Rank isn’t everything, although I compare player rank in SFV to cars using this analogy:

If a Ferrari (Warlord ranked player) races a Toyota Camry (Rookie ranked player), more than likely the outcome will be that the Ferrari will beat the Camry. This doesn’t take into account the weather conditions that day (network status/reliability), which track the players are racing on (character match up knowledge), or who put gas in the tank before the race (eating a balanced diet). All those reasons aside, more than likely the Ferrari will still win. The point is that if your car is rusty and has holes in it (much like a player’s game having holes in anti-air or spacing) then how do you expect to place higher in the ranking system and reach your full potential?

Dogura once said that if people focus on improving their game, rather than points, the ranking up process comes naturally. This reminded me of the saying that when people try to focus solely on obtaining money, they end up not making any of it. If you focus on your craft then your improvements will show in the form of higher rankings.