Concerned about changes that resulted from the introduction of electronic monitoring/scoring systems to sport Taekwondo, the founders of 20/20 Armor looked to fighting games as inspiration as to how to better refine a scoring system for martial arts. The result is an electronic chest guard that syncs between competitors and tracks both time and “damage” via a meter that is effectively a life bar.
From Ali Gafour, founder and CEO of 20/20 Armor:
We are big Street Fighter fans, and also have been on National Teams for Taekwondo for Canada and USA. Our ultimate vision is to make Taekwondo a new professional sport just like hockey and basketball, because we believe if you have an easy-to-understand scoring system and a big fanbase (martial artists and gamers) that this can be a great pro sport that lots of people will watch! Who knows, maybe the future of e-sports will be an SF tournament along side a real life tournament?
Here’s the chest guard being used in a training session with some Taekwondo athletes. They seem to be enjoying the system.
Are we coming full circle, and the reality of martial arts is evolving based on the games it originally inspired…?
Leah “Gllty” Hayes’ personality and competitive drive has already made her well-known in the FGC; following her recent bout of CPT competition in Asia, GRAPHT announced that they were added Gllty to their team as their first international competitor. At GRAPHT, she joins many of the best-known and respected Japanese Street Fighter players in the game today, including Fuudo, Haitani, GO1, and MOV; now fighting under the same colors as these SF giants, how does it feel to have made it here, and what’s in store for future battles? Gllty took the time to share her thoughts with us.
Gllty at Final Round 19 (photo courtesy of Chris Bahn)
Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra: What — in your own experience — is different about competing in Japan, as compared to playing in the USA?
Leah “Gllty” Hayes: In Japan, well, Asia as a whole really, they still try to force a traditional SF ground game and mentality. Everyone learns to whiff punish, everyone knows little minute situations. The way they use training mode is a lot of repetition: figure out a punish, practice it until it’s golden, and so on and so forth. Americans like it a bit more wet and wild. I competed for over a month in Asia in 2016, did rather well over there but started adopting a more methodical/neutral style — and when I came back to the US I was a little taken aback, because I had forgotten exactly how aggressive people in the West are. I feel the East/West thing are just two pieces of the same puzzle, and you need both to become godlike.
mushin_Z: What does signing with GRAPHT mean for the future of your own training and competition?
Gllty: Location-wise — in SoCal — I’m in a prime position to get some of the best Marvel Infinite comp in the world, and now I can accentuate that through also having access to some of the best SFV minds in Japan. I don’t think any other American right now really has the same intimate access back and forth? Certain some like Justin Wong could if they chose to, but I also kind of feel like he and those in his “tier” have already been there and done that more than once. The time is just now for me. I want to grow with GRAPHT, and hope to absorb as much as possible by working with my new teammates.
mushin_Z: In your view, what do you personally bring to the table for GRAPHT as a competitor?
Gllty: As a competitor, I believe my true strengths will burn as bright as a roman candle through Marvel Infinite. Recently, I moved to California, and it took me a while but there’s been a slow and steady increase in my ability. Through GRAPHT, I’ll be able to maintain a steady presence in Asia, as I’m even getting my own apartment in Tokyo. Through the combined resources of Tokyo and LA, I expect exponential growth as a player — and honestly as a person. I feel the proper direction is going up, and I hope to join my teammates in high placements at Evo Japan.
mushin_Z: GRAPHT wasn’t the first team to make you an offer, were they? What is it about GRAPHT in particular that sealed the deal?
Gllty: No, I’ve had offers and deals as soon as my first tournament in 2010. However, my fans are so incredibly supportive that I became self-sustainable without the need for a sponsor, and as a result of my steady rise in exposure, I knew my asking price was only rising. GRAPHT was different, because a caveat of my brand is that it just works very well overseas. Post Evo, almost all major CPT events are in Asia. GRAPHT, being an Asian company, was a great fit for me to explore and compete overseas while also giving them a foothold in a western market.
mushin_Z: There was some social media backlash to your signing, questioning whether you had “earned” or deserved the sponsorship. Where do you think that stems from?
Gllty: People don’t really see the hustle I put in. OK, so I’m not the single best player in the universe. How do I secure the funds and resources to enable that to change? I have attended four Asian majors in the past year. Barring TGS, the only times I saw an American at any of these was Ricki [Ortiz] in Busan and Chris T during Japan Cup. If you can afford two domestic majors and ranking events, you can transmute that budget for an overseas one. It’s as simple as: I took the risk, and others did not.
The “fit” is also a big thing. I remember someone saying that the sponsorship should have gone to Wolfkrone instead. Wolfkrone is a great player! But why in the hell would a Japanese company sponsor him — or any other American, that operates primarily in America — over someone who actively tries to cultivate an overseas presence? The flip side is, people like Wolfkrone, I’m absolutely sure he has deal offers on the table, and those offers would be a better fit for him than — again — a Japanese company. The people who would complain I don’t contribute enough also probably just stay at home and sit on Twitch and reddit, so, I mean, who cares?
mushin_Z: At the same time, many prominent players came to your defense; what does that say to you about your relationship with the FGC as a whole?
Gllty: Game recognizes game. It’s that simple.
mushin_Z: You’ve got a reputation for trolling your opponents; what draws you towards that type of behavior? Natural tendency? Calculated mind-games? Are you deliberately cultivating a “heel” persona?
Gllty: I’m not one to complain about treatment, I let my actions speak so loud I don’t need to. The reality is I do deal with a certain amount of BS, but I’ve also dealt out my fair share of BS — so there’s almost an innate feeling that I’m paying penance on my life’s karmic check.
That said, I don’t really come into social settings — including the arena of the FGC — with the default expectation I’m going to be treated fairly or respected. Diffusing things through antics and humor was initially a means to stake some kind of control from a landscape that could often be hostile to me. You need to kind of go into the social game knowing it’s a little rigged against you, and play that game until it becomes your game. Also, I have a never-ending supply of nerds eager to step to me to “put me in my place” or whatever, which kind of gives me a license to roast pretty hard. I really don’t have many people directly stepping to me, and 7/10 times if you just address them as people, the troll behind the computer screen shuts down and they become people again. People just want validation and a sense of belonging, not being singled out either to be roasted or have their target turn the other cheek. Trolling is sort of a performance art, especially when people volunteer themselves to be taken to task.
mushin_Z: As your popularity has grown, you’ve become somewhat of a role model for younger female players. What’s that like? Do you feel a sense of responsibility for them?
Gllty: That is weird. I’m not a role model, I play video games. I’m also transgender, not born, which adds a complicated personal dilemma of authenticity to the mix. I’ve had a dad come up with three young girls who wanted a photo, and I honestly didn’t know how to respond. I went through the motions, said the correct things, and walked away from it with a reiteration that I have a responsibility with my actions not only to myself, but to others as well. For me to pop off and troll someone who ostensibly “asked for it” is one thing — but being reckless, ribald, and loud about it is sending a completely different message than “Hey, stand up for yourself.”
I think I have a lot of growing before I truly inhabit that role, but I am getting older, and my 20s are drawing very near to a close, so I suppose it makes a lot of sense to transition into a role that paves the way for others to do better and be better than me. I would say, I’ve never really had an output of “18+” content in terms of language or whatnot, but as fighting games grow, my PG-13 demeanor is going to have to refine even further to PG. It’s an inevitability, and I’ve accepted it.
mushin_Z: What player(s) do you look up to most right now? Any particular rival that you’re aiming to take down?
Gllty: NerdJosh and Tasty Steve are two of my favorite people in the FGC, hands down. I admire what my Sim brothers-in-arms bring: FChamp, Jesse, Dank, to name a few. I’ve always been a fan of Haitani — whom is now my teammate. I admire what Kayo has done with her direction outside of the FGC. As far as rivals, I’ve been getting gatekept a lot by the usual suspects at WNF, and right now those are the people most on my radar. BushinStyle has been bodying me since I came here, and I lost one with Ed but beat him twice in a row with Sim. I guess you could say he’s earned my respect enough to want to decode him.
Gllty vs. BushinStyle at WNF, courtesy of Body Count Fighting
mushin_Z: You’ve been using Ed more in Street Fighter V lately, in addition to your usual Dhalsim main. What caught your attention about Ed? What do you like/dislike about these two characters in SFV?
Gllty: Ed has Makoto dashes! I feel he does better vs. Rashid than Dhalsim also, but it’s still difficult. I feel Ed isn’t that popular with professional players, but connects really well in terms of popularity with fans and the community in general (Juri is also in this category). As for Dhalsim, really my only complaint is he’s missing like… one thing. I dunno if it’s that ground teleport needs a change, his V-Reversal should be faster, or **YOGA KNEE**. Thrust kick was a great tool and I love it, I just feel he needs an extra tool against a sizable portion of the cast.
mushin_Z: What are your long-term competitive goals?
Gllty: I want to win majors. I want everyone who’s ever looked up to me to see my success. I want to make my mum proud. I want everyone who’s ever looked down on me to be sitting at home writhing in helpless contempt. I wanna bring the danger.
mushin_Z: Anything else you’d like to say to your fans, your haters, or both?
As previously shown, Arc System Works is packing each of the characters in Dragon Ball FighterZ with a ton of references to the original source material. We’ve already shared videos detailing the references for Gohan and Vegeta, as well as Majin Buu and Cell. Now it’s time for newly-revealed characters Piccolo and Krillin to take to the spotlight.
Being a character that’s been around since the the earliest days of the original manga, Krillin’s references cover a lot of ground. This even includes obscure panels and scenes from his earliest appearances as a kid training alongside Goku. Piccolo’s, on the other hand, are easier to identify, since majority of his appearances are from the “Z” portion of Dragon Ball. Additionally, both also have what seem to be references to certain moves they had in the earlier Dragon Ball Z fighting games on 16-bit consoles.
Alex Valle and the crew behind Level Up Productions are getting set to rock Southern California with another great event; the trailer for SCR 2017 was released earlier this week. Over the years this event has played host to a number of great moments, including Tokido striking the Raging Demon pose after defeating ClakeyD in 2010, Filipino Champ’s amazing victory over Daigo Umehara, as well as K-Brad’s thrilling match against Haitani in Street Fighter V last year. Featuring a huge lineup of games, a myriad of pot bonuses across several titles, and acting as the tournament debut of the soon-to-be-released Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, it’s already shaping up to be an event for the ages. The game lineup is as follows:
Street Fighter V – Capcom Pro Tour Premier Event ($15,000 pot bonus provided by Capcom)
Tekken 7 – Tekken World Tour Master Event ($10,000 pot bonus provided by Bandai Namco Entertainment)
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – tournament debut
Injustice 2 – $10,000 pot bonus provided by WB Games and NetherRealm Studios
Guilty Gear Xrd REV2 – $1,000 pot bonus provided by Aksys Games
The King of Fighters XIV
BlazBlue: Central Fiction – $1,000 pot bonus provided by Aksys Games
Pokkén Tournament DX –$1,000 pot bonus provided by Evo
Killer Instinct
Under Night In-Birth EXE: Late[st] – $500 pot bonus provided by Aksys Games
Super Street Fighter II Turbo – $500 pot bonus provided by Jimmy Nguyen and Alex Valle
Fighters, get ready to prove yourselves when SCR 2017 takes place on September 22-24 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. You can view the full trailer below –but if you use headphones, be warned, the James Chen hype is real.
Master Raven is one of the more unorthodox characters in Tekken 7. She lacks a standard hopkick, has poor punishment options, and relies heavily on advanced stance and crouch dash use. None of this means she’s a bad character (far from it!) but it does mean she has a learning curve that could prove daunting to new players.
That’s why a guide like sneaky coyote’s is so useful. More then just frame data, this guide gives a detailed breakdown of every move, its risk, and its usefulness. Since a large chunk of learning a character is just breaking down a move-set, this guide is a great starting point for Apprentice Ravens.
If you’re in Virginia this weekend — or want to catch some anime fighting game action on stream — you’ll want to check out The Backyard tournament at The Forge in Henrico, VA, brought to you by Mr. Ursine, PapaLeo, and Momo from the Richmond, VA crew. Strong fighters from North Carolina all the way up to New York will be converging on BKYD for some serious anime (and also Tekken 7) competition.
If you’ve watched top-level tournament play for almost any fighting game — especially Tekken — you’ll have heard the term ‘”okizeme.” Often shortened to just “oki,” it is the art of pressuring your opponent’s wake-up to force them into an unfavorable position. In order to teach newer players what to do following a knockdown, as well as how to defend against certain forms of oki, rooflemonger has created an okizeme crash course for Street Fighter V.
Starting with a basic explanation of okizeme, rooflemonger goes onto explain how meaty attacks works, common mixups following a knockdown, how to perform a throw loop, and a quick primer on frame killing. It’s just over 20 minutes of useful information, so it helps to have Street Fighter V open at the same time to test out the things rooflemonger mentions. While this guide won’t turn you into an instant oki master, it should prepare you for the next time you’re knocked down in the corner.
With all the frenetic action, and screen-filling fireball and beam attacks in the new gameplay videos, it can be hard to pin down exactly what the special moves of characters are in Dragon Ball FighterZ. This can be somewhat confusing for players looking to learn more about the newly-revealed characters in the game.
For those who curious to learn about what the special moves of new characters Piccolo, Krillin, Trunks, Android 16, and Android 18 actually are in Dragon Ball FighterZ, this video from Super Best Friends Play’s Woolie is right up your alley. He shows the inputs of the moves, while also demonstrating them a few times, showing them in slow motion, and even explaining some of their properties. This reveals some things not immediately apparent from just watching videos — such as one of Android 18’s “Android 17 assist” moves acting as a counter only for assists, as well as her level 3 super changing when Krillin is on her team.
We’ve finally got a release date for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, complete with pre-order bonuses, a season pass, and high-quality fan-pleasing merchandise. Demonstrating that there is still more to come for their fantastic 3-on-3 fighting game, developers Ichiro Hazama and Takeo Kujiraoka sat down with IGN for a playful and informative interview at Gamescom 2017.
While high-resolution footage of Dissida NT plays in the background, the developers explain how there will more to the game than just the high-energy team battles we’ve seen so far. Without spoiling too much, they talk of different match types that will have varying rules and switch up the standard search-and-destroy format, and also reveal that there will be a continuous story that connects all of the characters to Dissidia’s “New Tale.”
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT comes out on PlayStation 4 on January 30th, 2018. Check out the fan Gamescom interview below, and click here to read up an all of the pre-order details.
For some players, the loud click of joystick microswitches is part of the arcade stick experience; for others, that same clicking is a constant annoyance. There’s a bit of a niche market for the latter group, offering levers and pushbutton pads to quiet those noisy fightsticks down. There’s a strategic motivation as well: some opponents may be paying attention to your inputs as you play, and the sounds your controller makes only aids that approach — although that’s more a concern for the pushbuttons, rather than the lever.
Sanwa Denshi, a longtime arcade parts manufacturer and fan-favorite of the FGC, is usually the company that provides those noisy arcade components for your higher-end fightstick — commonly used by Qanba and Razer, and formerly MadCatz. They’re durable, reliable parts that generally justify their ubiquity. But Sanwa Denshi themselves have tried to offer noiseless levers for those interested, utilizing both optical technology and silent microswitches to accomplish the desired result. However, these prior levers have sacrificed the tactile resistance of the classic Sanwa microswitches in exchange for their silence; that’s where the latest 3rd generation silent JLF lever comes in.
Too little resistance in a lever can really throw your inputs off. You need to be able to feel that your execution is where it should be, especially without auditory feedback! So, the goal: offer a silent joystick that feels just like the good ol’ clicky ones. And Sanwa’s new “high tension” lever accomplishes exactly that.
Now, as a player, I didn’t consciously rely on the sound of my lever’s microswitches to aid my execution. So I didn’t think I would really notice any difference. But after installing the 3rd Generation Silent JLF sample (provided by Arcade Shock) in our HORI RAP.N, I was in for a bit of a surprise.
Installation was simple: it’s a Sanwa Denshi JLF in all regards except the new switches, so it’ll fit wherever you can mount a JLF without any modification, and has the usual five-pin connector. It’ll pop right into most HORI, Qanba, Razer, and MadCatz cases with no fuss.
In testing the lever, I was actually taken aback by the absence of the microswitch noise. The lever feels exactly like a typical JLF: same resistance, same springiness, same range of motion (using a default square gate) — but without the clicks, it was just… spooky! The joystick is effectively noiseless, save for the base of the lever itself hitting the gate edges. How much noise that makes will vary based on how rough you are with your lever, and how well sound carries through the inside of your fightstick’s case.
I tried playing Street Fighter V and Tekken 7 with the silent JLF installed, and as soon as I stopped being weirded out by the lack of sound, there was no perceivable difference in performance. It felt exactly like using a standard Sanwa JLF lever. You can hear the difference as demonstrated in Lemagicdude’s video below:
Is this lever for you? If you’re in the market to quiet down your fightstick, absolutely. The cost is significantly higher than a standard JLF however, currently $54.99 USD at Arcade Shock, as opposed to a mere twenty bucks for a basic JLF. Replacement gates (if you prefer an octagonal or circular gate) will fit on this model the same way they would on the basic JLF. You could even still use Phreakmods’ The Link custom shaft with this lever. Those a bit handier in their modding experience — and willing to drop about another fifty in extra cash — may instead want to look at the high customizablity of Paradise Arcade Shop’s “Project Magenta” optical lever; the extra work and cost will offer many more options in return. But if you like the feel and performance of a Sanwa JLF, this is a fairly economical and satisfactory option.
Pros:
Easy installation
Microswitches are completely silent, as advertised
Identical performance to the standard JLF model, with the same parts/installation compatibility
Cons:
Costs more than double the price of a standard JLF model
Gllty: As a competitor, I believe my true strengths will burn as bright as a roman candle through Marvel Infinite. Recently, I moved to California, and it took me a while but there’s been a slow and steady increase in my ability. Through GRAPHT, I’ll be able to maintain a steady presence in Asia, as I’m even getting my own apartment in Tokyo. Through the combined resources of Tokyo and LA, I expect exponential growth as a player — and honestly as a person. I feel the proper direction is going up, and I hope to join my teammates in high placements at Evo Japan.
Sanwa Denshi, a longtime arcade parts manufacturer and fan-favorite of the FGC, is usually the company that provides those noisy arcade components for your higher-end fightstick — commonly used by Qanba and Razer, and formerly MadCatz. They’re durable, reliable parts that generally justify their ubiquity. But Sanwa Denshi themselves have tried to offer noiseless levers for those interested, utilizing both optical technology and silent microswitches to accomplish the desired result. However, these prior levers have sacrificed the tactile resistance of the classic Sanwa microswitches in exchange for their silence; that’s where the latest 
