Flash Or Not!

[sensei8]

Please check these out...

Weapons:

If you were to judge this, how many points would you award and why?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkdwCSu5Ay8

If you were to judge this, how many points would you award and why?

Empty Hands:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RumTyMwk5GM&NR=1

If you were to judge this, how many points would you award and why?

If you were to judge this, how many points would you award and why?

[isshinryu5toforever]

I've never been a fan of flash. I'd rate the kata as follows based on the following criteria.

Black belt competition is generally scored on a 9 through 10 basis despite the fact that it's a scale of 10. If you get bellow a 9, it means you forgot the kata completely, or you were just that awful (rarely happens). These are by sport competition, like the ISKA, standards.

weapons

Extreme bo kata: 9.6

It was above average, but it lacked power. The stances were not solid, and the strikes were fast, but never looked strong.

Traditional bo kata: 9.9

Strength, speed, strong stances. The only deductions could come from minor things.

Empty hand forms

"Traditional" form: 9.7

Better stances, quick movements. The movements were fast, but sometimes weren't sharp. The stances were much better, but there was too much up and down movement, and not enough hip movement in the techniques. Also, WAY too much yelling.

Unsu: for some reason my computer crashed out twice trying to open this, so I couldn't view it, except for the title and the opening sequence.

[ps1]

Assuming we're on a 10 point scale. It's also important to realize that, when i judge, I use the middle of the scale as average. In this case, that would be 5. Above 5 is an above average performance. Below 5 is substandard.

1. Title was traditional weapons form:

7/10

-balance was lost near the 30 second mark and seemed to be faultering throughout

-Didn't like the handling of the bo during the bow. This is more personal preference than anything. I don't like to see a weapon move during a bow. In rank and file, it would hit the person behind them.

-I don't like toothpick bo being used in traditional forms, it makes the form less difficlut as the weight of the bo is less.

-Movements were sharp and powerful

-Difficulty of the form was high for the traditional division

-This is a good score from me

2. Title was creative weapons form:

7/10

-Very small toothpick bo lowers difficulty

-Good focus during flare movements

-Also didn't like the handling of the bo during her bow. Same reason.

-Throaty kiai

-poor focus during kiai (looking away from strike and closing eyes)

-some high difficulty flare

3. Title was traditional forms:

5/10

- music during a traditional form?

- excessive yelling during a traditional form?

- Many movements not sharp or precise, just throwing arms around

- Focus not on movements being performed

- low form difficulty

- i would be ashamed if any black belt of mine ever performed a kata in this manner under the guise of "traditional forms."

4. Title was traditional forms:

9/10

- Great balance

- in the middle he rushed a few movements and did not fully extend them.

- Overall, great form with a medium to high difficulty

[TKDKeller]

Assuming we're on a 10 point scale. It's also important to realize that, when i judge, I use the middle of the scale as average. In this case, that would be 5. Above 5 is an above average performance. Below 5 is substandard.

1. Title was traditional weapons form:

7/10

-balance was lost near the 30 second mark and seemed to be faultering throughout

-Didn't like the handling of the bo during the bow. This is more personal preference than anything. I don't like to see a weapon move during a bow. In rank and file, it would hit the person behind them.

-I don't like toothpick bo being used in traditional forms, it makes the form less difficlut as the weight of the bo is less.

-Movements were sharp and powerful

-Difficulty of the form was high for the traditional division

-This is a good score from me

2. Title was creative weapons form:

7/10

-Very small toothpick bo lowers difficulty

-Good focus during flare movements

-Also didn't like the handling of the bo during her bow. Same reason.

-Throaty kiai

-poor focus during kiai (looking away from strike and closing eyes)

-some high difficulty flare

3. Title was traditional forms:

5/10

- music during a traditional form?

- excessive yelling during a traditional form?

- Many movements not sharp or precise, just throwing arms around

- Focus not on movements being performed

- low form difficulty

- i would be ashamed if any black belt of mine ever performed a kata in this manner under the guise of "traditional forms."

4. Title was traditional forms:

9/10

- Great balance

- in the middle he rushed a few movements and did not fully extend them.

- Overall, great form with a medium to high difficulty

There is much yelling in the sport of XMA for a reason and any martial art practitioner should know this. I would give her at least a 9/10 easy because of the difficulty of the techniques this is supposed to be set to music as preferred by the practitioner it is judged seperately so don't think that this is all she does is a creative form, it is just another event like sparring or board breaking. I used to teach XMA so I know a little about it but they are judged on difficulty of movements and flash and it is supposed to be"non-traditional" as it appeals to the younger audiences who are sucked in by the "cool" factor. I don't know much about karate but the gentlemen did outstanding as well.

[isshinryu5toforever]

We know what XMA is, and we know what they're judged by, but you have to look at the audience doing the judging. I was brought up in an Okinawan system, then moved to a TKD school with a self-defense focus, and now I'm doing Kyokushin. Those are three non-flash styles. XMA competitors tend to focus a lot on the flash, so their basics suffer, especially the stances. It's hard for someone who grew up keeping their feet firmly rooted, who grips the ground with their toes out of habit, to deal with that.

Someone who does Chuanfa and Shotokan is going to have an equal focus on technique. Even moreso in Shotokan than in Okinawan Karate do they look at perfection in singular technique. It's all in the audience.

[ps1]

Assuming we're on a 10 point scale. It's also important to realize that, when i judge, I use the middle of the scale as average. In this case, that would be 5. Above 5 is an above average performance. Below 5 is substandard.

1. Title was traditional weapons form:

7/10

-balance was lost near the 30 second mark and seemed to be faultering throughout

-Didn't like the handling of the bo during the bow. This is more personal preference than anything. I don't like to see a weapon move during a bow. In rank and file, it would hit the person behind them.

-I don't like toothpick bo being used in traditional forms, it makes the form less difficlut as the weight of the bo is less.

-Movements were sharp and powerful

-Difficulty of the form was high for the traditional division

-This is a good score from me

2. Title was creative weapons form:

7/10

-Very small toothpick bo lowers difficulty

-Good focus during flare movements

-Also didn't like the handling of the bo during her bow. Same reason.

-Throaty kiai

-poor focus during kiai (looking away from strike and closing eyes)

-some high difficulty flare

3. Title was traditional forms:

5/10

- music during a traditional form?

- excessive yelling during a traditional form?

- Many movements not sharp or precise, just throwing arms around

- Focus not on movements being performed

- low form difficulty

- i would be ashamed if any black belt of mine ever performed a kata in this manner under the guise of "traditional forms."

4. Title was traditional forms:

9/10

- Great balance

- in the middle he rushed a few movements and did not fully extend them.

- Overall, great form with a medium to high difficulty

There is much yelling in the sport of XMA for a reason and any martial art practitioner should know this. I would give her at least a 9/10 easy because of the difficulty of the techniques this is supposed to be set to music as preferred by the practitioner it is judged seperately so don't think that this is all she does is a creative form, it is just another event like sparring or board breaking. I used to teach XMA so I know a little about it but they are judged on difficulty of movements and flash and it is supposed to be"non-traditional" as it appeals to the younger audiences who are sucked in by the "cool" factor. I don't know much about karate but the gentlemen did outstanding as well.

To which form were you referring? The only one I complained about the yelling and music in was the "traditional" form. I understand how the events are arranged and set up. I've competed extensively and successfully. In addition, I've judged rather extensively.

[ps1]

It's all in the audience.

Very true