DashFight Presents: A Day in the Life of.... Grr

Grr is one of the nicest individuals you'll ever come across, but his nice exterior belies an absolute beast of a gamer who will kick butts and take names with relative ease. He has the results to back it up as he was the winner of the 2021 edition of Summer Jam, also 1st at Defend The North in 2023, while taking 2nd place at CEO 2023. 

He is also very committed to Geras, a character he fell in love with in MK11 and has championed his cause since then. He has even done a guide video for theh character in Mortal Kombat 1. 

So, we asked him some questions about how life goes for a player such as himself and here are his answers. 

DF: How does the typical day go for you?

Grr:  My typical day is waking up and preparing to go to my day job. After completing my shift, I go home and play/practice MK1. I don't have much free time so I try to to train efficiently. Lastly, I go to bed to sleep for 6 hours or more. 

DF: Do you ever get nervous on the day of a tournament? If so, how do you deal with the nerves?

Grr: I do feel a level of nervousness or stress at a tournament, I believe everyone does to some degree. Especially if that person wants to do well. The stakes and importance is what determines how I'll feel before performing. My goal is to balance enough stress to remain alert and ready, while reducing mistakes under pressure. Boxed breathing helps me through nervous feelings. 

DF: Do you have any pre-tournament rituals, like a special shirt, or some other thing that helps you prepare for the day ahead?

Grr: I drink plenty of water, hydration is key for performance so I try to drink as much as I can and balance my restroom breaks. 

DF: What’s your routine on the night before a big tournament?

Grr: Drinking water, playing sets with people. And planning my sleeping time to have enough rest before my appointed time to play in tournament. I try not to overload on information the night before a tournament. I prioritize rest and relaxation to be ready for the next day

DF: Do you have a favourite pre-tournament meal? If so, what is it? And if you don’t have one, what would you imagine you’d want as one?

Grr: I don't have a favorite pre tournament meal. But if I have to choose, I would like something that provides good brain health, such as salmon and walnuts. Nothing that will make me feel sluggish and drowsy after eating.

DF: Do you prefer to practice during the day or at night, and what are the benefits of your preferred time slot?

Grr: Since I currently work full time. I don't have much choice but to train during the nighttime. I'm a morning person so I would always like to play as early as possible. It's nice to play a tournament match a couple of hours after waking up in the morning. 

DF: How do you practice before tournaments, does your practice emphasis change just before an event?

Grr:  I practice depending on what I need to work on, if it's combos or strategies, I try to gauge what I need to prioritize what training needs to be done to prepare for the tournament. If I need to learn how to play against a character, I find someone who can play that character well and play a set with them.

DF: If you lose in tournament, what is your go-to activity to help you get back up?

Grr:  Being around friends helps get over the losses. Hanging out and getting food. The feeling of losing is not easy. But treating it as a learning experience and using it as a way to improve will go a long way.

DF: What side are you on this debate: Fans should not come up to a player who just lost for a photo or an autograph? Why do you think so?

Grr:  I'm on the side of the player who loses. It's a common mistake most people make when interacting with players from the FGC. I can say from experience that losing a tournament match never feels good, and my mind is still on the match that was played, with a mix of negative emotions associated with them. I'll always appreciate the gesture, but I would prefer to be left alone until I have processed my loss. And I recommend anyone to wait until some time before talking or interacting with a player who just lost their match. 

DF: What tips would you give anyone on the best way to prepare for a tournament?

Grr: If you have brackets available for viewing, you must view the path of your matches, research the players you might fight, their characters, and what possible matchups you will face. This way, you have clear goals in mind, and not just playing random matches to improve.