Tekken 9 How To Create Training Plans

Tekken 9: How to Create Training Plans

Alright, you’re fired up for Tekken 9, ready to climb the ranks, and maybe even become a fighting game legend! But just jumping into matches and button mashing won’t get you very far. Like any skill, getting good at Tekken 9 takes practice and, more importantly, a solid training plan. Think of it like training for a big race; you wouldn’t just show up and start running, right? You’d have a plan! This guide will help you craft your very own Tekken 9 training plan, so you can level up your skills in a structured and effective way.

Understanding Your Current Skill Level

Before you start planning, it’s important to understand where you’re starting from. This isn’t about being critical of yourself, it’s about being realistic and identifying your areas for improvement. Here are a few things to think about:

Self-Assessment

• Are you brand new to Tekken? If so, you’ll need to start with the fundamentals, like movement, blocking, and basic attacks. You’re a beginner, and that’s totally okay!
• Have you played previous Tekken games? If yes, how familiar are you with the mechanics and character moves? Are there any particular characters you are very comfortable with and some that you struggle against? This will help you determine which areas need more focus.
• What is your win rate currently? Are you mostly winning or losing? Are you losing due to the same things over and over? Knowing this helps pinpoint where your weaknesses lie and where you need to improve.
• Are there certain things you struggle with in matches? For example, do you find yourself getting hit by low attacks often? Or are you having trouble with specific matchups? Knowing these things will help you target your practice.

Take a few practice matches or look at a video of your gameplay. Be honest with yourself. This will be your starting point. Don’t worry if you find a lot of areas to improve; everyone does!

Identifying Your Weaknesses

Here’s a more in-depth look at identifying your weak spots:

• Match Recording Analysis: Save some of your matches and watch them back. Look at times when you get hit, or when you failed to capitalize on an opening. Ask yourself what you could have done differently.
• Character Specific Issues: Are there specific characters you always seem to struggle against? This suggests you might need to spend time learning their moves and how to counter them.
• Fundamental Deficiencies: If you get hit frequently by the same type of move, for example low attacks, this indicates an issue with understanding blocking, or movement. Also, are you having a hard time stringing together combos? Then, you might need to work on the combo timing and input accuracy.

Remember, everyone has weaknesses. The key is to acknowledge them and then create a plan to fix them.

Setting Realistic Goals

Now that you know where you’re starting, it’s time to set some goals. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Here’s how to approach it:

Short-Term Goals

These are goals you want to achieve quickly, within a week or two. Examples include:

• Learning the basic move list for your chosen character.
• Mastering 2-3 basic combos for your character.
• Becoming comfortable with basic movement such as sidestepping and backdashing.
• Improving your win rate against a specific character by 10%.

Long-Term Goals

These are goals that might take several weeks or months to accomplish. Here are examples:

• Reaching a specific rank in online ranked mode.
• Becoming proficient with multiple characters.
• Consistently winning against opponents of a certain skill level.
• Being able to predict and counter most common strategies.

Breaking Down Goals

Large goals can seem overwhelming, so break them down into smaller, manageable steps. For example, if your goal is to learn a character’s combos, don’t try to learn them all at once. Start with one or two basic combos, then move on to intermediate ones, and finally the more difficult combos.

The main point here is that setting goals provides direction and motivation. Having well-defined goals makes the training process feel less daunting and more like a journey with clear steps.

Building Your Training Routine

Now that you have goals, let’s plan your training sessions. The key is to find a routine that fits your schedule and that you can stick to. Consistency is key.

Warm-Up

Just like a physical sport, it’s a good idea to warm up before playing Tekken 9. This can be simple things such as:

• Practice Movement: Spend 5-10 minutes just moving around, practicing your backdashes, sidesteps, and wavedashing (if applicable to your character). This helps you get a feel for your character.
• Basic Combos: Run through 2-3 of your basic combos a few times. This gets your fingers warmed up and helps with timing.
• Quick Character Check: Choose a character you plan to focus on in that training session. Look over their movelist and remind yourself of the character’s main strengths and weaknesses

Practice Modes

Tekken 9 has excellent practice modes, and you should absolutely use them to your advantage.

• Training Mode: This is your go-to place for learning character moves, practicing combos, and testing out different strategies. Spend the majority of your training sessions here.
• Replay Mode: After matches, use replay mode to examine how you played. Look for areas where you could have done things differently. This is great for seeing where you went wrong, what your opponent did to open you up, and where you missed opportunities.
• Punishment Training: A specific area of the training mode where you can practice punishing opponents’ moves. This is a must for improving your defense.

Focusing on Fundamentals

It is very important to not neglect the fundamentals of Tekken. These include:

• Movement: Learn how to move around the stage effectively. This includes backdashing, sidestepping, and other movement techniques. If your character has unique movement options, make sure to spend extra time on them.
• Blocking and Guarding: Learn how to block high, low and mid attacks. Practice reacting to different kinds of attacks. A key skill in Tekken is not just blocking but also punishing attacks that leave the opponent vulnerable.
• Spacing: Understanding spacing is key to playing Tekken. Know your character’s optimal range and when to move in or out. Different moves are effective at different ranges, and knowing this can make a big difference in the game.
• Punishment: Practice punishing your opponent’s unsafe moves. This will make them hesitate to throw out moves that you can use to your advantage.

Character-Specific Training

Once you have an understanding of the fundamentals, you should start working on learning your character.

• Movelist Study: Go over your character’s movelist thoroughly. Pay attention to the properties of each move (high, low, mid, range, etc.).
• Key Moves: Identify your character’s key moves. These are the ones you will be using most frequently, both offensively and defensively.
• Combos and Strings: Start learning basic combos, then work up to more complex ones. Practice until you can execute them consistently.
• Wall Carry and Wall Combos: Take some time to learn wall carry combos. Wall combos can do a lot of damage, and if you are good at them it can help you secure wins.

Match Practice

All the training in the world won’t matter if you can’t implement it in a real match, so make sure to include real matches as part of your training. Here are the points that you need to focus on:

• Casual Matches: Play casual matches to test out what you have learned. Don’t worry about winning too much, focus on applying your new skills.
• Ranked Matches: Once you feel comfortable with the basics, try playing ranked matches. This will help you see how you measure up against other players.
• Analyzing Matches: Record your matches (if possible) and review them afterward. Identify what you did well and what you could have done better. Pay attention to the things that cause you to lose, such as getting hit by the same move over and over again.

Regular Review and Adjustment

Your training plan shouldn’t be set in stone. Regularly review your progress and make adjustments as needed.

• Weekly Check-ins: Every week, take some time to review your progress. Are you meeting your goals? If not, why not? Adjust your training plan as necessary.
• Adapt to Challenges: As you improve, you’ll face new challenges. Be prepared to adapt your training methods.
• Seek Feedback: Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from other players. They may notice things that you’re missing. You can post videos of your games in online forums to get advice on what you need to improve.

Example Training Plan

To make this easier to understand, let’s create a sample training plan for a beginner Tekken 9 player.

Player Profile:

• New to Tekken series.
• Wants to focus on the character “Law”
• Can’t consistently perform combos.
• Struggles with defending against low attacks.

Goals:

• Short-term: Learn Law’s basic movelist, two basic combos and improve defense against low attacks, all within 2 weeks.
• Long-term: Reach a mid-tier rank online within 2 months, be proficient with Law, and understand basic matchup knowledge for common characters.

Weekly Schedule (approximately 1 hour per day, 5 days per week):

Day 1-2:

• Warm-up: 5 minutes of movement and some basic attacks.
• Fundamentals: 20 minutes of practicing basic movement and blocking (focused on low attacks).
• Character Training: 35 minutes of reviewing Law’s movelist and practicing his basic combos (focusing on 1-2 basic combos).

Day 3-4:

• Warm-up: 5 minutes of movement and some basic attacks.
• Punishment Training: 20 minutes focused on practicing punishing common punishable moves.
• Match Practice: 35 minutes of casual matches, trying to apply what was practiced.

Day 5:

• Warm-up: 5 minutes of movement and some basic attacks.
• Character Training: 30 minutes of reviewing Law’s movelist and trying different variations of combos.
• Replay Analysis: 25 minutes reviewing the previous match recordings to find areas for improvement.

Important notes about this training plan:

• Adjust the times to fit your schedule. If you can’t spend 1 hour every day, try splitting your time between 30 min practice and some matches.
• Increase the time spent on each section as you get better. For example, once you are comfortable with blocking low attacks, you can move on to something else.
• If you are feeling burnt out, take a day or two off. Don’t push yourself too hard. Remember that improving in Tekken takes time and you should pace yourself.

Resources for Tekken 9 Training

There are many valuable resources online that you can use to help you improve in Tekken 9.

• YouTube Channels: There are many great YouTube channels dedicated to Tekken. These channels feature tutorials, character guides, tournament footage, and more.
• Twitch Streams: Watching professional Tekken players on Twitch can provide insights into high-level gameplay. You can learn a lot by observing how they move and strategize.
• Online Forums: Online forums, such as Reddit, or dedicated Tekken forums can be helpful for asking questions and connecting with other players. Many players post tutorials and guides to help other players improve their game.
• Discord Servers: Many Tekken communities have Discord servers. These servers are great places to find other players to practice with and to share tips.

Staying Motivated

Improving at a fighting game like Tekken 9 takes time and dedication. It’s important to stay motivated. Here are a few tips:

• Set realistic goals. Do not get discouraged if you don’t see improvement right away. Keep going and keep practicing.
• Celebrate small wins. Each small win, like learning a new combo, or finally beating a player who was previously too strong, should be celebrated. It helps to know that you are making progress.
• Find a practice partner. Practicing with a friend can be a lot more fun than just playing alone. It can also give you someone to learn from and share experiences with.
• Focus on learning, not winning. If you are too focused on winning, you might be disappointed when you lose. Instead of focusing on winning, make the focus on learning and getting better.
• Take breaks. Don’t be afraid to take breaks. Burnout is real. Step away, relax, and come back when you feel refreshed.

Remember, the most important thing is to have fun! Enjoy the process of learning and improving. Tekken 9 is a deep game, and there’s always something new to learn. So, keep practicing, keep learning, and keep having fun.

Remember that the journey of improvement is a long one, so focus on getting a little bit better every time you play. With the right attitude and training plan, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a Tekken 9 master!