I like to move it, move it!

Hey All,

Remember that dance song from the mid 1990's "I like to Move it" by Wil.I.Am? It was one of those songs that you could see Jim Carey, Will Pherrell, and Chris Cataan jutting their heads too. It always reminds me of my younger days when I used to be a goaltender for a high school ice hockey team. That song always seemed to come on when someone would get scored on. If we scored, it would come on, and if I got scored on as well. I liked the song, but I hated hearing it when I would be on the short end of the straw. It does remind me of one thing though...Defense. I've been thinking a lot about improving my defense lately in Street Fighter. I realize that I need to block more. Sure, I do some blocking, but I've come to realize that I need to ride out block strings longer. Longer than I think I should. It's really easy to get hung up on watching mind games, mixups, offensive strategies when watching a fight video, but it wasn't until recently that I really started focusing on just how long some of these guys will sit there and block! I watch the vids and try to think "Ok, when would I have caved and thrown out a poke or tried to tech a throw". More often than not it is much sooner than I should have.

What if I would have never blocked or only blocked some of the time when I was playing Ice Hockey? It would have been pretty dismal most games. I try to think of SSF4 in the same sense. I have to play goalie and ride out many shots on goal if I want to give my offense a chance to succeed. They can't score goals constantly, but when they do score I want to make sure those goals count and that I just don't give away what my team has earned. To translate this to SSF4. When I'm given the momentum or any chance to do some damage my defense needs to reciprocate by not allowing the opponent to do the same thing. It is something that must be focused on intently and with extreme patience.

One thing that someone said in a blog on SRK that has stuck with me is that I need to embrace those situations where I am being forced to block and tech throws. I should almost purposely put myself in those situations so that I can get as comfortable as possible when they count. This makes total sense to me. Online play is just practice anyway and if defense is my weakness then why not practice it by resisting the urge to reversal or jump out of the corner at the first opportunity. Who cares if I end up losing? I can just look at it as another hockey practice.