I've been focusing strictly on my execution lately after I was able to find a method to slow the framerate of the game down. The inspiration came from my musician days where guitar practice consisted mostly of very slow, deliberate repetitions of scales and exercises. The immediate goal was to be able to do the exercise. But the secondary, and perhaps more important, goal was to do the exercise without tension. Trying to consciously do both is challenging. It is only when the exercise has been repeated enough that it is internalized and I can draw my attention to tension.
So in the same way that a scale is like a "combo" of notes, fighting game execution requires very similar timing and awareness of internal tension. Translating this mode of practice means repeating the same simple combos that I use to take for granted, but in a very deliberate and intentional way. I'm talking hour long sessions of the same kick, kick, kick, quarter-circle-back+kick sequence. As a result I feel much greater confidence in my execution.
But also, slowing the game down and doing practice in this way has actually brought a greater appreciation of the design of fighting games. To really internalize when a button should be pressed to successfully execute a combo, a player should anchor their timing to visual and auditory cues. SNK does a really a good job of this with their hit spark animations. Attending to when it appears and when it recedes gives a visual indication of the necessary timing, which is something easily overlooked by casual and even veteran players.
All this to say that there is a subtle and profound undercurrent of craftsmanship that I now appreciate in fighting games.
There's something zen and theraputive about sitting in the training room, working on the same combo over and over. Really working it into the muscles so that it becomes fluid and effortless in a real match.
I especially resonate with your method of "slowing down the tempo." In my peak days 30 years ago, I used to perform Guile’s Sonic Boom and Somersault Kick as naturally as breathing. I now realize that this "effortless" state was only possible because of the slow, deliberate repetitions I did back then, just as you described.
By slowing down until all tension is gone, you are not just learning a move—you are removing the "noise" from your mind and body. This is the ultimate "subtraction" and the only way to "Forge the Steel." Whether it's a guitar scale or the core philosophy of a 500-year-old company, the logic is the same: true strength is born from quiet, intentional repetition.
Thank you for sharing your journey of Shugyo. It’s an honor to find a fellow traveler here.