Summary:
In this tutorial, I will focus mainly on ways to increase you skills rather than technique even though there will be some technique involved with this tutorial. To get better, all you have to do is practice, these are just some tips and tricks to help you out.

What to watch out for:
1. Turn Frame
2. Gravity
3. Self damage
4. Reaction timer
5. Your opponents play style

Turn Frame:
I have seen many players playing a mod like judo and dq themselves. Many people do not realize that in a lot of mods, including aikido, the turn frames vary almost each turn. For example, in aikido, the turn frames are 10,20,20,30 and so on. By understanding this simple concept of turn frames, you can cause your opponent to dq if he does not reverse you. For example, when it is a 50 frame turn, you can do a simple tilt/flip to dq your opponent since they dont have as much time to react because turn frames are so long

Gravity:
Gravity can be a game changer in mods with either really high or low gravity. By paying attention to gravity, you can tell whether you should perform different types of moves. For example, you do not want to try and slam someone in really high gravity because gravity is your enemy and he will float back down, but if you are lifting and shoveling him, gravity is your friend since he will be more easily lifted into the air. When gravity is really high, I have seen players get slammed so hard into the ground that they either dq or frac/dismember their knees.

Self Damage:
This includes hitting yourself, or my favorite, self-grabs. Although many mods do not have self damage included, they do have self grabs. Self gabs are a sure way to lose your match because they cause major fracs or dms. I will not go in-depth on self-grabs but what they basically are is when both you and your opponent grab each other but only one person wins the grab. This means that the other persons hand is free to grab something else (your body) which can cause major fracs. If you know how to grapple, this is a deadly skill that you can devastate you opponent by.

Reaction Timer:
Usually on tournaments and such, these stay the same but you still have to be aware of how long you have to make your move. By practicing with a really quick reaction time, when the reaction time changes back to normal, you will be able to think quicker and faster.

Learn Your Opponent:
When facing a player, try and watch his previous games to know if he is going to kick or play with a more defensive opener. By knowing how your opponent plays, you can set him up for a crazy kick and get an easy win with a dm.

F.Y.I
Don't start out by just shoveling. Try out all different kinds of openers because if you just shovel, terr will be no room for improvement. Shoveling is one of the most basic and effective ways to win but f you truly want to succeed, try all different kinds of openers out. What I am saying is, if you are duel for 1kkkkkkkkk tc, you can shovel but otherwise don't.

Tips from other Toribashers

JenssonFTW

Test your moves in single player , you can practice , but other good thing its make own moves like openers , ways to do "x" thing in multi-player and it help to make your own style overall.

Thats how i learned when i didnt know anything of this amazing game - JenssonFTW

Shakky

Practice Practice Practice
Thats the best way to get better. Play alot, play with your joints (freestyle), hit random joints for the starter.

Replays

The replay down below although not the best example of momentum, shows it pretty well.

1. Although I got almost suplexed at around frame 300, I did not panic but instead spun around and found a base.

2. I planted my feet firmly into the ground so my feet would not slip out of bounds when I shift momentum. At around frame 220, I placed my feet on the ground but it was not until frame 160 that my base was firm.

3. Notice how he does not have a firm base and I can easily manipulate him. This is when I shift my momentum, when I have a firm base and He does not.

4. I then I lift my arms and rotate my body to throw him out. Understand that you will have to experiment with different joints in-order to throw someone out, not every time will you throw someone out by just raising arms and turning chest.

Down Below, I altered the replay just slightly so my opponent was closer to the ground and kept semi-good ground control.

1. He was up by points so he should've played it safer.

2. The friction of the dojo was the reason why I couldn't lift him.

3. By extending his feet and contracting/extending hips at the right time, he was able to gain some ground control.

4. Keep low to the ground and get ground control.