The single most important advice for new (or old) SF players.

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a generous amount of dp mashers, 2-jab throwers, jump back fireball, jump forward roundhouse (etc)

I see you have played my Ken (new)

Actually I think it is very much self-control that makes you a better fighting game player, much like it makes you a better fighter. I've realized this as I have to deal with bi-polar disorder, and either extreme (mania or depression) is not good for my skill.

If I'm just playing a session on my own, I'll do the exact same things before the start of a game or round, put some music on my headphones (It's been a run through of Bjork's "Vespertine" album recently) and play the game with a clear mind. Works incredibly well. Everything just seems to slow down and move at my pace when I'm in that little playing cocoon. Very serene.

Just do what I do. Walk up and block. Most noobs cant resist not doing anything an throw out very punishable DPs or low sweeps

It feels good to be able to win again because after awhile I stopped playing fighting games in general and would get stomped if I tried to play again

I actually take a different, almost polar opposite route, mainly the Ricky Ortiz route between rounds.

Hit a lot of buttons in between rounds and keep your mind active.

If I just calm down, I will just play the game without any thought. Then I won't adjust. Taking a deep breath might help if you're relying on instincts alone, but you'll need to come up with a gameplan later on.

You lose a round? Stay salty, but stay composed. Rage + Adrenaline can be good if you know how to control it. It's like playing rugby or football, you will do better when you are emotionally involved and have blood pumping through your veins and can read defenses or body movements better, it's just a matter of keeping and developing your fundamentals extremely solid.

I play and think better when I'm mad salty.

That's exactly what I do

Sometimes if I lose a round badly I quit playing altogether cause I know I'll be too enraged to win any of the the games I play

I think if you watch excellent adventures you'd know that this is called. Cracking. It's when you get salty and stop playing strategically. You can do all of that, or you can just remind yourself to not crack during a game.

Rage + adrenaline ruin everything in this game

If video games cause you to rage, maybe you should take up knitting or something. Video games are supposed to be fun.

screaming around at these assholes for not knowing how to play the game

WTF is this all about. So because they are extremely predictable (and therefore very easy to beat, right?), they are assholes? Would you care to explain why less skilled players deserve that moniker?

Take a long deep breath at the start and in between rounds.

Well, breathing is something that comes naturally to me, so my advice to new players is to fully understand all of your characters moves. This includes both normals (ranges/startup speed) and specials (how punishable they are, which can be thrown or go through projectiles, etc).

lol, since when do Gief and Balrog not have good wakeup options? Try playing Claw. And if you are raging because they are using a tactic that is working, it is you that does not know how to play the game.