Around the time of Pound 4, I had a talk with Hugo at Denny's at 1 AM about the overall concept of the psychological toll competitive gaming takes on players.

(future link inserted)

This is my take on the same issue.

The truth of the matter is, competitive gaming does indeed takes a grasp of your psyche. Especially if you Choose to submerge yourself in such. It happens with anything in our lives that we allow it to envelop. Your psychological frame goes from Wanting and Doing everything you can, to one of comfort.

"I can't lose to anyone"

"I'm good now"

"People know me"

All of these types of thoughts that bleed through your original frame of Wanting and Struggle, eventually manifest themselves in your gameplay and being; The result winds down to a player who becomes frustrated, angry, and even emotional to loses.

I've come to the conclusion that the majority of Brawl isn't on what your hands can do, but what your mind allows you to do. If one accepts the idea of all possibilities being available then... anything is possible right?

The willingness to try new things or similar things other characters do, many people simply think a character should be played ONE way. While this type of mentality does produce results, they are limited.

As a player, you always want to be in a positive frame, willing to listen, learn, and try new things. Even if it means sacrificing your comfort, moral standing (of never using Meta Knight) or ego. The idea is to open up! Brawl keeps having these huge jumps of skill that if you miss the initial train of thought, you WILL be left behind and have to find your own way to the path.

The hands can do everything, you've done it thousands of times before, there's no need for more. While a long hiatus would require some consistent playing again, for those already playing consistently... think of what else you can do.

To be honest, why do we take people's comments so seriously? Why do we look for validation from the mass community? It doesn't matter. It never did. Like Hugo has said before, "to play for yourself" is the only way to play. Every "failure" is in fact, a success. We can all improve and learn.

Ask yourself. What do I Want? If you can't answer that or you're shy to even say it out loud, you my friend, need to work from your inner self. A player needs the technical aspect as well as the mental fortitude. 1 of 2 produces what you always get, Almost there.

If you feel like you can't do it. Congratulations, you just set yourself up for exactly that. However, should you Choose to go through the tough process of relearning, scraping your brawl game/mentality and starting from scratch, then you may find what you're looking for.

It's only as hard as you make it.

**I'm in the process of my New Brawl Frame.

I'm not entirely %100 sure what you were trying to accomplish. I did before but nowadays I have no idea.

You stopped being a staple among the community in SoCal around January of 09, most likely for School reasons, perhaps for others as well.

You tended to the community in Tijuana since then and I'm happy that it has grown to the point where you can hold tournaments and have players like blue, tlaco, and Nene.

You won the most upsetting tournament there probably was in the WC 2008 (Smash League), beating DSF soundly and from several sources, pretty gruesomely.

Since then you haven't done anything Jose, you say you have improved by large margins and you have all this neat information. Cool, but you never got a real chance to prove it nor demonstrate it. Once or twice shouldn't be enough, it should be on a consistent basis. You have the capacity to outplay the majority 98% of the Smash community, why don't you do it? It's not hard, If I can get out there and just give it my best shot, you can too. What's the point of the information you have if you don't put it to practice where it matters. Tournaments in my garage are not ideal.

All the things you bring up are just limitations you put on yourself. Your family situation, school, country, character, matchups, learning, Visas, and playing. There's a way around everything with balance.

As far as people are concerned they don't know what you know nor what you can do. You're old school. Don't you want to exceed?

I always try to push you, to be the TKD of before. You always went to everything.

It's not fair to have someone in your caliber just quit. MLG is coming buddy, why don't you finish it there?

Have big ambitions Jose, you can achieve them. Use your natural talent, I had to work for mine.

We can rape so hard together, come.

School and Brawl can exist carefully together.
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What's the point if you don't jump off the cliff?

=)

I would like to thank god.
Thank my friends.
Thank my SD community.
Thank my SoCal community.

Brawl is in MLG.

Me and mike are gonna rape this **** up.

<3

This weekend I heard Alex say the most truthful thing he's ever said to me:

"Well...you can obviously handle it... otherwise you would have been gone a long time ago. Besides I've known you for two years...and you know me too though. *Shrugsies* "

There's a few points to this.

1. The shocker. I've been playing Brawl for almost two years. Damn.

2. He is my one and only rival. Everyone needs a rival.

3. Outside of smash, he is my friend after all the things between us (going back to the 1st point).

Let me explain our rivalry and love/hate relationship as friends.

He is the one person I despise playing. Despise! I would rather play Tyrant handful of times than play Alex. He knows how to get into my head and chip away at any composure I have. I avoid DSF.

- At Bio 2 I almost threw up before our match.
- I get nervous when I have to play him
- I get mad when I play him.
- We were both extremely aggravated while playing at R3, go look at the set. You can tell.
- He makes me want to stop playing.
- I've made him yell in my own house.
- I've made him emo.

And the list goes on. Back and forth, it's actually quite violent. Not literally of course. But the amount of emotional reactions we've gone through between us, it's pretty ridiculous.

He is my rival without a doubt. It's the person I want to beat, do better than, learn faster than, be better than. I want to look at his face and tell him, "My better is better than your better."

It's never ending and I can always count on him to give me a run for my money. I know for a fact he ALWAYS tries to beat the living daylights out of me, there have been upsets between us, 3 stocks, trash talk, personal attacks and so forth. In spite of what may seem to be negative, this has pushed me to the position I am at in my Brawl game.

Let's turn this around, what if I never had a rival like Alex? Would I have the same motivation to try to get better? I don't think so. He pushes me-- No, he Shoves me.

He laughs at my face and the only way I can shut him up is by returning the favor.

My point is: you absolutely need a rival, perhaps not to this degree but everyone needs one! It's motivational! It makes you strive to want to get better, to have the edge.

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Funny things said between us:
- You're too old man, go do something else. (Me)
- Woooow... if you can beat me why the **** can't you win tournaments??? (DSF)
- It's ok man... his style just beats you... luck. Just like how when you beat me. (DSF)

Videos:
- Go look at these sets:

Marth vs his MK on halberd. I laugh at how the match ends.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwzwgNpmhwI


R3 matches.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLsQK_kjNKw


Bio 2 matches.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAIcXAjt_Jw
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With all said and done. Even though sometimes we want to rip each others guts out at tournaments, we're friends. I've known him for a while now and I know him pretty well. As does he. I Hate you. Outside of smash he's a pretty funny guy and extremely chill. You're pretty cool.

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Message to DSF:

Any personal attacks, including the more serious ones, I'm sorry I didn't mean them. I get caught in the same thing you do. You are a hommie in the end.

I'm going to kick your *** in tournament. Then have pizza with you afterwards while we glare at each other laughing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPRji6Wh41c

lol...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eycDq4NW88o

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lol.

That will take place from now on :

#1 Forfeiting a game in tournament to a player to better your chances of winning money with said player, will count against both of your positions on the rankings or opportunities to get ranked. More so than a loss.

This pertains to Unsportsmanlike conduct.

Example: Armada is in grand finals already. Lucky and Amsah agree on a split and Amsah gives the nod to Lucky because he knows how to fight peach better (Assuming Amsah and Lucky know each other or something). With rule in effect, Amsah might feel his ranking is more important, win, then play Aramda.

#2 Should players split in Grand Finals, whoever decides to take 1st place will be considered as winning the tournament.

Reason being to perhaps motivate the finalists to play it out if they want to increase in ranking.

Example: Zhu wants to be ranked higher than Lucky. Lucky agrees to the split but wants to have the 1st. Zhu doesn't want Lucky to have the 1st so they play it out for the sake of trying to get higher.

These two simple little rules could protect the integrity and performances of the higher players.

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You cannot throw matches, panelists Will be watching.

It's just to keep players honest and play. Nothing more. What people do with the actual money is their business.

1. Win a Large Regional.

...
lol
I want a regional win.


2. Continue to improve

Keep finding things in my gameplay to improve, tweek and change. Right now there's a gaping hole.

3. Find unconventional details.

4. Travel to more EC tournaments.

5. Finish the VG circuit

6. Build that "character".

7. Use Marth more.

8. Change mentality

9. Meet more people.

10. Have fun.

Cheers.

This weekend.

Gamble?

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P.S.

My Avi is ****ing hilarious