Atif went undefeated in Shinblade’s USA gauntlet, winning over $700 in the process
The event ran for over 6 hours with 24 players putting money on the line. The challengers even got to pick Atif’s character for each set and he still beat everyone
I used to be “the worst student” in English class when I was in high school.
I’ve never lived abroad, I’ve never studied overseas. While most of my classmates left Korea to go to universities in other countries, I decided to stay in Korea. The reason was simple, 'I didn't wanna use English anymore'.
Then I started Tekken, and I fell in love with both the game and the community. One day, my mentor CBM told me
“Korea is one of the strongest regions in the world, but there aren’t many people connecting Korean Tekken scene to the global scene. I think you can become the bridge between two.”
Making English content was totally okay. But English commentary during the live stream was a completely different challenge. I was terrified of being judged for my weird grammar, my pronunciation, and all the mistakes I would inevitably make.
But so many people encouraged me, helped me to improve, and believed in me when I didn’t fully believe in myself. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me on this journey🙏
Some people might think, “It’s just one single commentary for a Master event." But for me, this felt like overcoming one of the scariest obstacles of my life.
More importantly, it felt like taking a step toward the dream that brought me into the FGC in the first place, to become a bridge between Korean Tekken and the global fighting game community.
I know I still have to practice and learn A LOT😅 But I want to keep sharing the stories of players from Korea and all around the world. So I’ll continue working hard to improve every day!!!
Thank you for believing in me🫶 I will work hard, and always try my best!
This tekken patch is really good! It's slowly turning into one of the most fun Tekken games of all time. Only thing missing is co-op Tekken Force at this point
Few days ago, I officially became 45 years old. 🎂🥳
I've accomplished so much throughout my years. Marriage, great job/career, home ownership, etc. Living the American dream, as they say.
However, I am still surprised about one thing, to this day. I never thought I would still be playing Tekken.
Originally, I thought I would retire years ago, especially upon learning about some health issues: leukemia and an auto-immune disease, aka my "double whammy".
Not many people know this about me, and I kept it that way for a long time. For years, I was scared, lost, uncertain what the next day would bring me. However, I feel comfortable sharing it with you today, because I am in better spirits about myself.
During the first few months of learning about my diagnoses, I was extremely depressed. Fate dealt me a bad hand, and I wasn't sure how I would be affected by my ailments. I had many doubts about my career with Tekken, simply because I was dealing with a lot, related to my physical and mental health.
Despite hardships and challenges experienced, one thing that remained consistent was my love and passion for Tekken. I've been playing Tekken since 1998 (Tekken 2) and, outside of retiring Tekken for a few years during the Tekken Tag 2 days (wasn't my cup of tea and played FPS games to fill the void), I've been involved with the Tekken series for almost 30 years. While the evolution of the game over the years has raised many questions, Tekken was the only series that kept me locked in and focused, because there was so much to learn. Even the quirky stuff about the game fascinated me, so I kept playing.
I even played Tekken during really tough times. During those times, Tekken was an outlet for me, where I can vent and channel my anger and sadness into the game. I kept a stoic appearance most of the time when I play, especially offline, but my gameplay often times reflected how I was feeling that day. Sometimes, I found myself playing very sharply and focused, other times, I found myself playing erratically, making many mistakes. But Tekken brought much joy in my life, and much of that joy came in the form of the community.
Tekken has given me an opportunity to meet new people, and I've created many great memories to this day because of it. I still host Friday Night FT10 Fights (since June 2020, so almost 6 years!) and I've recently restarted hosting weekly lobby sessions for fun and learning. Still insane that I am even streaming, let alone playing Tekken, but people enjoy it, so I keep on going.
Today, I still play Tekken 8 for fun, and only when I have time. While not as competitive as I used to be (I only play 1-2 days a week, if I feel up to it), I still want to level up and get better. I may not be as strong as the pros, but I want to meet and learn from each of them. I want to play as many people as I can, regardless of skill level. I'm happy to get games in with people who want to learn more about Jack (I only play 1 character these days) or just play some games, in general.
Anyway, I wanted to say that Tekken has kept me busy and has given me some purpose in life, even during my darkest days. Each and every one of you who I met, who I interacted with, who I hung out with, who got some games in with me, who inspired me to grow, who I coached, who coached me, who commentated with me during FT10s, who invited me to play in team tournaments, even when I'm not a part of their official team roster, who hosted local/online tournaments, and who even check up on me from time to time...
Thank you for being a part of my life.