Improving
If you want to get better at fighting games, the only way to improve is to watch or play against experienced players. You can sit in training mode of a game all day, but you will not enhance your own skill unless you play or observe an actual person. Personally, I used to believe that I could get really good at fighting games by just practicing combos over and over again in the training mode of a game, but boy, was I wrong! After spending hours practicing in training mode, I would play against my good friend in SFIII: Third Strike, and he would just mop the floor with me! Only by constantly playing against him and getting experience did I really improve as a fighting game player.
Tournaments
There are local and major tournaments held all over the United States. You simply have to search online to locate a local fighting game scene near you.
Some of the major fighting game tournaments held annually include Winter Brawl, Community Effort Orlando, Civil War, East Coast Throwdown, The Fall Classic, Final Round, Shadowloo Showdown, NorCal Regionals, and SoCal Regionals.
Some of the major fighting game tournaments held annually include Winter Brawl, Community Effort Orlando, Civil War, East Coast Throwdown, The Fall Classic, Final Round, Shadowloo Showdown, NorCal Regionals, and SoCal Regionals.
All the above major tournaments lead up to the biggest fighting game tournament called the Evolution Championship Series or commonly referred to as Evo is held once every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. The tournament is so massive that contestants travel to Las Vegas from all over parts of the world just to compete and experience the venue event.
I highly recommend that you try to go out and support your local fighting game scene if you are really interested in fighting games. Besides just being a great way to improve your personal skill level for competing, attending local and major tournaments can provide an opportunity to meet great new people that share the interests as you.