Hey peeps, I'm making this post because I'm guessing there might be someone here a lot like me, and I'm hoping to reach them with this.
A little background: I started playing fighting games back in 2018 when my friend gave me a steam key for Skullgirls from there I evolved from button masher to a self-effacing loser who legitimately thought he was just bad at fighting games. Seriously, I know people make jokes about spending disproportionate amounts of time with games only to keep sucking but I was doing horrible! It didn't matter what fighter I played, I just kept getting rinsed over and over, losing more and more. For the longest time I thought my friends who had more experience than me were getting better proportionally and no matter how hard I tried I was never able to catch up.
I legitimately thought fighting games just weren't for me, that was until a different friend sat down with me and pointed out some glaring issues in a chill and kind environment. I won't go into excruciating detail but a month ago the highest I had ever been in SF6 was Gold 3, I just hit diamond 1 and don't plan on stopping until I get to High Master at the least! Suddenly all of the knowledge I've accrued over the years, even the things I've only realized subconsciously are starting to fall into place. It's an amazing feeling that took WAY TOO LONG to come and I'm kicking myself for not realizing sooner.
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS: Be nice to yourself, you don't suck! If you're not seeing progress and know you're trying, chances are it's an environmental thing. Find someone you gel with in an environment that makes you happy. Do you like a place filled with trash talk and laughter? Go out and find that! Do you thrive in an educational setting? Go out and find that! Do you wanna spark one up and chat with friends while practicing combos? Go out and find that! The world is big and there's a place in it for everyone. The difference between stubbornness and tenacity can be hard to define sometimes, but if playing fighters feels more akin to an endurance test something's gone wrong.
Don't be like me and spend 8 years stuck somewhere in between loving fighting games, thinking about all the different characters I main and why I do so on the way to class. And then wondering if I'm just wasting my time in those same games later that night.
TL;DR: If you're not seeing any bricks fall from the wall after hitting it from all angles, maybe you just need a different wall