Help me improve my DK!

[G&Wismyhomeboy]

I posted this in the vid thread but the only response I got told me to make my own thread.

*cautiously steps out*

I just recently picked up DK and I'm lovin' him. I want to make him my new main.

I took some videos of me playing my little sister. I'm DK and she's Falco.
Don't watch these if you're looking for some good DK videos to inspire you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--afUShGKIc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWjo2JcIHQA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R2YvfVftPc

Sorry for the horrendous quality. And the horrendous playing.

It's amazing how taking videos can help you see how you play. Already I see
Way too much dodge rolling
Bad control of the character
Random spot dodges in midair
Failed L-cancels
Bad spacing

Any tips on how to improve from here? Other than mad practice? I don't get to practice against anyone but my sister and crummy CPUs. Although level 3's make half decent ragdolls for practicing combos.

Thanks!

 

[The Phenom]

Wave dashing and l/cancel , and for fun heres a cool combo starter... down air-kick, Back air-kick, dash attack, up air or B in air, or even a front air.

Brawl is on its way, so do prepare tremendously.

 

[Number 1 DK]

My main advice would be to play someone slightly better than you, since you can obviously beat your little sister with ease. Also, watch some videos of pro DK players like Azen and Bum. See what they're doing to give you a better idea of what you should be doing.

You have a good habit of charging your giant punch whenever you can, which you should stick with. What you really need to learn to do is shuffle your nair and bair, since these are the safest approach tactics and some of the best moves DK has. Just practice your shuffles until you can space them and do them properly each time.

Also, against fast fallers and heavier characters, you can pull way nastier headbutt combos than what you're doing. For some ideas on what these should be like, watch the Pimp of the jungle combo vid on youtube.

One last thing you should learn (if you haven't already) is to jump cancel your grabs (just press y or x to jump then immediately press z to grab after that) which will eliminate the huge lag frames after your dash grab, which is crucial to not getting punished after a missed dash grab. Grabbing is DK's best friend, use it often but don't get predictable with it (learning to dash dance helps you to get more grabs).

Oh, one more thing. Although DK is heavy, he is relatively quick. Use his mobility to your advantage. DK is a big target, so you should always be mobile to help compensate for this. Since DK's full shield doesn't cover his entire body, trying to stand still and shield your way into a grab usually will only get you punished.

Hope this helps.

 

[G&Wismyhomeboy]

Thanks for the advice, guys! I watched that video; it was helpful.
I have watched a few Captain Jack and Bum videos. Those actually are what inspired me to work up DK. Donkey Kong is much better than the tier list places him, in my opinion.

I really have to work on my L-canceling. I'm pretty good at SHFFLing until I actually start hitting people with it. Are there freeze frames or anything that would throw off my timing on my L-cancel?

Also, I'm having trouble jump canceling my grabs. Half of the time I end up jumping and doing a nair. Any tips on that?

Thanks again for the help guys!

Edit: Oh yeah. I don't really have anyone much better than me that I can play. I have a few friends that are about on my level (better mindgames, less technical skill) that I get to play occasionally... I'd actually like to attend a tourney just for grins if one comes to Fort Worth...