DashFight Presents: A Day in the Life of.... Kitana Prime

Kitana Prime is one of the most recognizable names in the NRS scene as both a player and a commentator/analyst. He has been around for quite a while starting out in the early 2010s and has been a mainstay. 

His tournament credentials are very impressive as he took 3rd place in CEO online in 2020, 3rd at viennality 2k17, and 4th at Kumite In Tennessee 2020. 

As a talent, he was one of the analysts at WePlay's Dragon Temple event in 2020 and has been a great asset to the community so far. 

Getting to talk to him was lovely, and here are the things he gets up to before a tournament. 

DF: How does the typical day go for you?

KP:  Now? I talk to my wife + son, listen to music, and go to work. Sundays are for the NFL. 

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

KP: Everyday. From 2012 until now, I get nervous before every single match. It takes about half a round to settle, and then I'm good...unless I'm about to close out the set. Then my brain stops, and I kinda just stop before the finish line. It's why I have so many comebacks against me.

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

KP: Not really. If anything, I just love early pools because I'm a morning person. I just pull up and look to help my bracket runner have an easier job.

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

KP: I enjoy seeing the friends I've made from across the planet far more than the actual tournament itself, so I try to spend as much time with people as I can. I only sleep in if I've made top 16 or 8 the next day, and it's an "earlier" finals slot.

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?

KP: I do not 😅, but if I had a choice, it'd just be breakfast with my son, whatever he's eating.

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

KP: Allen Iverson is my favorite anything, ever in sports + entertainment. You tell me.

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

KP:  In recent years, I don't because realistically, I don't really care too much for placements. I'm at the stage where I'm just having fun. However, before then, matchups were the important focus, just trying to get games at a high level where applicable and practice against very specific situations that were common amongst characters - not the players.

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

KP: LOL, it's changed over the years. Younger me would just be salty, sitting in the hotel room, complaining to whoever would listen. Needed some work on my accountability. Then, I would just go practice against the thing I lost to. Next, my partner and I would just do adult things and finally, now - I just salt out for like 2 minutes, and then I'm instantly back to enjoying the event and watching all the matches I can because I just enjoy the competition so much.

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?

KP:  If I *just* lost, give me a few. Let me gather, and then it's okay (which is what I tell people). I've had this happen to me every way imaginable over the years. I've taken the picture or signed the autograph every single time, BUT...just give me a little 😆 

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

KP: The number thing I tell people is a reminder that the game doesn't change. A lot of new players come to events and miraculously want to try new strategies or characters, or that hard combo they can't land consistently just yet. Don't! Get some practice in adapting to offline timing before the actual tournament takes place and remember your game plan. The game is still the game!