ITF Patterns Competition judging.

If you are patterns judge, what sort of things are you looking for?

What do you do when you see different interpretations of rhythm?
For example, Won Hyo, I have seen people do the first 3 steps...
*all on one count.
* really broken up, like 1 and then 2 and then 3
* smooth but over 3 counts.

What do you feel is correct? Why?
What optional pattern is your favourite to call?

Have you judged Team Patterns?
How much breaking is enough? Too much? What kind of stuff do you like to see the most? Complicated breaks? No breaks? Unusual formation?

 

technicaly correct patterns are what i look for.
i.e won hyo the first 3 moves in 3 breaths
bending ready stance in 1 breath
folowed by the side piercing kick another breath
the circular blocks in 1 breath

all kicks proper height too i hate it when high kicks are favoured over properly focused kicks

 

Well, if it's an ITF tournament, ITF guidelines should be used. With the Encyclopedias available, DVDs and CDs, plus all the seminars the General gave around the globe, the patterns are pretty standardised.

If it's an open tournament with non-ITF members competing, more variations will be used. Therefore, I would look for things like balance, power, general impression and I would be less concerned about whether a double punch is done like "punch-wave-punch" or rather "bam-bam"

Regards

Gizmo

 

Im with the Madhoose on this one. Im a stickler for stances also and proper chambering positions

 

What about interpretation?
I have seen people from different countries do things a little differently, different speed, more less power. How do you judge between that?

 

The one thing I thinkthey should standardise on is kick height in patterns.

If your mean't to be doing a middle section kick, but kick high section, you don't get penalised and could even get bonuses for the kick yet if you did a low section kick you would be penalised, yet they are both equally wrong.

No one does high section punches if they should be middle section.

 

That is a really great question Zen. I can only speak for myself, and I've only been an official for a few years, but what I'm looking for is "beauty, grace, rythym, focus, power and technique."

So if one competitor demonstrates more power that's an advantage, over a similar competitor doing the same pattern but without demonstrating power. Same with rythym. If someone's pattern seems to have a good rythym, that makes sense that's going to score higher with me than a clockwork-type-every-movement-gets-the-same-beat pattern.

I also watch stances, but I recognize that different schools see stances differently, some shorter some longer, but I think we all agree that a front stance has both feet facing forward, and heels on the floor, etc.

Anyway, that's me.

 

I agree. It looks much more, well dynamic, I guess, when the pattern isn't performed like clockwork.
A good example is Hwa Rang. from the beginning, the rhythm should be (that I like), 1,2,3, 1,2,3 then 1, 1, 1, etc, if its all even, like beats on a metronome, it seems, flat.

 

As far as I'm aware, aren't stances given specific attention with regards to width, length, weight distribution and feet positioning?

 

Yep that's they way I've been taught, circular block has 2 sections, with two exhales. One on the 'downward' sweep part of the block, the second in the upwards 'circle' section.

 

Its a continuous motion, on exhale it is one continuous breath but it sounds linked, not like one continuous blow - if you get my meaning?

 

I don't think I could do those steps in Po Eun in one breath, I would pass out!

 

although it is supposed to be all in one breath if you watch the vids on the legacy series you can hear every technique having a breath.
and these recordings were supervised by the general himself

 

Are you about to give birth Mitch?!

 

Yup! except its 6 to 12