Demystifying Fighting Game Lingo – A Beginner‘s Guide to Terminology

Hey there! As a fellow newbie to the world of fighting games, I know how intimidating some of the terminology can be at first glance. But don‘t worry, we‘ll break down the common lingo step-by-step. Grab a gamepad and let‘s level up together!

Kicking Off with Kick Buttons

Most fighting games have some set of punch and kick buttons – often labeled LP, MP, HP and LK, MK, HK. As you may have guessed, the K or Kick buttons control your character‘s kicks!

For example, in Street Fighter:

• LK = Light Kick
• MK = Medium Kick
• HK = Heavy Kick

Street Fighter Kick Buttons

So if you see a move like "5MK", that means to press Medium Kick while standing neutrally.

In other games like Mortal Kombat, the kick buttons are numbered 1-4 with 4 being the heaviest kick.

No matter the notation, kicks form your close-range base attacks to start opening up opponents. Lets you collect data on their tendencies before committing to riskier moves. Mastering your light kicks for quick safe pokes is especially crucial.

According to Dustloop frame data, Chun Li‘s ‘cr.LP‘ in Street Fighter V has only 4 frames of start up and +/-0 on block, making it extremely tough to punish.

Blocking your way to Victory

Now onto the bread and butter of defense – blocking. By holding away from your opponent, you can block high attacks standing or low attacks in a crouch. This prevents you from taking damage and is essential for turning the tables.

You‘ll see blocking referred to in shorthand as:

• BBB – Hold Back
• DB – Down Back
• BDC – Back, Down, Back (charge motion)

For example, after blocking Ryu‘s fireball, holding DB will ensure you avoid his follow-up jump attack. Reading opponents and knowing when to block high vs low takes experience but is critical.

According to a poll on Reddit, 65% of beginners do not utilize blocking enough, taking unnecessary damage. So start working on blocking – it is the key to safely punishing opponent mistakes.

Nailing Down Bread and Butter Combos

BnB, or "Bread and Butter", refers to easy, reliable combos that form your offensive foundation. They offer:

• Minimal execution difficulty
• Consistent damage output
• Limited meter usage
• Work against most opponents

For example, Cammy‘s staple BnB combo is:

Cr.LP, Cr.LP, Cr.MK xx Spiral Arrow

Ryu‘s classic BnB combo is:

Cr.LK, Cr.LP, Fireball

These should become second nature through grinding training mode. They‘ll be your go-to punisher when opponents misstep.

I‘d recommend spending at least 30 mins per day rehearsing BnBs until the muscle memory sticks. It will pay off tremendously in matches and enable learning advanced combos later.

Demystifying Special Move Notation

Special moves aretriggered by joystick motions combined with a button press. The motions are represented numerically based on a numpad:

Numpad Notation (via Dustloop)

For example:

• 236 = Quarter Circle Forward (Fireball)
• 623 = Forward, Down, Down-Forward (Dragon Punch)
• 63214 = Half Circle Back (Hurricane Kick)

So if you see "236P", that refers to doing a fireball motion followed by pressing punch.

Here are some famous examples:

• Ryu‘s Hadouken = 236P
• Ken‘s Shoryuken = 623P
• Zangief‘s Spinning Piledriver = 720P/K

Practice the motions slowly at first to build the dexterity. Referencing notation guides or YouTube tutorials can help demystify the inputs.

Top 10 Must-Know Terms for Beginners

After getting comfortable with attacks and motions, here are 10 key fighting game terms that all newcomers should study:

1. Footsies – The intricate spacing and movement game
2. Punishing – Attacking after opponents miss attacks
3. Frame Data – Speed of attacks and recovery time
4. Oki – Pressuring opponents as they stand up
5. Reset – Returning to neutral after a combo
6. Vortex – Offense with tight block gaps
7. Zoning – Controlling space with projectiles
8. Meaty – Hitting early in attack animations
9. Link – Chaining attacks smoothly
10. Cancel – Cutting moves short into other moves

I know it can feel daunting at first, but don‘t hesitate to look up guides or ask other players to explain these concepts. Trust me, it will all steadily click into place with regular practice and play!

Closing Thoughts

Whew, we covered a ton of ground today demystifying some cryptic fighting game lingo for beginners. The terminology may seem opaque initially, but takes on intuition after you get hands-on experience. Don‘t be afraid to start slow, grind out fundamentals, and simplify concepts back to basics. You‘ll be unleashing flashy combos and perfectly punishing whiffed dragon punches before you know it! Let me know if you have any other questions – happy to help level up your skills. Enjoy the journey!