Preface

Information should be free in the information age. The scripture found in the original version of The FGC Bible will always be available for free, online, here at FGCBible.com ; If you would like to show appreciation for this work, please consider purchasing a copy on Amazon. Sneaky Memer thanks you for your patronage, Fight On.

Round 1: Genesis

~ In the beginning, there were six buttons and a joystick, and it was good. ~


~ And Capcom said, “let there be motion inputs”, and special moves washed across the land. ~


~ And on the 7th Day, the combo was discovered, and someone uttered, “I am the best to ever do it”, and thus the path was laid before you. ~

~ The FGC is a decentralized group of decentralized groups, but the love of the game and the spirit of competition lives within us all and binds our fraternity together. ~

~ For the game is not just a game, but a way of life, a path to enlightenment, a journey of self-discovery. ~

~ In your journey on the mountain you will see valleys and summits of your own creation, and you will know yourself better than the day before. ~

~ The mountain is forever shifting, and you may never reach the tallest peak, but on we climb, as the journey strengthens our bonds, hardens our spirits, and prepares us for summits not yet surveyed. ~

~ And when you stand upon the mountain’s face know it is not the victories or defeats that will whisper in your ear, but the struggle. The passion you kept. The hard work you put in. ~

~ Your soul finds itself piloting a carbon based primate on a small blue rock gently racing through vast emptiness. Do as you will. If your will is to press buttons with the homies, do it, and do it well. ~

~ And in the moment’s heat be thankful that you are alive, doing something you enjoy, amongst people you enjoy. ~

~ Every master began as a student. ~

~ Remember humility. You may be the best in the room or the best in the world, but there is always another challenger waiting to take your crown. Keep an open mind and a humble heart. ~

~ As you face opponents, remember that they are not enemies, but fellow travelers on the path. Offering a new perspective to one another could strengthen both parties. ~

~ There is no opponent greater than the self. ~

~ There are two types of people that do not experience losses, the first do not play, and the second are dead. ~

~ Embrace losses with the warmth of a friend not seen in years time. Ask them with curiosity what you can learn. ~

~ Seek first to be punished, then to punish. ~

~ Pay respect to the gods who came before you, and nurture all scrubs who come after. Grease the wheels of the FGC and may they turn evermore. ~

~ Even after 10,000 battles your 10,001st will bring with it new surprises. ~



~  Whence the badge is checked and pool times are posted, Let your mind be clear, your body be healthy, and your spirit be strong, lest your path to victory be obstructed. ~


~ And whence the gg’s are uttered and your cable is wrapped, let there be peace in your mind, and joy in your soul, lest you become bitter and resentful. ~

~ The game is a reflection of waking life, with hardships, easy unearned victories, opponents, and allies. Let the determination found in the final round carry through in all you do. ~

~ The game is not just about what happens on the screen, but about the connections we make with others through it. Cherish the FGC and may it cherish you. ~

~ As in any community of communities, there are those who seek to damage the magic circle. Those who seek to gate-keep and bully. You must push them aside, for every monster you may find, you will meet 100 allies along the way. ~

~ So go and fight, children of the FGC, play with honor, passion, and reverence for the game and each other. And may this community remain a beacon of wisdom for generations to come. ~

Round 2: Neutral & Punishment

~ It is not how many buttons you press, but when you press them, and most importantly, when you do not.~

~ If you think you might have enough frames to punish, you do. If you know you should have enough frames to punish, you do not.~

~ No tier list is absolute. ~

~ The neutral game is not won with buttons. Neutral is played with your heart. ~

~ You cannot block a throw. But you can do absolutely anything else. ~

~ You throw the fireball not believing that it will hit your opponent, but in anticipation of what they might do not to get hit by it. ~

~ The bait is the absence of that which your opponent knows simply must be there. ~

~ The art of the bait is perfected through repeated action after action, then finally, inaction. ~

~ Blocking will, at best, only result in a draw. ~

~ Use the control method that speaks to you the most. It is not the size of the input method that matters, just the size of the combo. ~

~ When you press a button, trust that the input will be read. Mashing is a sign of unfamiliarity, and potentially immaturity. ~

~ If your opponent is spamming an attack, you are likely spamming a mistake. ~

~ A good read on the player can make up for insufficient matchup knowledge on the character. ~

~ If you smell your opponent's fear, you must get the grab. If you smell your own fear, it is already too late. ~

~ A mix-up does not start with a trick, it starts with a reminder. It is not a surprise, but a test of faith. ~

~ If you need to improve your combos, hit the lab. If you need to improve your reactions, play your friends. If you need to improve your neutral, play strangers. If you need to improve all 3, play Chess. ~

~ Chess is one of the oldest games in the FGC, respect it deeply and know it well. ~

~ When pressured on wake up, do not think of your vulnerabilities, think of glory, make a read from the soul. ~

~ Spacing is only ever as important as your opponent’s ability to punish. ~

~ Even the greatest master cannot undo a button press. ~



~ Rules change eventually, but not in the middle of a set. No Johns. ~



~ A comeback only becomes impossible when the timer is too far gone, or your life reaches zero. Fight on, and take your time. ~



~ Your likelihood of landing a whiff punish diminishes in conjunction with your opponent’s stage control. Get them in the corner and trust your range. ~

~ Love the lab and return often. ~

~ An opening too small for your opponent’s current ability is no opening at all. ~

~ The Lab is a place of infinite possibility and infinitesimal pressure. Make them fear the one who has practiced the crouching medium kick 10,000 times. ~

~ In the heat of battle it is your instincts and muscle memory that will pull you through to victory. Everybody’s got a plan until they eat a touch of death combo. ~ 

~ A Shoryuken DP is the ultimate symbol of reckless, hopeful courage. Know when to release the dragon. ~

~ Okizeme is useless against a waking dragon. Patience isn’t. ~

~ The Character Select screen is a sacred space. A bonfire on the long journey. The only moment of reprieve. Honorable warriors wait until all combatants are ready before proceeding. ~

~ The metagame does not progress from emulating those above, the metagame shifts through creative tenacity. ~

~ The character is an extension of the Mind, Body, and Spirit. You must be one. More than frame data, weaknesses, or general gameplans, you must be one with your character. ~

~ When the round comes down to last hit, it doesn’t matter if its a combo starter or a poke. Land the hit. ~

~ All of Life is the Yin and the Yang. Light and Dark. The Rushdown and the Zoner. You must be ready for both. ~

~ If you are frustrated by an opponent who is always plus on block, don’t block. ~

~ Every round is a new canvas. A moment of meditation leads to a calm mind. ~

~ Your choice of game matters not, it is most often the one with the tightest grip on fundamentals that takes home the crown. ~

~ Every frame trap has its solution. ~

~ You cannot spend meter after the game is over. ~

Round 3: Glory

~ There is no world outside the magic circle. There wasn't before and there will not be after. There is only you and your opponent. There is only here and now. ~

~ Every round has a timer and every venue has a closing time. Do not concern yourself with later, for it will come, simply stay present. ~

~ You cannot always win with raw power or speed but you can always win with perfectly flexible adaptability. Bend like the reed. ~

~ The fight is liquid, it has no constant form. You must match this formlessness. Be water. ~

~ Let not the lust for victory blind you to the importance of Sportsmanship. ~

~ Celebrate the success of your peers. Jealousy is of no use to anyone. ~

~ You will know no one like your opponent. More than your spouse, more than your children, you will know them. ~

~ The greatest victory lies not in defeating your opponent, but in knowing yourself. ~

~ Of the good wolf and bad wolf; You must keep both wolves fed and unleash the right one when the time comes. ~

~ Rage is the spice of life. A little is sure to wake you up, too much will dull your senses. ~

~ The key to a win is not to need it so deeply, but to know within that you already have it. ~

~ Be aware of the inner game and trust that your subconscious is on your side. ~

~ Warfare is deception and friendship is admitting to that deceit. ~

~ Make your calculations but be prepared to abandon your plans. ~

~ All of life is a knowledge check. The warrior who knows, will succeed; the warrior who does not, will fail. ~

~ The warrior who avoids the council of their fellow fighters is sure to become laggardly, and slowly face ever-stacking odds. ~

~ Few battles are decided before they begin, keep the will of fire burning in your heart regardless of what you are up against. ~

~ Victory is a product of measurement, prediction, consistency, and adaptation. ~

~ Haste is the natural enemy of a clever plan. ~

~ Upon making a mistake, note it as a data point that needs work, a neutral agent of your mind, not a negative one. Take note quickly, imagine the perfect counter play, and move on. ~

~ It is essential to review your work and find that which could be perfected further. Watch VOD’s, even if it hurts. ~

~ You must fight the urge to hold a positive or negative opinion about how an interaction affects you. Simply breathe, and observe. ~

~ Do not approach your bad habits with judgment, supplant them with knowledge and strength. ~

~ Faking it is indeed a good way to make it. Act the part and eventually you will be the master. ~

~ The way of the warrior is the resolute acceptance of getting dunked on. ~

~ You needn’t show your entire hand in the first round. When able, feign inability. ~

~ Let growth be your target, as victory often befalls the strongest. Let not the win be your aim, for the win is but a single herbage in the garden of growth. ~

~ The Master does the least amount of thinking during the fight. The Challenger will be a burning flame of postulations and schemes, the Master, a smoldering ember of intuition and wisdom. ~

~ Let go of the want for recognition, for the journey up the mountain’s path is a solitary one. ~

~ True mastery cannot be defined. No words on a page or images on a screen will ever let you know it without taking the journey yourself. Mastery can only be known within. ~

~ Let not your opponent’s reputation precede them. All warriors enter the ring as equals. ~

~ When you have it, press the advantage. ~

~ Patience is not only the key, it is also the lock. ~

~ Between Recklessness and Cowardice lies the seed of the hero. ~