First off , what character do you play ? I see a couple problems here that you might not be solving correctly . If your problem is reliably hitting combos , you need to add training mode time practicing combos brainlessly to build muscle memory if a situation arises where you have to think of what combo to use , then you haven ' t practiced enough . If your problem is knowing what combo to use , watch videos of pro players that use your character on YouTube , and study optimal combos to use . Also , jab jab combos are NEVER optimal , but they are harder to execute because you have a smaller window of time to cancel the jab into special . If your problem is losing a ton of life after dropped punishes , you are using the wrong buttons and punishes that are too risky . For instance , if I drop jab jab spiral arrow , I will lose 1520 % hp on average , but if I drop jab jab DP , I will lose 30 % 50 %. This again goes back to choosing the correct combos and not just doing whatever . This is why defense is more important imo , because doing less damage but minimizing risk will find you much more success than knowing max damage combos but dying before you get a chance to use them .