What are the criteria when judging sets at an open CMA trounament?

I have noticed that often you will see a number of variations of common sets. I was at a tournament and a classmate performed a set in a very capable manner. A judge had seen a variation of this set before and decided that a couple of moves were slightly different than he expected. He appearred to downgrade the mark because of contentions that the set had been adulterated. How do you avoid being biased because you favour a particular way of performing a set? And furthermore..how do you avoid being biased towards styles that are physically or philisophically similar to what you already practise? What are the criteria you use when judging a set that you are unfamiliar with or do you simply withdraw from judging? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Cheers, Ross

When I judge a set. Score is based strictly on coordination, speed, power, precision, continuity, balance, presentation, grace and decernable mental attitude. I have seen too many judges mark down because of stylistic bias against similar and disimilar styles. One notable event was when a boxing brother of mine competed with the White Eyebrow set that comes from our longfist system. The judge being a pak mei stylist decided that since it wasn't from their particular system that it could not recieve a good mark, regardless of whether or not it was a good form. He even told my teacher, who was judging right beside him, that even though it was a good form he would not give a good score for the above reason. With all the styles that exist in MA, it's amazing how some people will not accept something just because it's not what they expect or know. Or, they think that they are the only ones who are "worthy" of knowing it.

Its dangerous to think your immortal.
sifuabel@aol.com

Judging is mostly based on politics today. I saw a 15 year student perform " Spear hand" and it was the most awful spear hand that I have ever seen. He got 2nd place because a 15 year student can't lose face for his school and his students.

Judging SHOULD be based upon, stance, lek,faht geng, mindset, structure, etc, but not upon personal bias. Unfortunately, there are not many people who wish to spend the day sitting in the judges seat, hence there are alot of unqualified judges. Case in point;, I was at a Chinese tournament in the southern long hand division and a student is performing a Hung gar set. The judge sitting next to me,says, "I've never seen this form" whith an air of distain and superiority. I leaned over to her and said,"Oh, that's Cheurng Sum Jeong-Heart Penetrating Palm. It's a minor set practiced in the Lam Sai-Wing lineage. It is said it is also called the Lau Gar Palm set." Her whole demenor changed, as in "oh, well ok then" She was going to mark this poor student down, just because she wasn't exposed to any other Hung Kuen outside her own version, yet she is judging all Hung Ga, Choy Li Fut, Lama, Jow Ga, Hung Fut,etc,schools.Sad but true.

Having said that (Taolu being form), I will explain...

First, even with Chinese Martial Arts Only events, the ability of a teacher to judge well is limited. Now take that to an open competition where you have all sorts of other styles. They chance that you will actually have a person who knows how to judge is slim to none.

How should they be judged?

The USAWKF has tried to set something for this this year. It will require judges to be trained but here are the basic guidelines:

10 point scale.

6 Points for technical
This should be stance work, technique, waist...essentially, in Chinese Shou Yen Shenfa Bu (the technique of hand, eye coordination, body work, and step work. Thre are prescribed methods for deduction for example, punching one time with an incorrect wrist alignment would be 0.05 deduction. twice would be a 0.10 deduction, and after the third time, it would be 0.2 and you would not deduct for that technique further since it has shown itself to be habitual.

2 Points for speed and power
Why 2 only....speed and power only come after time. A beginner should be striving for as much of the 6 points before as possible. These 2 points are what we all work on forever.

2 Points for spirit, routine, flavor
This is the ART part of the routine. and most subjective.

This means that what a judge should look at first are basics, concepts, body work....and try to get a framework for scoring.

This is how it is recommended....as for how it is done...in most cases, poorly.