Traditional Katas against mxa in tournaments

[yingampyang]

Yes that is true , they are slowly starting to change to that way.

[fleasome]

Wouldn't it be nice if the judges would pick your flashiest move in a weapons kata and then require that you explain its usefulness in self-defense.

That might weed out the back flips.....

[BDPulver]

I remember the last tournament I jugded, I think I was the strictest jugde there.

The others where all asking me why I was giving such low scores to the flippy guys/gals and straight up points for the traditionalists. I told one if I wanted to watch flippy moves and stuff I'd go rent a kung fu flick from the movie rental.

Only 2 of the other judges I was with aggreed with me. But where trying to be a bit leinent (sp?). From then on if I entered any NJ tournaments they knew if I was judgeing expect a long long day.

But lately, I have started seeing more and more tournaments breaking up gymnastic katas to traditional kata.

The only thing my sensei has ever said to help your kata is KI more and to show strength in a move that might seem weak. He was never one to try and be flashy. He always said, each has a meaning and the minute you lose that meaning does it still have a applicable use in a real setting?

But like what fleasome said, I was confronted by a competitor once and he demanded I take my score back and give him a higher score. I asked politely with another black belt there one of the moves in the form he did and if he could demonstrate to me how I could use that in a real setting. He turned red, I mean RED. clenched his fist and to save face walked away.

Me and the other black belt talked how tournaments seemed to be getting away from true competitence and gotten more of a soccer match with the parents screaming and demanding this and that.

I still go to tournaments but not as much since moving to KY over 10 yrs ago but they are slowly changing back to what I remember them as in my opinion.

[Dobbersky]

I agree totally with Everyone on here with regards to XMA 'kata'

I understand the complexity of the kata and believe that each move has to be a genuine attack/defense.

Ashihara Kata is exactly the same although somewhat different to traditional Kata

Where would I stand in this. I mean we do have the jumpy spinny kata which I believe was targeted against the TKD forms to attract them to ashihara but they are genuine kata and are genuine attack/defense combinations.

I have a Student/Parent who is interested in competition, Kumite is not an option with them, so I can only see kata, they are a gymnast too and are very flexible. I can submit them into a competition with some of the senior kata but I wonder how would they score on this. Your thoughts please

Osu

[white owl]

BDPulver, In the pkc ,pkra when judging they throw out the highest and the lowest score and the add up the in between scores so some people if they no how the judging goes they would not care about the low score knowing it would be thrown out. As for parents screaming I know in the pkc rules of tournys in kumite there is no coaching at all! last tourny I was at it was in Erie Pa. There was a parent coaching their kid the center judge stop the match and told the parent there is no coaching at all I think the parent continue I did not see what happen because I was up to compete. I think the parent would of had to leave. any pkc competors know what would happen if a parent does not resepect the rule of know coaching?

[BDPulver]

Oh I understand some have different rulings. He was mad cause out of the 5 judges I gave him a score almost 3 pts lower then the other judges cause of the flippyness of his kata.

Most events I have participated in throw out the low and high and take the 3 average scores. His thinking was if there all same or better and there was a tie he would have a better chance of winning.