Pay Street Fighter experts for lessons

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 10 August, 2010

$40 to $50 an hour.

Street Fighter experts are offering to teach would be fighting game champions how to improve their skills over Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

Players offering lessons include Justin Wong, Mike Ross, Martin "Marn" Phan and Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez.

It works a bit like getting your hair cut. If you want lessons from Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez, who uses Balrog, Guile and Rose in tournaments, expect to fork out $40 an hour.

But Justin Wong, who uses Rufus, Abel, Balrog and Makoto, will only teach you the art of fighting for $50 an hour.

According to popular Street Fighter website Eventhubs, "it is your responsibility to tell your instructor what you need help with or want to know more about."

We wonder how much current Street Fighter world champion Daigo "The Beast" Umehara would charge?

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (57) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • cozeny #1 2 years ago

    I'll teach you Rufus for £11 per hour.

  • JahB #2 2 years ago

    That's about the same as the local prostitutes. And there's probably more fun to be had with those.

  • McBradders #3 2 years ago

    Slow news day? Pretty sure Gootecks has been offering coaching since IV hit :/

  • clearblue #4 2 years ago

    you gotta be hadouken

  • wyp100 #5 2 years ago

    "Slow news day? Pretty sure Gootecks has been offering coaching since IV hit :/ "

    This is the first time high profile players have offered their services.

  • Slurmseh #6 2 years ago

    Aw now Mike Ross is doing it too? /sadface

  • NimbusTLD #7 2 years ago

    So you tease us by not even linking to the signup page??

  • ZizouFC #8 2 years ago

    Ryu kidding me??

  • Iora #9 2 years ago

    I teach psycho power and I am paid with delicious tears.

  • the_dudefather #10 2 years ago

    Here you go

    Please send $40 to my paypal address

  • MiniAmin #11 2 years ago

    If top MW2 players gave lessons:

    "Okay, you choose Marathon Pro, Stopping power Pro, and Commando Pro...choose the AK47... and then CAMP IN THAT CORNER AND SHOOT until you get your first killstreak, then deploy it, then do it all over again baby. Okay, that's your lesson, and that'll be 50 bucks!"

  • speedjack #12 2 years ago

    Its a sad reflection on the lack of decent tutorial in Streetfighter games that this is happening at all.

  • Restart #13 2 years ago

    Marn probably charges 50 pies an hour.

  • Mkwone #14 2 years ago

    I know somebody who gets paid to rank people up in halo 3. I just don't understand the point. I suppose teaching people is more honourable than leveling them up, but it just seems a waste of money.

  • nasanu #15 2 years ago

    @wyp100
    For that particular game maybe, but this kind of thing has been going on for years. Perhaps there will be a eurogamer story on this for each new release game.

  • Iora #16 2 years ago

    @Mkwone. Its not something I would do, but its about as much of a waste of money as any other leisure activity.
    If they offer a good service then why not.

  • geeza2020 #17 2 years ago

    Errr, who the fuck pays for this shit?

  • chrisjm #18 2 years ago

    5 dorra

  • Iora #19 2 years ago

    Who pays for golf lessons?

  • S2K #20 2 years ago

    @wyp100
    Its not the 1st time that they have been doing this. Gootecks and Justin Wong has been doing it since before EVO last year. Pathetic really. People who are serious and can't teach themselves how to play beat em ups by learning from online resources deserves to be crap.

    **misses VF4 Evo's training mode
    Edited by 2 at 10/08/10 @ 11:28

  • HiredMan #21 2 years ago

    Shoryu you jest

  • Vanmunt #22 2 years ago

    what a load of balrog'ocks...

  • Slipstream #23 2 years ago

    With so many online tutorials you'd be severley wasting your money. But you knew that already, right?

  • kangarootoo #24 2 years ago

    "it is your responsibility to tell your instructor what you need help with or want to know more about"

    That is a bit poor. A good instructor should watch you play and then tell YOU what to work on to improve your game. A novice may not have enough knowledge to even know how best to approach their own improvement, that is the job of a good teacher. If a guitar or drum tutor wrote that on their website, they would get precisely zero business.

  • Ranger101 #25 2 years ago

    When there's thousands of dollars riding on a top 3 tourney win, it makes sense to get the help you need - if you're a pro tourny player.

    For others who are into the SF scene, it's an opportunity to play against a SF celeb.

  • Ranger101 #26 2 years ago

    @kanga

    True, except in the case of SF, people generally have an idea of where their flaws are and an idea of what they want help with. It tends to be character specific stuff.

  • metalangel #27 2 years ago

    @speedjack: Yeah, things were much better in the old days.

    Remember the original SF2 arcade cabinet? "Discover SECRET TECHNIQUES" by trying different joystick and button combinations!

    Secret techniques that the computer opponent would constantly use against you to kick your ass!

  • Dolly #28 2 years ago

    "True, except in the case of SF, people generally have an idea of where their flaws are and an idea of what they want help with. It tends to be character specific stuff."

    Anyone stupid enough to pay for this has far too many real-life character flaws to begin with.

  • BulletTheory05 #29 2 years ago

    I may need some training. Think I will just send them a Blanka cheque.

  • geeza2020 #30 2 years ago

    top punning in this comments section. Theres no way i KEN pun as well as that.

    :(

  • sickpuppysoftware #31 2 years ago

    For 10p I'll teach you how to mash buttons whilst waggling the joystick.

  • whigwam #32 2 years ago

    hello, here is a street fighter pun

  • Ranger101 #33 2 years ago

    @Dolly, that's not really fair. Lots of people have hobbies, like football, cycling, MMA etc. Some people have SF (tournaments) as their hobby, and fair play to them if they want to train and get better at their past time.

    If you're into football and you had the opportunity to train with David Beckham for an hour for $50, I'm sure you'd take it. Likewise for snooker and Ronnie O'Sullivan etc. You get it. These guys are the Street Fighter scene equivalent.
    Edited by 1 at 10/08/10 @ 12:32

  • nickthegun #34 2 years ago

    I'll teach online scrub tactics for a big mac meal.

    /twirls joystick

  • RobotRocker #35 2 years ago

    Not interested unless Gootecks teaches the art of losing to pad Fei's and throwing sticks

  • Roos-V #36 2 years ago

    Surely players would have the Guile to teach themselves?

  • ZizouFC #37 2 years ago

    It's a interesting concept, but im not too sure how many people would be Abel to afford it. Besides, could the details be any Vega if they tried?!
    Edited by 2 at 10/08/10 @ 13:37

  • patchbox360 #38 2 years ago

    No X Thanks

  • Phishfood #39 2 years ago

    Looking for a job is hard these days..

  • Dolly #40 2 years ago

    "@Dolly, that's not really fair. Lots of people have hobbies, like football, cycling, MMA etc. Some people have SF (tournaments) as their hobby, and fair play to them if they want to train and get better at their past time.

    If you're into football and you had the opportunity to train with David Beckham for an hour for $50, I'm sure you'd take it. Likewise for snooker and Ronnie O'Sullivan etc. You get it. These guys are the Street Fighter scene equivalent."

    I'm not knocking anybodys hobby here. I'm knocking the concept of paying $50 an hour to get shown how to play a videogame.

    Comparing what David Beckham does to someone sitting on their arse with a joypad (or fighterstick for you "Pro's" out there) is just fucking ridiculous. I can read on gamefaqs (for free) all of the information that these guys will give. I can study videos of them fighting at tournaments to copy their techniques (for free). I can go on forums (for free) to discuss tactics and patterns with fellow gamers.

    Its bleedin Streetfighter for gods sakes. I love the game, but the truth is that there are only a set amount of moves for each character (the same amount available to every player in the world, so no-one has a genetic/mental advantage, as opposed to the real athletes/sportsmen you describe). It's just up to people how they choose to use those moves in successful combinations. Paying someone $50 an hour to show me those combinations won't necessarily make me better in tournaments.

  • Turambar #41 2 years ago

    How long does it take to teach someone to spam the same moves over and over again anyway?

  • wyp100 #42 2 years ago

    Absolutely loving the puns in here guys :)

  • Velios #43 2 years ago

    Man... In Streetfighter you've either got it or you haven't... No amount of teaching will change that :D

  • BulletTheory05 #44 2 years ago

    I can't see this fad lasting for Fei Long anyway to be honest with you. I bet they make some decent money though, they'll be able to Bison new stuff.

  • DUFFKING #45 2 years ago

    The comments here have left me beguiled.

  • telboy007 #46 2 years ago

    "I can't see this fad lasting for Fei Long anyway to be honest with you. I bet they make some decent money though, they'll be able to Bison new stuff."

    This is my favourite, well done sir have a plus one.

  • icematt12 #47 2 years ago

    I'm listed in the top 50 of Batman Arkham Asylum challenge and DLC leaderboards, I'm sure I can negotiate much more reasonable rates. I admit, I struggle nailing the ultra combos but I would rather suffer hours of training against an idle opponent than pay that kind of money.

  • whoyouknow #48 2 years ago

    Are they tekken the piss?

    ...

    God dammit.

  • K-Project #49 2 years ago

    What a fucking utter joke. Get a proper job you fucking layabouts. What twats will pay for this?

    /Hasn't got a pun

  • yupyup #50 2 years ago

    Sounds scammie to me.

  • nickthegun #51 2 years ago

    Nah. Its fo real. Its like most multiplayer games, people who are good will teach you how to play better.

    Back in t'day one of my mates was in a top dutch CS clan and they used to charge a similar amount of dough for individual lessons and £300 a team.

    All they did was play you for a few rounds then point out the other teams weak areas and tell them how they could improve their game. I cant imagine this would be much different.

  • ignatiusjreilly #52 2 years ago

    Sounds scammie to me.

    S-Cammy?

  • skyrend #53 2 years ago

    This is sad. What happened to competing and learning with friends?

  • RobotRocker #54 2 years ago

    Sounds scammie to me.

    It's scrub hustling. You can learn links with some youtubes and a bit of patience in training mode. Hell, I play Dictator (A not great one, but I haven't been able to put as much time as I wanted in SSF4) and his B'n'B's are pretty easy once you have the timing (c.lk, c.lk, c.lk, Knee Press is p.good) but you have a load of other tools like EX Psycho Crusher for cross-ups and Psycho Punisher for fast as hell wake ups. You don't need to go too fancy either or else you get spanked (Watch Daigo play. Just uses Ryu's B'n'B's and Options. Nothing fancy, but effective).

    Players with more money than sense (EG the guys who pay for boosting in MW2) will be all over it though, so thats Capitalism for ya'.

  • Pirotic #55 2 years ago

    I'd be quite tempted, I find high level play pretty fascinating and whilst I doubt it would offer much of an improvement for a complete newbie like myself, I might at least gain a new appreciation.
    Edited by 1 at 10/08/10 @ 18:35

  • TheBrow #56 2 years ago

    Hakan hardly believe some of the puns in this thread...

  • alcides #57 2 years ago

    rtfm n00b