I went back to the book and decided to translate most of what Daigo wrote on playing the player. Again, note that this from a general book on how to win and keep winning. It seems like his mentality (below) is for during training and not for the finals of a tournament where winning is the only priority. That’s my thought at least.
There is a technique called “player reading” where you recall your opponent’s actions and habits, and then play according to that style. You analyze the specific characteristics and habits of your opponent, and strike against their weak points.
For example, you’re naked (no armor) and just holding a sword. Your opponent has a sword, and is also wearing heavy armor. But there is a definitive weak point with your opponent. Everytime he lifts up his sword, a small gap in his armor is exposed. So at the right moment you should attack him in that spot.
This is a simple example of aiming for one’s achilles’ heel, where here the only difference between the two sides is one is naked and the other is in armor. Habits are not easy to fix when pointed out, so reading the player here gives you a high chance of winning. However, this strategy only works against that one opponent, so the strength you display is extremely personal and limited towards them.
In other words, specializing in reading players results in no self-growth. Of course, in fighting games “player reading” is an indispensable skill. With high level matches, it is no exaggeration to say the direction of the game can go either way, depending on player reading. And that is why most people against players that they have “read” end up trying to win only in that one particular way. Now, even if someone who is relying on “player reading” continues to pick up wins, when asked if they are truly a strong player, the answer is no.
Not attacking the weak points even if you’ve read them, and winning with your own ability is how real strength is honed. If you rely on reading your opponents to beat them and neglect your own skills and knowledge, when you fight another strong player you’re sure to be in for a rough time.
When your opponent changes, you’ll surely realize you’re naked again. At that time, trying to start from scratch and grasp your opponent’s habits is undoubtedly ineffective. Just reading your opponent’s moves and winning may be the ‘coolest’ way to win. If you were able to play anyone, read and then beat them, you’d have no worries and still nobody would have any basis to complain. But this is impossible and just a pipe dream. The reality is you must think you may get cut, and therefore must put on your armor and improve your swordsmanship as much as possible. Doing this and honestly trying to improve yourself is tackling a challenge seriously.
You must not become too indulged in your ability or strong points. Saying ‘I can see my opponents moves so I don’t need to wear armor’ is simple-minded, childish pride. There’s some kind of human connection when it comes to reading people, where no matter how well you can read others, there is always someone who can read you better. I know of a few people in my case.
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For me, I don’t like exploiting my opponent’s weaknesses. There are times when I think “If I just do this I can win.” Even my opponent doesn’t realize it. But instead of taking the easy path to victory, I fight from a different angle. In my opinion, going after their weakness is unrefined / has no taste (not sure on exact translation here).
I even feel that going after weaknesses lowers the quality of the match. Your opponent is someone who makes you improve, so playing that way feels like a waste of a match. I prefer not attacking their weaknesses, and in fact like to challenge their strong points.
In the end, winning on your own merits/ability is number one. I think improvement is of the highest importance. This is something I’m particular about, and I think it’s one of the secrets for staying on top.
