Tactics and the Referee

by Tommy Morris
Former WKF Referee Council Chairman

It may not be surprising to learn that many competitors have little idea of the rules under which they compete. However, what is of even more concern is that this same fact extends to many coaches even at international level.

It should be self-evident, that without a thorough knowledge of the rules, the coach will be unable to devise a sound training strategy for his athletes or to develop suitable tactics. However, in addition to a knowledge of the opposing athlete's strengths and weaknesses, a knowledge of the referee's capabilities, although perhaps more difficult to obtain, can also be of considerable significance.

The judgment of karate competition is not an exact science. We cannot measure the athlete's performance by electronic timers, measuring devices, or other means such as nets, targets or obstacles. Instead we rely on the subjective judgment of the referees and judges. Good judgment is dependent on the knowledge, experience, and decision-making processes of the officials, and may be adversely affected by stress, fatigue, and lack of concentration. The good coach will be aware of these influences and will advise his competitor accordingly.

For instance, is the referee a strong individual, who frequently overrules or even ignores the judges, or does he constantly refer to them for an opinion? What techniques does he give points for?

Can he see and assess jodan punches adequately, because if he cannot, what is the point of making them?

Is he over-sensitive to grabbing and throwing techniques or face contact? If he is, the athlete can easily lose without the opponent so much as scoring with a single technique.

Is the referee easily influenced? If he is, the strategic positioning of assistant coaches and other members of the squad, can lead to a weak referee awarding points through having his opinion reinforced. If on the other hand he is a strong individual, this tactic could lead to the athlete being penalised, even in extreme cases by Shikkaku.

Responsible coaches will watch the opposition and referees during the first round of a competition to see what's going on in the way of tactics etc., then amend their own accordingly.

Due to the noise at competitions and the fact that many competitors may also understand we must have a hand signals code, instead of shouted instructions. For instance there's no point yelling, "Go for the body" or "Mawashi geri" if the competitor can't hear you.

Instead, you need signals that are understood by your fighter and preferably not even recognized as such by the opposition. Signals such as "Don't let him pressure you", "Circle", "Move back two steps and circle", "Keep away from the face", "Put pressure on him", and so on. You need at least two coaches for each competitor. The real coach will not sit in the chair, but will be positioned in an area where he can advise and be easily seen by the fighter. Of course the competition rules do not allow this but at most competitions it is easy to place extra coaches or helpers in strategic positions.

The fighter must be instructed in, and be familiar with the tactics and the appropriate signals. He must know where to look for the coach when he needs advice. If the referee is strict and tries to prevent communication then the fighter must know how to approach the coach after "yamae", adjusting his belt, jacket, or shin-pads as a ploy.

If things are going badly, he must know how to have the referee stop the match so that he can recover his breath or receive instructions from the coach. This can be accomplished by loosening his mitt or jacket, or "losing" his gum shield, and if need be, raising his hand to attract the referee's attention.He must know how to gain negative points by hopping and rubbing his leg after a hard (or not so hard) ashi barai, or rubbing his face after contact (or no contact as the case may be).

Whilst personally I deplore such conduct, karate competition is a game and I am aware that many competitors employ this sort of behavior. However you must remember that you run the risk of being penalized under Category 2 if you have a knowledgeable referee.

As for the rules, when the coach is training the athlete, he must be aware of the techniques for which the referee will award scores, and what the scoring criteria are. These are:

1. Good Form
   
   Which relates to traditional karate technique such as posture, stance etc.)
   
   
2. Correct Attitude
   
   Relating to a non·malicious i.e. sporting attitude.
   
   
3. Vigorous Application
   
   Relating to controlled but powerful and potentially effective blows
   
   
4. Zanshin
   
   Relating to a condition of awareness of the opponent's potential to continue the fight and therefore continuing to watch the opponent after delivering a technique and not dropping the guard.
   
   
5. Proper Timing
   
   Meaning application of the technique at the appropriate instant in time when it would have the most effect.
   
   
6. Correct Distance
   
   Relating to having the distance between fist or foot and the target at the correct distance where it would be at its most effective without incurring a penalty for contact.

Ten Second Rule

One of the most misunderstood rules is the ten-second rule. In fact it is actually quite simple to understand and apply if one reads the rule carefully. It states, "Any competitor who falls, is thrown, or knocked down, and does not fully regain his or her feet within ten seconds, is considered unfit to continue fighting, and will be automatically withdrawn from the tournament."

The key words refer to three conditions; at least one of which must occur or the rule does not apply. These are — FALLS, THROWN, KNOCKED DOWN. If the competitor does not fall to the floor, is not thrown to the floor, or is not knocked down, then the rule does not apply, and the clock is not started.

If one of the conditions is met and the clock is started, the competitor is not required to return to the starting line, he is required only to fully regain his feet (Stand fully upright). This rule was devised for two reasons, to stop competitors winning by cheating, and for the safety of injured competitors, it was not meant to be an extra punishment to competitors who are injured.

 *The male gender used in this text also refers to the female

This article was written by Shihan Tommy Morris.

Tommy Morris holds the rank of 8th Dan in Shito-ryu Karate and is one of the world's foremost professional coaches. He was the Chairman of the Sports Commission to the  World Karate Federation (and the European Karate Federation) from 1986-2010, after which time he was appointed Presidential Advisor to the WKF. For twenty-five years he ran a full-time karate club in Glasgow with a number of satellite dojos throughout Scotland. Since 1965 he has trained over 50,000 people in his system. His name appeared in the Guinness Book of Records.

He founded Kobe Osaka International in 1991and which now has associated partners over 40 countries worldwide.