity to learn and get better.

The truth about Street Fighter that most rookies may not grasp is this - everyone, everyone, had their ass totally kicked, again and again, when they were first starting to learn the game. Daigo didn’t just pick up Street Fighter and dominate from day 1 - I’m sure he took more losses than he’d care to admit in the process of becoming the player he is today.

You’re new to the game. You’re not supposed to know what to do. You’re supposed to lose. Embrace that, and focus on learning how you are losing, and applying that analysis to improving yourself in the future.

9

Everyone goes thru this stage. it’s bassicly stage fright. the more you go on stage the less it affects your game. Relax you are on the right track and welcome to the street fighter family!!