Alright, you brought up a really interesting topic. KI is my first FG, and I learned the whole concept of what a fighting game is thanks to it, as for strangers it is completely different.
First of all, one needs to complete the dojo. Understand the mechanics of the game, get the idea of what players are supposed to do. For example, there is this this called Instinct. It’s a comeback mechanic, as it allows me to stop the game and think about the situation I’m in. Moreover it enchances my character. Neat. And I can in theory use it twice a game, once a lifebar. So a thing to remember; when I get the Instinct, try to activate it during first lifebar. And so on…
Moving forward, time to pick a character. Read a bit about every char on Infils website. I decided with whom I want to get better, be it one character or many. Alright, time to hit the lab. Turn attack data and hitboxes on. Try everything my character has. Understand what my buttons do. Lets take Jago for example. Double roundhouse is + on block. Great, so after that it is my turn. Think about various situations. My opponent jumps. What are my options? DP or cr.HP. There are other options, but those are my go to. The idea is to limit my repertuar, so that I can concentrate on basics. This game is about enchancing my strategy, or about reacting to my opponents decisions. Why reducing my possibilities is influencing my game? Because I can concentrate on some specific aspects of it, decide if this particular solution is alright, adapt.
Lets go to punching and kicking. What is my best possible opener for instance where my opponent DPs and I block? What is my fastest punish? Combos; what my linkers do, how they differ, which one is hard to break, which one can be used as bait? Practice some basic combos, what is my best after counter breaker sequence? Do I remember it, have muscle memory for it? What about meterless situation, 2 bars? Are my combos predictable, do I do the same doubles after an opener, do I mix it up enough? What are my enders supposed to do, where should I use them, which one should I prioritise?
Now, I know what I need about the game, about the characters I pick. I go on ladder. I lose horribly. Why? Time to find out. Replays -> time to learn from my mistakes. For which setups have I fallen? Which moves I do are meaningless, my opponent punish me for them all the time? Am I mindlessly throwing special moves left and right? Do I use my buttons enough? Am I throwing my opponent when I should? Do I get shadow countered often? Do I bait shadow counters? Am I shadow countering moves which always hit twice or thrice, for example Double Roundhouse? Am I rushing my opponent without any hesitation? Do I have setups after throw, after sweep?
I watched some replays, I realised plenty of my mistakes. What now? Lets go on youtube. Find some sets. Watch what better players than I do? Think, why do they do it? What is their thought process?
Back to lab. Think of what wrong happened? How to make it right? Maybe incorporate some habits a better player has? Improve my setups.
Back to playing. It’s a bit better. But I’m still getting dunked on, my combos are broken, I’m struggling (not as much). Time to elevate my gameplan. Try out manuals. Think of character specific tech. I have problems with specific characters. Study them. Learn what is unsafe. How can I punish them? Which moves are most annoying for them? How can I make my play more stable, more safe?
Continue that over and over. Noone gets good without some pain. Everyone goes through the same ■■■■. Just remember that if you keep your mind and your will, and never fall back, you will gain sth noone can take away from you; heart of the champion. The ability to rise, after constantly getting beaten by better players. It might take 10 games. It might take 500. But if you continue, you will deliver and they will end up with big L.