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How to win? Everybody wants to be a victor... I'm not an exception ^_^. Do you know this excitement before a match? I can call it even a fear, especially when taking part in an important tournament with great prizes to win... yes... do you remember all your lost rounds? All these thoughts: "Hell! I could have make it!... I could have win!... if only I could... I saw that blow coming!... Damned controller!... Why didn't I take the advantage of this blocked hit!?" ... and so on and so forth... When players have an equal experience, the only thing which determine who's the winner is...
psychological strength. You can defeat your oponent before a round ends! I don't mean "Trash talk" [ it's horrible! We're Yoshi-fans, let's be honorable! ^_^ Moreover, after a match we can make friends with our *heh ^_^* ex-opponent - in this way I met many of my great friends and sparring partners! ]... I mean a "pure gameplan". And this is what makes Tekken be such a good game!
, you have to KNOW the game, play quite often to gain more and more experience, you have to be quick at learning and memorizing things... even when you're not playing, you have to have this "something" that cannot let you go before you eventually realize where you did a mistake during a match... it's not so hard to do as it sounds ^_^. You must be extraordinarily inquiring, that's all. ^_^ When you're curious about things: ...there's nothing that can stop you! Your knowledge and experience will grow and suddenly you will realize that there's nothing that can suprise you... BUT! Yes ^_^, here comes "point two", one of the most important ones:
, DO NOT BE OVERCONFIDENT!!! Even if you know that you're very good: DO NOT SHOW IT! Or you will just lose. Be modest. It's not only because of your opponents: it's also because of you. You will see that with modest style of behaviour you will feel very comfortable. When taking part in a tournament, calm your mind and observe your opponents. Quietly, very precisely... if they are very good, even better than you, don't care much about it. EVERYBODY CAN WIN. EVERYBODY HAS BAD DAYS. YOU CAN WIN USING EVERY CHARACTER. [ in theory. ^_^ heh heh... OK, stop laughing... I think that's true. Timing is everything! Of course there are stronger and weaker characters... Tekken is quite unfair. [ Look at Jin! ^_^ ] But even Jin has his weaknesses... only one or two ^_^, but he has, dammit! ^_^ ] Also, there's one thing that may comfort you if you see somebody doing a killer-juggle: he/she must hit you with a juggle-starter first! Heh, heh...^_^ What if, e.g. Mishima does WGF instead of EWGF? You know what to do, eh? :) Anyway, you must be calm at any cost ^_^. One of the way to reach this condition is focusing on the present. No questions "What if...?" !!! No wondering! No thinking about the future and even about the past events! Only "NOW" is important. The same thing refers to the style of playing... and here comes "point three"...:
, there's a gameplan. It's the most important and also controversial topic. There are many points of view, many "schools", so to speak... The truth is that everybody creates his/her own gameplan and, what I always say: it's a correct conduct! Why? Because I will not tell you: "Play this and this way", but I will try to single out two [ yes! only TWO! ] general styles of play and tell you main advantages and disadvantages of using them. So... ^_^
Yeah... it's more important than it seems to be! If you predict, you KNOW that the blow MAY COME... If you see, you KNOW it COMES. You have to develop and maintain a proper attitude towards the game. After this, you even won't be able to tell if you predicted something or saw it. ^_^
1. Here comes what I mentioned earlier: FOCUS on the present, on the current match, OBSERVE your opponent: then you will see that your gameplan will improve greatly, because you will not think about "how to...", but you will do what you want!
2. Do NOT estimate opponent's experience or level of play! Treat everybody with an equal respect, be open-minded... If you estimate somebody, you're losing your time, you're creating your own vision of the opponent! It's dangerous because you can create an "unstoppable-monstrous-Tekken-master", which will make you lose all your hope to win. OBSERVE, not evaluate! This is the key. You will see your REAL opponent, not your imagination.
3. Do not try to see and memorize your opponent's patterns, simply because he may not have ones. Well, everybody has his/her style, let's call it a "pattern" [ although I don't like this word ], but it is visible only in certain situations...^_^
Then, let's go to the main topic: when to predict? When to see? ....
Seeing your opponent's blow, knowing it comes is very important, that everybody knows. All what you need to see an enemy-blow is:
= Quick reflexes;
= Concentration [ observe! ^_^ I will repeat it till the end of the world! ^_^ ]
= An overall game knowledge [ you have to know how a certain blow looks like, so to speak...^_^ ]
And that's simply [ simply???!!! ^_^ ] all.
You may think by now that predicting is worthless. I know what you may think: "What for "predicting" when I can see what's coming and I can respond almost automatically?" That's not true! You have to predict if you want, for example, utilize Yoshimitsu's Bad Breath power! But you prediction must be flexible. "Automatic retaliation" is dangerous! You cannot be prepared only for a one certain blow: here comes the previous ability - to SEE things! One cannot live without another, huh? ^_^
The art of a "Flexible Prediction" is very difficult to do and to explain. ^_^ To explain it in a funny way, let's imagine a...computer. It has ROM and RAM. It cannot work without a "Read Only Memory" as well as without "Random Access Memory". A Tekken player is very similar, heh ^_^. In ROM - your memory - you store all your knowledge, blow descriptions, frame data, strategies, guarantees, juggles, combos...and so on and so forth. But a player cannot play without RAM, an operative memory! What for all your knowledge when you cannot make use of it? You have to be awared of all your opponent's techniques, you cannot just forget that, e.g. Mishima has hellsweeps [ I know it sounds funny, but why many people fall prey to these hellsweeps??? Huh? ]. To be awared: it's very important. Use your RAM for anticipating ALL blows, do not busy yourself with thinking about your opponent's skills [ mentioned somewhere above ] or waiting for a certain blow! Otherwise, your presumptions will conceal the reality.
Having all opponent's techniques in your "RAM", you're very well prepared for a match. Let the world be your opponent now: focus on every of his/her moves.
Then you're prepared for "Flexible Prediction".
Briefly: it's like you combine your predicting ability with seeing things and you create a strategy which matches your opponent. Watch your opponent: how often does he/she use mid/high/low moves? Human brain has a tendency to work in pattern... but only in certain situations. I have a nice strategy I often use in matches...
Let your opponent think that you are weak [ which is hard to do if you play Yoshi, because all Tekken-players know that Yoshi-users must be VERY good to take part in a tournament... ], repeat one or two safe custom strings or single retaliations, use backdashes a lot, block opponent's moves, watch throw set-ups, make an opponent whiff and watch what he/she is doing in this situation... and watch the opponent's answers... After some time [ about 20 seconds or less ] you will see your opponent's style more and more clearly... subconsciously, you will be able to tell moments when your opponent likes to use low/mid/unblockable or high moves, you will spot a spacing time between the same moves, you will spot the openings and set-ups... then break your pattern. [ Yoshimitsu is GREAT at breaking patterns! One Flash-Pogo-Combo-dash-Bad-Breath-Attempt-which-many-times-hits-and-combo-afterwards-together-with-catching-tag-in-with-Flash-and-the-story-repeats-heh-heh^_^ action will give your opponent a cold shower! That's what you've been counting on! Shock! Suprise! ] Of course, your opponent will also break his/her pattern, but in different way. You didn't show your gameplan. Your opponent did. Your opponent is suprised. And while you are showing your real nature, your opponent subconsciously will repeat the most safe custom strings he/she knows...and YOU know. The point is: do not get used to the pattern you used. And: break your pattern immediately after you notice a custom string that was used in the very beginning. Do not wait too long or your opponent will totally change his/her style. Take the advantage of your opponent's suprise! It's more spontaneous than it may seem to be! When predicting, you count on your enemie's spontaneity very much! You have to be very quick mentally. Then, when your opponent's life is leaking away... you will e.g. just KNOW when to use Bad Breath without thinking much about it. ^_^ Your opponent's haste will lead him/her to defeat.
OK, that was my strategy. However, before I will show you some of my little "Manji tricks" [ this chapter is heavily under construction! I'm still learning and discovering things! ], there's also something that I would like you to know.
Flexibility does not only refer to your ability of seeing and predicting opponent's moves. You also must be very flexible. Let's imagine a match....:
"You play offensive, attacking your opponent, then you realize that it doesn't bring any results. So you decide to be on the defensive..."
Well, if you tell yourself "let's play offensive/defensive" : your actions are pretty much limited. ^_^ It's obvious. That's why you must be calm, focused on the present: you must be ready for everything: for block, attack, throw... While playing correctly, you cannot tell if you have just been on defense or offense... If I could give you a little piece of advice: do not name things, just play: without thinking much about what are you doing now... unite with your opponent. Observe every of his moves. Be yourself, play as you want, express yourself... this condition is possible to win! But sometimes we get defeated by the strongest enemy ever:
our own FEARHow to overcome the fear? Especially when your opponent seems to be unstoppable, sees every of your set-up, block every move you want to hit him with, escape every throw... The most common reaction is retreat, sticking out of opponent's reach and waiting for Christmas or something ^_^... I know this, yeah... many times I got paralysed, not knowing what to do: having a black hole instead of my mind... in this condition, we're already defeated. How to get out of this feeling?
# If you are afraid of your opponent, it means that you're not focused enough. While in deep concentration, you just won't be afraid. You will be too busy watching your opponent. ^_^ So: let the fear transform into determination, into a strong will to fight, and then into concentration...
# The best way to recover from being afraid is... hitting your opponent with a tiny d+1 or d+4 ... now he/she won't get "Perfect", heh heh... AND, he/she can be defeated! He/she didn't see that blow coming... The point is: DO SOMETHING! Get back to fight or you will get defeated.
# The fear can also transform into resignation. NO! It's the worst condition! Prevent this! Try to put the cart before the horse ^_^ Remember that your opponent can also be afraid [ every player is a human being, heh ^_^ ] : if you concentrate and try to see his/her moves, predict his/her actions, then they will be even in a deeper depression than you. = They controlled the match and suddenly they are on the retreat! What happened?! = ^_^ Knowing this, I hope you won't resign. Even with a low lifebar: you can win! The only thing you have to do is focus on your opponent! If you succeed, your opponent will be shocked! That will help you win a next round.
Now, here are some of my Yoshi-tricks... they mostly count on an ability to see things as well as making your opponent get accustomed to do a certain move in a certain situation... they also use some points of "Tekken psychology" ...
1. Play with B.B.
- use Bad Breath in dash to far range and watch your opponent. Many times they will want to do a low-hitting move or long-reaching mid-move... you know what to do? ^_^ Of course you know!
2. Play with SS
- side step to Yoshi's one side constantly and watch your opponent - block every move he/she wants to hit you with... [ or maybe some of them are "Flash-able"? ^_^ ] Then suddenly sidestep to the other side: your enemy will in 95% whiff! You know what to do... ^_^
3. Play with unblockables
Carefully! But if you succeed, if you hit your opponent with e.g. db+1: your opponent will be anxious to pay you back! It will just MAKE your opponent want to hit you! Use it! Do you remember his/her basic/spontaneous retaliations? Which of them are easy to Flash / Bad Breath / or simply to smash with Fubuki or d+1....?
4. Play "Dash&Flash-or-Throw" game
Flash for Offensive players, Throw for defensive... very effective!
5. Play "I-wanna-BB" on lying opponent
When you knock an opponent down, "dash&Bad-Breath" is quite effective... but your opponent will learn it and try to hit you with 3 from the ground. Let him/her hit you once or twice, then...block and retaliate with a powerful combo: FC, df+3, u+1+2, uf, 1+2, f,f+4
And other... I'm quite tired now, sorry...[ I've been writing these strats for 4 hours! ] send me an e-mail using the form in the main "Strategy" if you have any comments... I'm not writing these strategies for myself, but for you. ^_^. More "Psychology Stuff" coming soon if only somebody tells me he/she likes it ^_^!
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