Last weekend was spent in Dallas, TX at a regional ITF fundraising tournament.
It wasn’t a big tournament by any shape of the word, but it was a definite good time. In retrospect, as 6th Dan Master Rick Garwood’s first time hosting, I think the size was just right, and the support to make it a success came in droves, from his own students the other ITF school local to the area to those of us who came from various parts of Houston & Austin to help and/or compete.
I often joke with my students and friends that compared to spending a day as a judge & referee, competing is easy. It’s a continuous day of paying close attention, sending the proper message to all watching, and making sure that the competitors that step into your ring all have a good time. If you slack off, you’re going to ruin someone’s day; and if you’d been chosen to assist with this duty, then you never want that to happen. Judging and refereeing is a long, arduous task, that, at the end of the day, can be extremely rewarding when the parents walk up and shake your hand, regardless of how their child placed.
Now honestly, you have to experience a few ‘bad” tournaments in order to really appreciate the good ones. I’ve been to my share of bad ones. Slack postures, biased judging, & little to no control in sparring pervade . A “bad call” results in the competitor, the parent, or (seriously) the instructor getting into the judge’s face about it. Experiences like this make people avoid the tournament circuit altogether, and quite frankly, I can’t say that I blame them. I’ve cautioned my students on more than one occasion to never go into a tournament with expectations of leaving with the top prize; but instead, go with the intention of doing your best. That way, even what you may perceive as a “bad call” won’t hurt your feelings. A good tournament really starts with the proper attitude from the competitors. Having well-trained and experienced judging is just the icing on the cake.
That brings me to my next point, actually…..that is, namely, being a well-trained judge. My instructor at the time started priming me for judging duties back when I made the rank of 1st Dan, and I’m still working on it. As a matter of fact, it’s a Federation standard in the ITF that all Dans over the age of 18 spend time certifying and re-certifying in order to uphold the federation standards. Once you know what’s expected, you’ve actually got to spend time doing it in order to gain confidence in carrying out the task. In other words, if you get certified, don’t just sit on it. Get out there and spend time as a judge!
Now, once I reached the rank of master (4th Dan), I was bumped up to senior judge/center referee status. That, since I started doing it, has been an exhausting adventure; and if you’ve ever seen me playing center ring referee, you know what I mean. Somehow I manage to consistently get the very young children, who always border on the edge of nervous-to-tears and bounce-off-the-walls excitement. I find that quelling either one of these extremes takes a lot of finesse and is really more art than science. I say exhausting because I run a ring of kids the same way I run my classes: by having more energy than all of them. I also spend a lot of time bringing things down to their level by talking to them while on my knees and giving constant smiles of encouragement. Above all else, the kids are there to have fun, make friends and learn good sportsmanship. Part of my job is to make sure that those aspects remain at the forefront at all times, while also managing a professional demeanor for the parents watching.
I’ve seen what the opposite impression can do. It’s ugly.
When you ask me about my approach to judging and refereeing, two influences come to mind. The first is Master Mike McGee from Zachary, LA. Still one of my “big brothers” in the federation, I pattern my approach to teaching children largely after him. If you’ve ever seen him relate to kids, you’ll know exactly what I mean by it too. If this man walks into a room full a children, then the children become his immediate and his only priority. For that reason, they flock to him. I picked up on this aspect of his personality when I met him long ago, and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, y’know…..
The other influence is Master John Nigro, who teaches out of the Pittsburgh area. Sa Bom Nim Nigro, who I usually only see at the big ITF events, has shown me over the years that it’s okay to have a big personality when running a ring. This is especially true when you have children because they respond to it well. If you ever go to an ITF tournament that’s being attended by Master Nigro, I guarantee you can hear him shouting commands as senior judge from the other side of the room. It gets attention….everyone’s attention. I saw that, I liked it, and I started doing it.
So, hopefully, if you watch me at a tournament, you’ll see a little bit of Master Nigro and a little bit of Master McGee. That’s my way of paying homage to two influences. Still, I’m finding that over time, I’m learning how to make it my own.
My point is folks, if you’re a black belt, and you get pulled for judging duties, then you’re going to have a direct part in making or breaking that tournament. Pay attention to your seniors and watch their dynamics, especially when they’re dealing with the various age groups, and learn from them. Get out there with at least as much enthusiasm as you’d have if you were competing, and help make the event someone’s good experience.
Master Wayne Boozer
Excellent post Sa Bum Nim. I too have seen way too many tournaments impacted by poor judging, most notably calling sparring points that were impossible for the judge to see.
Judges, to your point, have a responsibility to PAY ATTENTION, and call it as the actually see it, as opposed to what they hear, suspect, infer, or guess.