One of the most heartwarming gaming moments to grace the scene was bestowed upon us by none other than the Street Fighter legend, Bonchan. This moment being unrelated to any tournament or pro match. Sagat main Bonchan dropped a clip of his kids coming home from school and jumping right into Tiger Uppercut practice while he was grinding away at Day 1 Sagat tech. Family goals!
The cutest thing spawned online: the kids glided through a feasible Tiger Uppercut by Sagat, the shout included! Seems too adorable for any gamer to bear, with some commenting about “the most wholesome thing I’ve seen in a while,” while another asserted Bonchan “won at life” with that parenting flex.
That’s cute, and it’d be a full circle moment for the fighting game culture. Bonchan, the professional name and also known as Masato Takahashi, has been a long-time name in competitive Street Fighter, particularly with his very precise Sagat play. Now, in the most natural way (relatively unscripted family moments), he’s carrying that legacy into the next generation.
One look at the replies will tell you everything; from “this is what it’s all about” to folks just learning about Bonchan having kids (some fans didn’t know until now) – the FGC is loving this. Another user sums up the vibe as: “Too much positivity”; that’s exactly what the gaming realm needs at this moment.
That goes onto creating yet another special moment when we get to catch sight of the spontaneous passage of gaming culture. There is no forcing these kids in esports training; no, they’re just too hyped to copy after school the moves of their dad. That’s a huge deal. No pressure, no expectations; just pure love for the game.
Two lines on Bonchan speak louder than words: he’s maintaining a flawless balance between family and playing at the professional level. Boni-dachi just recently made the decision to go back to maining Sagat in SF6 after main-ing Luke for nearly five years, just to prove that he’s not stuck in his ways when it comes to his playing habits. Now you see what kind of discipline goes into presenting that example to his tiger cubs at home.
Aside from the hours long discussions sparked by the clip, at one point, there was a random but oddly pertinent sudden turn into Japanese cultural views on marriage and financial stability-a monumental detour of sorts, representing the kind of substance some discussions are led into thanks to gaming moments. Mostly, though, they’re just trying to appreciate the cute factor.
Street Fighter has always been beyond just competition. It’s about community, shared experiences, and, apparently, cute parenting moments. Who would have thought that Sagat Tiger Uppercut would serve as a catalyst to unite families?
The FGC is going to stay forever prosperous, and moments like these are what we all fell for with fighting games in the first place. It’s not all frame data and tournament results-moments become when the kids get from school and instantly want to be a clone of their in-game daddy.
Bonchan maybe famous for his tournament wins, but this? This is the real win. Excuse me while I go and practice my shoryuken in hopes of being half as cool to my kids one day.
