TKD Forms Competitions: Why Two At A Time?

[bushido_man96]

This statement that Danielle made on another thread got me to thinking about TKD forms competitions:

Not in person but ITF TKD has been hosting regional patterns tournaments. Film your pattern and submit then on broadcast day the judges watch two competitors in "real time".

Why do so many TKD tournaments insist on running two people doing forms at the same time? As a judge, I'd much rather focus my full attention on one competitor's entire form, and judge accordingly, as opposed to having to watch one for a few techniques, and then the other for a few techniques, and have to make a decision. As a competitor, I'd much rather be the sole focus of all the judges that I'm performing in front of, rather than having to wonder about how much of my form they actually watched.

Does anyone have any idea why it's done this way?

[sensei8]

This statement that Danielle made on another thread got me to thinking about TKD forms competitions:

Not in person but ITF TKD has been hosting regional patterns tournaments. Film your pattern and submit then on broadcast day the judges watch two competitors in "real time".

Why do so many TKD tournaments insist on running two people doing forms at the same time? As a judge' date=' I'd much rather focus my full attention on one competitor's entire form, and judge accordingly, as opposed to having to watch one for a few techniques, and then the other for a few techniques, and have to make a decision. As a competitor, I'd much rather be the sole focus of all the judges that I'm performing in front of, rather than having to wonder about how much of my form they actually watched.

Does anyone have any idea why it's done this way?[/quote']

I've heard, don't know if it's true of not, they judge 2 at a time for expediency. I mean, Testing Cycles are done in groups; expediency. Otherwise, be prepared for a very long and trying day for all concerned. Who wants to go to an event that takes f o r e v e r ?? Fast way to lose competitors and spectators for the next time.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I wouldn't be surprised if it is to keep the pace up and not take all day.

When I was at my State Championships a couple of years ago competing, we had 30 odd people in my division and took close to 4 hours to finish.

[bushido_man96]

Expediency could be a thing, for sure. Even though, each form only takes a few minutes for a competitor to do. I don't think doing one at a time would take that much longer, but I could be very wrong.

[sensei8]

Expediency could be a thing, for sure. Even though, each form only takes a few minutes for a competitor to do. I don't think doing one at a time would take that much longer, but I could be very wrong.

You're right because timing factors might also include, bowing in/out, walking in/out of the floor, and waiting for scores to be revealed.

[bushido_man96]

Is it customary in Karate tournaments to run two at a time for traditional katas? I've never seen two custom katas or musical katas run at the same time.

[sensei8]

Is it customary in Karate tournaments to run two at a time for traditional katas? I've never seen two custom katas or musical katas run at the same time.

In Synchronized Kata, yes. That's because they're all doing the same Kata at the same time for one total score. That's the only time I've ever seen more than one of the floor at one time. I've never seen, in any capacity, where in the Individual Divisions where two competitors are on the floor at the same time executing the same Kata.

I mean, I've not ever seen that in all of the years where I was active as a competitor or judge or Arbitrator. Well, it's a big world, and I've not been to every Karate tournament held.

[DWx]

FWIW our ITF recently changed international tournaments to not be two at a time. Every round a competitor has to do an optional pattern (from their belt level) and then a designated one (same for both competitors, can be anything up to their grade).

It used to be both up for optional and then both up for designated. Now it's one by one for optional, side by side for designated. In my experience it takes much longer as you're not only adding an extra form or round, you've also got extra messing around with getting people on and off the mats.

The is of course if you are running an elimination tournament with the winner progressing through to the next round. I've also done TKD tournaments where everyone went up once and was scored and ranked, highest score wins. And I've done them where everyone goes up one by one in a group for a score and then top 1 or 2 of each group to through to the next round.

I think the side by side method works great when you're trying to directly compare two competitors... Providing they are doing the same form. It's also great for getting through the round quickly especially if you don't show the actually score and just choose a winner. You're just making a decision about who looks better on the whole. One by one is probably more fair u to each competitor as you get a better assessment of them as you're less likely to miss something.

[bushido_man96]

Is it customary in Karate tournaments to run two at a time for traditional katas? I've never seen two custom katas or musical katas run at the same time.

In Synchronized Kata, yes. That's because they're all doing the same Kata at the same time for one total score. That's the only time I've ever seen more than one of the floor at one time. I've never seen, in any capacity, where in the Individual Divisions where two competitors are on the floor at the same time executing the same Kata.

I mean, I've not ever seen that in all of the years where I was active as a competitor or judge or Arbitrator. Well, it's a big world, and I've not been to every Karate tournament held.

Synchronized kata, I understand; that's a totally different beast.

[bushido_man96]

FWIW our ITF recently changed international tournaments to not be two at a time. Every round a competitor has to do an optional pattern (from their belt level) and then a designated one (same for both competitors, can be anything up to their grade).

It used to be both up for optional and then both up for designated. Now it's one by one for optional, side by side for designated. In my experience it takes much longer as you're not only adding an extra form or round, you've also got extra messing around with getting people on and off the mats.

This is interesting, and not a format I'm familiar with. In all my competitions, I've only done the form for my rank, or the one below if I have not yet learned my new form. During testings, however, our school is going to start designating an extra form for students to do other than their rank level.