Learning fighting games without the assistance of others is usually an exercise in futility.

The titles themselves offer nothing in regards to outlining objectives that would lead to strengthening a person’s playstyle, especially past the beginner phase. This puts the ball heavily in the court of the community — getting better is a cooperative effort.

It’s fortunate, though, that within the fighting game community, people like Persia are around to extensively pick up the slack. The longtime member created the XO Academy, an organization she created with industry leaders to elevate the skill sets of competitive women.

The 4-week training program is heavily structured, including practice sessions from top players, active guidance on content creation from notable creators, and even help with avoiding the pitfalls of social media interactions. At the end of the run, the players will be sent to a major tournament, with travel and entry both paid for.

It’s demanding, and it absolutely has to be. XO Academy is seeking to improve every facet of a player’s abilities, both inside and outside a match. And this opportunity was created for those who are willing to put in the work for the results.

The first wave of players has already begun their regime, starring both EQNX | Romanova and P-Chan. I caught up with the latter in order to see what her goals are in the weeks to come.

Ryan “Saint Cola” Collins: Tell me a little bit about your history playing fighting games, like where it all began and what led you to be competitive.

P-Chan: My first memory of fighting games is from my local arcade as a DDR player. I remember being at Aladdin’s Castle for 12 hours a day to play DDR. In between sets, my friends and I would play Soul Calibur 2 which happened to be next to the DDR machine.

Many of my DDR friends had an interest in Super Smash Bros., so I started to dabble in competitive melee in the early 2000’s. Though my interest for Melee didn’t last, it opened a window into the FGC.

From 2009 to around 2012–2013, I was a tournament organizer and assistant for Big E Gaming. I ran brackets for Northeastern Championship, Winter Brawl, Summer Jam, and more. I gained a bit of a reputation as a very efficient tournament organizer!

I took a short break from the FGC in order to focus on school and get my B.S. in neuroscience! I decided to return after the release of SFV, but this time, as a competitor!

R: Since fighting games take time to improve in, how do you balance outside hobbies like weightlifting and DDR with fighting games?

P: Balancing takes a bit of practice. Weighlifting/powerlifting started as a hobby but transformed into a lifestyle. I weave DDR & fighting games WITHIN my powerlifting lifestyle. I don’t take DDR as seriously anymore but it’s like riding a bicycle. I can commit a couple days to it & see really good results.

With that said, I’m a novice at fighting games. To me, that means I need to pour most of my mental energy into learning Street Fighter, while I continue to live my powerlifting lifestyle that has become second nature.

R: Whether they know it or not, many people have vastly different goals from each other in the fighting game community. What are your personal goals with Street Fighter and how do you think the XO Academy can assist you?

P: In the short term, I want to reach Diamond rank. In the longer term, I hope to make it out of pools, hopefully sometime this year!

For the community, I want to be able to help newer players feel welcome in the FGC. Learning can be difficult, but I hope to show everyone it’s possible to start from scratch (even later into the game)!

The people behind XO Academy’s mission really believe in the FGC & the people in it. From intensive training with pros to physical therapy sessions, XOA is showing me that growing in the FGC is really about growing as a person, mentally and physically! I believe XOA will help strengthen my character, and in turn, help me achieve my SFV goals!

R: What drew you to pick Ed as your main, especially when you constantly hear how weak he is in relation to the rest of the cast?

P: Well to start, he’s cool, cute & a brat, haha! I found out his Japanese voice actor, Hiroyuki Yoshino, is also the VA for Iwaizumi (Iwa-Chan!) from my favorite anime, ハイキュー!! (Haikyuu!!).

His weaknesses didn’t matter to me at all. As a new competitor, I wanted to play a character I loved. I also wanted a character who had simple execution but required an understanding of the basics of Street Fighter. As my time went on with Ed, I realized it didn’t matter if I was winning or losing as long as I was growing. Besides, I was having the best time ever with Ed!!

R: What tournaments do you plan on attending this year?

P: You’ll see me at Final Round, Combo Breaker, and CEO! As well as all the Philly majors, of course!

If you’d like to help the XO Academy in their endeavors to grow and empower the women of the fighting game community, you can visit their Patreon page here. And you can follow the high def picture of strength herself on her Twitter.