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1.1. The Competition area shall be known as the ring.

1.2. The size of the ring shall be 8 x 8 metres of flat, clean competition area free of all hazards.

1.3. The ring surface may be padded or unpadded so long as all competitors in the same competition perform on the same surface.

Note. If the competition area is a raised surface there must be sufficient space between the ring and the edge to allow safe competitor movement.

It is the responsibility of the referee to examine the ring to ensure that it is safe for competition.

1.4 The NAS bowing formality for officials will be as follows. Standing upright with heels together and feet at a 45-degree angle, hands flat to the sides, the official will bend from the waist 10 to 15 degrees only.

Note: Formal bowing may become very uncoordinated due to the different bowing forms adopted by different systems, styles and nationalities. Imagine a line up of officials with one bowing as if to a monarch, another performs the Kyokushin Oos form (Japanese), another places open hand on closed first (Kempo) and yet another adopts a cat stance and places an open hand over a clenched fist (Kung Fu), etc. Seeing the different variations from Indonesia, Philippines, Northern China, Southern China, Korea, and so on performed as part of an official line up at a tournament would looks dreadful. This standardised formality, which is NOT part of the preparation for fighting (on the part of the officials) aims to keep the bowing simple, neutral and uniform.

Note: Because we have so many systems, styles, clubs etc. in NAS all have different formal titles that relate to their position/rank within their own organisation/club. Addressing all officials by the title Mr or Mrs or Miss or Ms avoids confusion, embarrassment (no mistakes) and it also engenders a greater community of spirit in the officials. It removes the seniority or subservience to higher grades that, whilst integral to the practice of the martial arts is inappropriate to the officiating of the sporting event. We must remember that after all a high grade in a martial art could be a NAS Level 1 whilst a lower grade could be a NAS Level 2. This in no way interferes with or denigrates the martial arts grading system. In the sporting context it is an attempt to, amongst other things, remove the follow-the-leader mentality where one official is intimidated or influenced by another. (That is, it seeks greater objectivity and independence.)

2.1. The official judging panel will consist of either:

a) One ring referee and two judges. State & National events

b) One ring referee and four judges. Nationals (senior male/ female black belt divisions)

a.) The ring referee shall be positioned in front of the competitor, two judges positioned to the left and right of the competitor.
b) The ring referee shall be positioned in front of the competitor, four judges positioned at each corner of ring

Note: Music is permitted at preliminary and National Championship with the following conditions
a/ Competitor will supply battery powered players and music
b/ Recorder will be placed at corner of competition area
c/ At no time is offensive language in music permitted at any NAS competition
d/ Music will be kept to a minimum volume as not to distract other competitors in adjoining rings

Each State/Region may nominate up to three demonstration entrants (individual competitors or teams) per event at National competitions.

3.1. There shall be two categories of form/ demonstration competition:

a) Individual
b) Team

Note! Male / female black belt divisions must be an all male/ all female team

• • All 3 judges award a score.
• • All 3 judges scores are calculated
• • If tie situation occurs, second different form is required, Note! All divisions other then male/female black belt open divisions may repeat same form
• • If tie situation persists and the high/low system cannot determine a winner the Chief referee will decide winner.

Note! In the event of a tie in the first or second rounds a second, different form must be performed, if the high/low method is not used. This tie-breaking form can be repeated in a subsequent round. In respect to junior, Veteran and novice/intermediate grades the tie breaking form does not have to be a different form.

a) Employed in a combative manner ie in defensive and offensive manoeuvres;
b) Not of a projectile nature;
c) A genuine weapon is one that is not an imitation, a fake or sub-standard. That is, it must be a real, authentic weapon. Home made weapons will not be accepted at any NAS competition
d) Non-authentic weapon “EMA” style or non-traditional aluminium, alloyed are not permitted in traditional weapons competition
e) Considered safe in the NAS tournament environment ie are in good repair and not likely to break, fall apart or in some other manner endanger competitors, spectators or officials;
f) Weapons performances must not cause damage to rings (mats) or the surrounding area equipment, eg striking the mat with a sword, staff or a sharp object
g) Traditional weaponry – 1 person only to perform in this event

Note! All weaponry demonstrations must not endanger or cause harm to any NAS official during performance; reference (c)

a) All junior 17 years and under are prohibited from using a live blade weapon etc, during traditional weaponry & demonstration competition.
b) The chart below ‘outlines’ weapons accepted/not accepted at any NAS tournaments

4.5 Demonstration Competition: competitions will be judged with an emphasis on the entertainment value of the performance. See appendix 5.

a) Teams must consist of 2 or more persons.
b) The demonstration must be martial art in character
c) The performance must remain within the confines of 8x8 ring
d) Adult props are prohibited in junior demonstrations
e) Demonstrations subject to the 3 - minute time rule; (rule 2.5)

Note! At no time are home made weapons permitted in demonstrations

4.9 If there is a tie in a demonstration event and there are three judges the victor will be decided according to the ‘high/low’ system.  If in any other circumstance or if the ‘high/low’ system fails to produce a result the Chief Judge will cast a deciding vote to select the victor.

Note:  Because the tie may involve two or more contestants the chief judge may be required to decide not only a single victor but also second and third placing.  The chief judge may consult with the other judges as a courtesy but is under no obligation to do so.  That is, the judges have no formal vote in breaking the tie.

5.1. Open hand and weapons contestants will be measured against the NAS judging criteria, as outlined in Appendix 1.

a) Officials will award marks against each criterion to a maximum score as illustrated by the NAS tally sheet. (See Appendix 2.)
b) The rating scale of the NAS judging criteria indicates the characteristics against which officials must judge each competitor. (See Appendix 3).
c) The essential features of the NAS judging criteria are further explained in Appendix 4. These features must be understood and strictly applied by each official in the judging of forms and creative forms competition.

Note! Weapons are not permitted in creative form event

Note: The timekeeper will read the scores out aloud as the scorekeeper records them. This allows the judges to verify that the score displayed is correct.

Note! This standard is particularly relevant to National and International competition; all competitors at this level are aware of the official size of the ring area and therefore should have structured their form, demonstration or weaponry to be performed within the confines of the 8x8. At no time can any part of a weapon leave the competition area, failure to conform to this requirement will result in disqualification

a) In addition, the Officials will consider the synchronisation of the team members
b) Will award marks according to the unison of timing, movement, rhythm, focus, power and technique.

Note: The breathing pattern should not be used as a timing signal. Judges will take into consideration any audible or visual signals that are used to synchronise the team performance when allocating marks. Generally speaking, teams that rely on audible or visual signals are unlikely to demonstrate high complexity or rhythm aspects. ie these cues are not associated with advanced performances regardless of the level of the form itself. In addition, the martial realism may be lacking as the unison is regimented or forced, sometimes giving the performance a robotic appearance.

Note: This removes any bias that the first competitor may suffer because the officials are still settling into the task. However, there is no second chance for the first contestant in Demonstration events or Team Form events.

a) Team events: In the event of a draw, high/low procedure will be put in play, however if unable to separate the draw situation, Chief Judge will decide winner b) Demonstrations, Weaponry & Creative weaponry events: In the event of a draw, high/low procedure will be put in play, however if unable to separate the draw situation, Chief Judge will decide winner

6.1 Contestants will be disqualified if they

a) leave the ring area in contravention of rule 5.5 ref 1.2.
b) interrupt, forget the performance, fall unintentionally or leave the ring.
c) competitor/weapon leaving competition area during performance, contravention of rule 5.5 ref 1.2

Note: In other words junior ranks (novice and intermediate) and children are permitted to restart if they fall, forget or interrupt their performance. However senior Black Belt contestants are not permitted to restart after an unintentional fall, step outside the competition area, a lapse of memory or an interruption.

Note: Table official will stand and advise to the ring and audience the time violation. The chief judge will then stand, announce to the ring and audience that the point deduction will be taken away by the chief judge’s score only and the other judge scores unaltered.

a) Penalised 0.1 mark for every second by which the form exceeds three minutes or is shorter than 20 seconds.
b) Disqualified if the form is interrupted, varied or if a team member falls.
d) Disqualified if the team comprises less than or more than three contestants.
e) Disqualified if any member of the team leaves the ring area in contravention of rule 5.5

a) Disqualification; Centre referee will stand proceed to competitor, advise him/ her of disqualification returning to seat, indicate to judging panel to raise their scores
b) 1 full point deduction; Centre referee will stand, inform the judges of the need to penalise the contestant for a rule infringement.
c) Time violation; Centre referee will stand, inform judges of the need to penalise the contestant for this rule infringement. Centre referee ONLY will deduct penalty points from competitor
d) The judges then prepare to display their score and the referee blows her/his whistle etc. as normal.

a) Weapons may be placed on floor during demonstration with no penalty.
b) If the weapon is dropped during the event, one (1) full point will be deducted from every Judge’s score (the judges will deduct the point themselves prior to indicating to the table their score).
c) If the weapon is lost to the outside of the competition ring, the competitor will be disqualified.

Note! Accidentally touching/striking mats will incur NO penalty, however deliberate, malice striking to mats; competitor may incur cost of repair or replacement of mats

7.1. The Technical Commission shall comprise:

a) The Technical Director who acts as the Chief Official (CO) acting under the Chairman /National Technical Director.
b) The Ring Judges, acting under the Technical Director.

a) is empowered to begin, suspend, interrupt or conclude matches;
b) deals with any protests by referring them in the first instance to the Arbitrator/Marshal, who may then decide to convene the Technical Commission if necessary;
c) has responsibility for ensuring that all rules are complied with in accordance with the NAS Rules and Regulations.
d) is responsible for the attendance of all officials;
e) is responsible for the performance of the judges;
f) is responsible for the roles of the scorekeeper and timekeeper.

a) consult the timekeeper to ascertain if there are any penalty demerits after each performance.
b) calculate the score for each competitor.
c) record the score and the timekeepers advice on the scoresheet.

a) announce the name of each competitor prior to their performance.
b) time each performance.
d) advise the scorekeeper of the time elapsed for each performance.
e) publicly announce the individual judges scores for the scorekeeper to notate.

8.1 Each competitor in open hand and weapons competitions must wear his/her traditional martial arts school uniform, pertaining to his/her school and in good condition. NO STREET CLOTHES are permitted.

8.2 Notwithstanding the uniform rules referred to above, forms competitors will not be required to wear safety equipment such as gloves, pads, mouth guards.

8.3. Open hand forms competitors must not wear:

a) jewellery
b) footwear
c) loose clothing which obscures observation of the form eg. hakama or Japanese split pants, overmantel, dresses/gowns, etc.

Note! The chart below ‘outlines’ NAS rules on this issue in plain fashion

© Australian Referee Board V 6.4 Oct 2008

NAS Judging Criteria

The NAS uses three fundamental criteria for judging forms.  These criteria are the yardstick by which all competitors are measured.

The NAS forms (open hand & weapons) judging criteria

These criteria are based on the principles of objectivity, equity and transparency.  The difficulty and interpretation criteria have a number of essential features that provide the judge with guidelines for awarding marks.  In addition, the execution criterion is further comprised of a number of major points such as technique, power, focus and rhythm, each of which contains its own essential features.

Essential features on scoring forms

The NAS rating scale for forms (open hand & weapons) judging

The NAS rules comprise three basic criteria for judging forms/weapon

Each criterion is composed of a number of essential features. These are common to all martial arts systems. They have been selected to provide an objective and transparent method of assessment that, whilst maintaining the essence of the martial arts, can be applied equally to all competitors. Under this method the judges are encouraged to reward effort and virtuosity.

Difficulty: Scores are awarded according to the difficulty of the form demonstrated. There are two aspects of difficulty, the first of which is concerned with the form itself.

A forms’ difficulty is indicated by its degree of complexity and the techniques contained therein. A variety of directional changes, numerous variations of speed, the length of the form, and multiple combinations may point to a high degree of difficulty. High-risk techniques such as flying kicks or a single leg balance may also influence the difficulty factor.

The second aspect is related to the correct choice of form by the competitor. A form should be selected which is of an appropriate level according to the competitor’s skill and experience. An inexperienced competitor who performs a high level or difficult form risks being penalised if the performance does not match the demands of that form. Similarly an experienced or highly skilled competitor will not be rewarded if a low level form is selected.

Interpretation: The competitor’s interpretation is the expression of those features that distinguish martial arts forms from a pure athletic performance. Often referred to as “spirit”, these features are not easily described in a tangible fashion that permits easy identification. Nevertheless they must be identifiable in order that they may be judged. Spirit, for example, is intangible, it is not measurable, it has a different a meaning for different people and it may be subject to a system or style's particular interpretation.

In the competition environment, these features are considered by judges as complementary to the physical technique of the form.

The virtuosity of a competitor is projected in the meaning of the form. Along with the other essential features this demonstrates the contestants clear understanding of the movements. These must be presented with conviction, competence and sense of realism. Excessive or flamboyant movements, unnecessary facial expressions and non-combat related movements detract from the form. “Tricks” such as slapping the uniform, repetitious basic movements, should not distract from the basic form.

It is the competitor’s individual interpretation of the form that is presented but it should not be dramatic or theatrical. (These elements are demeaning to forms. They are reserved for demonstration events and are not rewarded in a form competition.) All movements must be functional. They must be martial in character, reflecting martial principles. In other words the form is not simply an exercise or a dance.

Execution: Four major aspects are identified as part of the execution criterion. To a degree each is interrelated and dependent upon the others and yet each remains distinct. These major aspects are technique, power, focus and rhythm. Each has its own essential features.

• Techniques involve the correct demonstration of stance, posture and balance. Crucial aspects are also the correct application of strikes, blocks and other martial manoeuvres and techniques. These must be delivered with accuracy and, especially when in combination, they must be fully completed. All stances must be functional.

• Power refers to the correct application of force as dictated by the appropriate combination of speed, body movement, breath control, strength and tension. An excess of any of these or a deficiency of any diminishes the effective transmission of power. The application of power relies also on maintaining the correct centre of gravity throughout a sequence.

• Focus refers to the concentration of the competitor and the attention to each aspect of the form. It refers also to the precise application of technique. To this extent timing is also an important element of this feature.

• Rhythm is the glue which binds together the form. Rhythm combines the techniques into a fluid continuum. It balances the hard and the soft aspects, contrasts the fast and the slow, introducing a smooth transition between stances and directional changes. It provides the constancy and the continuity of the form so that it is not merely a series of unrelated movements.

Types of intervention.

• Halting the match and asking a referee or judge for an explanation
• Halting a match to counsel a referee or judge(s)
• Halting a match and asking a referee or judge to reconsider a decision when a rule has been contravened.
• Replacing a referee or judge (this can include a form competition if the referee or judge's performance is sufficiently poor)
• Counselling immediately after an event and special monitoring of the next performance.
• Over-ruling a match & asking judging panel to redo a match due to rule infringement

Reasons for intervention

• Ensure the smooth operation of the match
• Ensure that the rules are applied correctly and fairly
• Ensure that the rules are applied uniformly and consistently
• Protect the competitors safety
• Uphold the standard or the refereeing and judging
• Clarify the application or interpretation of the rules

Examples of problem areas – forms competition

• Judges posture signifies he/she is losing concentration
• Judge is looking at other courts, or otherwise distracted, appears disinterested, etc.
• Inconsistent scoring (often a retrospective assessment)

• are high or low scores consistently awarded to a particular system/style/club/region
• scores should not vary greatly between judges at a senior competition
• is there a pattern to emerge from the scoresheets
• Look at the spread of each individual judge’s scores. Do they fluctuate widely? Are they relatively consistent with the scores of the other judges?

Mr James Casey
Chairman NAS/ WASO
W.A.S.O. Referee Board
V 6.4 October 2008