In over a decade of competing, AK’s pinpointed these three as the most important factors to stay at the top of his game.
Alexandre “AK” Laverez has been competing in Tekken tournaments since he was nine years old and he’s still a beast known worldwide 16 years later. He’s learned a great deal about how to keep himself sharp despite all the different iterations of Tekken he’s played. Tekken is an ever evolving game but AK’s narrowed down the three most important factors that keep him competitive.
Stay Healthy
“’Yung number one priority ko ay syempre yung health ko,” AK said to The GAME. “Kasi in order to reach ‘yung peak mo habang naglalaro ka, dapat healthy ka talaga. Doon na papasok reflexes mo, ‘yung decision making mo, lahat.”
While this may sound unexpected for an esports athlete, it’s absolutely the right to put health at the top. Studies have shown that having a good diet and being physically fit is a boon to anyone staying competitive. He wouldn’t have made it this far if the only thing he did was sit and play games all day. In fact, your longevity in any sport is directly tied to your health so it should always be a priority.
Stay Updated With The Meta
“Dapat updated tayo sa mga nangyayari sa Tekken,” AK continued. “Kasi kung hindi ka updated, meron kasing minsan na ‘tagong patch’ na malalaman mo lang pag naglalaro ka. Kaya dapat lagi ka naglalaro.”
Tekken, and fighting games in general, have a lot of moving parts in them. Between the different characters and their moves, the universal battle systems, and the unique interactions that can arise in a match, it can require a lot of studying to get good at the game. Then there’s the fact that Tekken gets massive patch updates and it can get rather overwhelming.
But AK wisely points out that staying updated can just mean you should always be playing. The best way to learn is to do, after all, and you’ll learn about the systems and interactions eventually if you keep playing.
Learn Your Opponent
“Third is yung pagaaral mo sa hindi lang sa sarili mong playstyle, pero sa playstyle ng ibang tao. Kasi pagi-integrate mo yung playstyle ng ibang players, madadagdagan yun sa sariling playstyle mo.”
This last one is more tournament-level player specific but still important if you want to improve in Tekken. As mentioned before, Tekken has a lot of moving parts and players will focus and excel on different aspects of the game. Therefore, reading your opponent’s tendencies and countering it becomes an important skill, especially if you’re competing at the highest level.
And as AK mentioned, it’s not just about countering your opponent but learning from them as well. If you realise that your opponent is doing something better than you, then all the more you should learn why that is and how you can use that for yourself. Improvement isn’t just a solo game, but one that involves looking at the competition and seeing what you can do better from them.
Banner image by Robert Paul.
Frequently Asked Questions
AK Laverez identifies staying healthy, staying updated with the Tekken meta, and learning an opponent’s playstyle as the three habits behind his competitive longevity, refined across 16 years of professional Tekken competition worldwide.
AK Laverez considers health his top priority because physical fitness directly affects reflexes and decision-making during matches. He believes reaching peak performance in Tekken requires being genuinely healthy, not just logging hours of practice.
AK Laverez stays current by playing consistently, since hidden patch changes and character updates often only become apparent through active play. He treats regular matches as his main method for tracking Tekken’s evolving meta.
Learning an opponent’s playstyle helps players counter tendencies and absorb techniques they do well, expanding one’s own approach. AK Laverez treats this as a tournament-level skill essential for competing at Tekken’s highest levels.
AK Laverez has competed in Tekken tournaments since age nine and has remained a globally recognized competitor for 16 years, adapting his approach across multiple game iterations while staying near the top of the scene.
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