The gist: your moves are an extension of yourself. Use them not just for damage but for answers to specific situations.
I’d made the mistake of relying on strong attacks (hard punch and hard kick) over weaker ones (light punch and light kick). I wanted to hurt the opponent by capitalizing on every opportunity with the most damage. But this mentality restricts your game!
Your normals and special moves are more than just tools for damage. They can be applied to a number of situations--restricting your opponent’s options, harassing them by constantly sticking something out in their immediate space, occasionally stuffing your opponent’s attack, confirming a combo off a light attack.