It started with Data East’s Karate Champ way back in 1984. Its first version pits the player strictly against CPU opponents. In that same year, however, a direct sequel—Karate Champ: Player vs. Player Edition—finally lets the player challenge another human opponent.

It wasn’t until Capcom released the seminal Street Fighter II when fighting game turned the collective heads of the arcade players and video game enthusiasts. Street Fighter II revolutionized the genre and it and established a new template for the fighting game model. Players now have a health bar which gets decreased every time damage was taken. Characters also have different move sets, making them unique, allowing players to pick their favorites and master them in accordance with the others. Such a system truly creates a sense of competition. Street Fighter II was the advent of fighting games and it single-handedly brought another genre of gaming to the forefront of the industry.

Round One, Fight!

So you suddenly had this itching to bash some heads and crush some egos, but you really don’t want to end up with a broken nose. Fortunately, you happened to pass by an arcade with the latest fighting game on, and you think, well, why not? It’s not like you’re a newbie at video games and you certainly have no problems beating your younger brother back at home in the console version. So, head up and mouth in a smirk, you confidently popped in your quarters. Three minutes later, your favorite character is lying on the ground all beaten up and dead while the victor proudly put on his victory pose, trash-talking you to oblivion. The worst part? It was being handled by a 12-year old kid.

Don’t worry though. You’re not the only person to have their ego handed to them by someone else in a fighting game. Most people think that in order to win, you can just mash the buttons and hope your character does an amazing side-split while calling down Armageddon from the heavens, but this isn’t so. Fighting games require skill as well as a certain degree of knowledge to master them. Here are some top tips so the next time you’re grinning while putting in that quarter, your grin remains on your face.

1. Know thyself and know others. Yes, it is cheesy and no, it’s not some motivational thing. Just like in real martial arts, you have to know your character first. Learn all his moves and combos (that’s combination attacks for you non-fighting game players), both basic and advanced. The reason for this is simple: when you know what moves your character has, you will then be able to know how to counter the other’s attacks, as well as launch the most effective offense you can. After all, it would really be a shame to know that your character has a one-hit move that totally obliterates your opponent, just after your character has bit the digital pavement.

Aside from knowing your character intimately (sleep with it, if you have to), you also have to at least have an idea of the move sets of other characters. Why, you might ask, since you won’t be using them anyway? Well, it’s simple. Once you know their moves, you’ll be able to know how to counter them. Nothing is more satisfying than breaking their uber-powerful desperation attack by a single poke. Take that, master fighter.

2. Patience is a virtue. Try going in wailing and attacking all the time with the single intent of totally dominating your opponent and you will soon find yourself counting stars. If you think that you can intimidate a skilled opponent by showing flashy offensives all the time, then you’re wrong. Skilled players wait for openings. They wait for you to make the slightest mistake and then counter with a full assault of their own. Missed a button press? Well, goodbye. See you on the next quarter. Made an ultra super attack that leaves you defenseless for just a split-second? Then, you’re likely to end up falling in line again. Be a careful player, and wait it out. Taunt your opponent to make the first mistake and you’ll be on your first road to victory.

3. Bait your opponent and catch them off-guard. There’s a reason why a fighting game character has a set of moves: it’s so that you will be able to add variety to your style. If you keep doing the same move over and over again, not only will your opponent block and counter it, you will look like a total beginner in the eyes of the other players, and really, in the arcade scene, you don’t want to be that.

Bait your opponent by mixing up your styles and avoid attack patterns. In fighting games, basic attacks come in varying degrees and the key to victory is knowing when to use these attacks. Once you’ve mastered this principle, you will be able to control the game and, ultimately, control the enemy. And that, friends, is the mark of a master.

4. Learn from your defeat. Here’s something to keep in mind: even the best players out there get defeated, so don’t take defeat as a badge of “This sucks, I’m not gonna do this again!” boohoohoo. Learn from the person who beat you and try to analyze why you got beat. Did he use unpredictable chains and styles? Did he execute all the move commands perfectly? Did he balance offense and defense? Did he ask his totally hot girlfriend to distract you while playing? All these and more will be very valuable the next time you decide to face him in the digital arena. And if you also got a hot girlfriend, there’s no shame in using her to your advantage. After all, all is fair in love and fighting games.

5. Practice is the way to perfection. It has been said probably since man learned the concept of competition: practice makes perfect. If you have a copy of the same game in your home console, then use it to master the moves and combos that you’ve learned. Use the game’s practice mode or bully your kid brother to stands there and be your punching dummy. There really is no shortcut to mastery of a fighting game. It comes with countless hours of hard work glues to the TV or arcade screen.

People, especially males, are very competitive in nature and that is probably why fighting game genres exploded successfully in the video game industry. While it may not have the same impact and support as it did a more than a decade ago, there are still a few hardcore fighting game communities in arcade scenes as well as the consoles. What’s more, the more famous video game personalities out there are almost always from the fighting game genre so if you want to hit it big like them, the tips given above should point you in the right track. So suit up those gaming gloves and select your character, young grasshopper. It’s time to go kung fu fighting. If you enjoy reading this article, you’ll be amazed to learn the Top 10 Video Games of All Time.