What is happening to our Art

[terryl965]

I have seen a tend in the TKD community that is very distrirbing to me. This is why I am here writing this on this board for all to see. We as a team do alot of tournaments a year both point and Olympic and the referees are getting worst each time out, no matter if it isa little local or a big National event. Our referee's donate there time and then whine about how long they are worked and under appreciated by there own organizations. Why is this so? What has chamge the likes of once our very proud refereee's, where did all the built up frustation came from?

I remember being ask why I do not ref. anymore back at National and me response was I have to many athletes and it would not be fair for me to ref. one of mine own during a match, not that I would cheat or anything. But because I do not want people accusing me of such, now at our own stage the biggest of all this is being done by all who watched the Olympic matches, judges being ask to swing a point here and there, coaches saying they where told not to protest anything and athlete crying over calls. Where did we go wrong? Who come we do not have an entire seperate organization for referee's outside independenant from the IOC, WTF and the USAT and other such orgs. This would stop alot of brickering about refs. and also fund them for travel and time and they can make a great living while enjoying the side of the sport they love. What is wrong with bringing this out in the open and start a new tend for our refs. Whay can we not get this done so the sport can go. Othersport have independant refs. working for the good of the sport why not TKD?

I believe an independant org. is the only way to bring in quality refs. that will be there for the sport and not anyone org. we can make this happen if we unite for the common good for all of TKD. I hope this make sense to most, The ref. not be a TKD instructor but one that knows and understands the rules and the rules of fair play. Football, basketball and baseball has donethis why not TKD.

 

[Kacey]

Terry, it's the same problem all over. One of the other students I went to a seminar with a couple of weekends ago was asking why we didn't make referee certification mandatory, so we'd have more referees... the problem is, making certification mandatory doesn't make people want to referee. But if people don't referee for their associations, then they have to put up with crappy refereeing, long waits for rounds, etc.

The question is not, I think, how to get better referees - but how to make people want to be good referees.

 

[terryl965]

Terry, it's the same problem all over. One of the other students I went to a seminar with a couple of weekends ago was asking why we didn't make referee certification mandatory, so we'd have more referees... the problem is, making certification mandatory doesn't make people want to referee. But if people don't referee for their associations, then they have to put up with crappy refereeing, long waits for rounds, etc.

The question is not, I think, how to get better referees - but how to make people want to be good referees.

Great point Kacey, I would love to hear some opinion on this.

 

[Laurentkd]

I think that is a great idea! When I was a teenager I umpired at little league games... I wouldn't mind traveling to ref at TKD tournaments assuming I could get my travel paid for (and to make a couple of bucks would be super!).

I have thought before that it would be cool if a couple of schools who are within a few hours of each other would agree to send refs to each other's tournaments. So if I am Kansas City I would go to St. Louis to ref for a dojang's tournament and when it came time for my dojang to host a tournament I would get refs from that St. Louis school. Surely there is some way to organize something so that we have quality referees who are treated with respect as well.

 

[Twin Fist]

at the open tourny's, the AOK ones, refs get fed, and a free shirt. makes BB's more inclined to ref.

 

[FearlessFreep]

When I was a teenager I umpired at little league games...

How about following the deal from little league and have the coaches split from the competitors' schools and when the tournament is over *it's over*, get on with your life and realize it's just a game

 

[tsdclaflin]

Outside refs sounds like a good idea, maybe even borrow from other styles.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

In something as big as Olympic Tae Kwon Do there should be impartial non instructor referee's. There really is no excuse for this. Referee's should also be paid and compensated for their time spent. Do this and you will see an improvement in the quality of refereeing.

 

[igillman]

There are 2 issues brought up in this thread and we have only concentrated on one of them so far. The two issues are...

1) Why do referees/judges get swayed by bribes and/or "favours"?
2) Why do masters/grandmasters feel that bribing or influencing judges/referees is "right"?

The first issue has already been addressed but I think the second one is more interesting. I have mulled over what I am about to write and rewritten it a few times. I am still not happy with what is below, it is disorganised and broken but it is the best that I can do.

We are told to respect the higher belts and that we should not question what they do. Unfortunately that brings about a mindset of "I am always right because nobody says I am wrong" and "I am the master of my own domain". In some people this can bring out the worst in them. Suddenly they feel that whatever they do must be right.

The whole set-up is like the military and to question authority is not to respect them. This sets people up to be treated like gods to get whatever they want just because of the number of stripes on the piece of cloth around their butt.

In our society winning is everything. Winning gets you some more posters of your people wearing medals and holding trophies that you can put up in your do-jang and attract more paying customers. To win is to have your picture in TKD Times, smiling and shaking hands with some celebrity. Fair play doesn't enter into things, getting second place is seen as failing. We reward winners, not people who lose but who do so fairly.

So now we have a situation of a master/grandmaster who needs the win to increase revenue, who has not been told that they are wrong in a very long time and who likes the glory of winning. This is a highly dangerous situation. A little bit of pushing here, shoving there, nudging, winking, what harm could that do? Nobody tells me not to do it and who's the boss round here anyway? My people are the best because I train them, they deserve to win, they should win and they will win because I say so and I am the boss who makes the decisions.

How many of those people stop at that point, look down at their belt and say "but to do that would be to betray everything this stands for"? How many of them see a tainted victory for what it really is? How many of them put the sport before themselves? How many of them even know what the black belt stands for? How many of them understand that it is more than just doing forms, sparring and breaking boards? Maybe if the black belt tests were also about sportsmanship and integrity? Maybe if getting a black belt also meant that you have competed fairly and honestly in tournaments?

Would that work? I don't know but I can tell you one thing, the corrupt judges are going to go back to their little holes, wear their little black belts and get called "master" even after showing that they have less integrity than Arthur Daley. They will put "Olympic Judge" on their CV/resume and everybody will go "Ooh!! You must be good". I think, after all, that is what is wrong with the system.

 

[Kwanjang]

Terry, I have seen a lot of poor and Biased judging as of late! Something needs to be done-thats for sure.

 

[Mimir]

I haven't been to any national tournaments, just the local ones, but I know that alot of the times the people who are asked to referee are asked only based on being blackbelts. There are a great many of them that have not been trained in on how to ref, or how to judge forms. It would be nice if there was some kind of training so that at least the people who are asked to do this would have a clue.