3rd International Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Competition 2017

Rules for Contestants

Forms Competitions

Dress code for Form and weapons competition is traditional the Chinese Tai Chi costume. For team competitions, all 3 members should wear similar costumes. For Push hands, respective club short sleeved T-shirt and long track pants are to be worn.

Hand Forms

    1. The contest is restricted to display of the Wu's style competition form as demonstrated by Wu family masters in their instructional videos at www.wustyle.com
    2. The duration of the Forms should up to 5 minutes.
    3. The contestant will be signaled when 4.5 minutes have elapsed and 30 seconds warning to finish at the 5-minute mark.
    4. The judging panel will consist of at least 3 judges.

Scoring

The hand form will be evaluated on the following 10 key components.

    1. Balance
    2. Coordination 
    3. Continuity of Movement - correctness of form, stances and postures.
    4. Martial Spirit
    5. Correct stepping
    6. Yin Yang Separation
    7. Intent & Focus
    8. Relaxation & Softness
    9. Overall Quality of the form
    10. Technical Accuracy - correctness of form sequence, stances and postures.
    11. For 108 Step Form - degree of complexity of the selected section.

Over-time Penalty

Once the 5 minutes bell is rung, the competitor is to end the form. Failing to end will result in disqualification.


Weapons Forms

    1. The contest is restricted to display of the Wu's style competition form as demonstrated by Wu family masters in their instructional videos at www.wustyle.com
    2. The duration of the form should be up to 5 minutes.
    3. The contestant will be told when 4.5 minutes have elapsed and 30 seconds warning to finish at the 5-minute mark.
    4. The judging panel will consist of at least 3 judges.
    5. Weapons should have the appropriate tassels attached.

 Scoring

The form will be evaluated on the following 10 key components.

      • Technical accuracy of forms, stances and postures
      • Continuity of Movement
      • Harmony of Weapon & Body
      • Balance & Agility
      • Intent & Focus
      • Control of the Weapon
      • Transmission of Jing along the weapon
      • Smoothness of Transition from one form to the next
      • Circularity of the movements
      • Martial Spirit

Over-time Penalty Points

Once the 5 minutes bell is rung, the competitor is to end the form. Failing to end will result in disqualification.

 

Pushing Hands  - Fixed Feet Pushing Hands

  1. The contest arena shall have a center demarcated by a horizontal center-line.
  2. The officials for each contest will be Referee, Scorekeeper and Timekeeper.
  3. The contestants shall be designated as colours; depending upon the colour of sash they wear e.g. "Red' & "White".
  4. The referee, whose decision is final, will signal the scoring of points to the scorekeeper by indicating who scored how many points both verbally e.g. "two points white" and by gesture e.g. holding up two fingers next to "Red".
  5. The bouts will be of 2 x 1 minute duration (actual contest time). The timekeeper shall stop the clock when the referee stops the bout and restart the clock when referee restarts the bout. The time taken for stoppages will not be included in the contest time.

 
Contest Rules

  1. Setup
    1. The contestants shall face one another in the arena in a forward stance, with the feet overlapping by half a foot length on the horizontal centre line of the arena
    2. The first half of the bout will be with the left leg forward, initial contact will be via the right wrist (back of the hands facing one another). The second half of the bout will be with the right leg forward, initial contact will be via the left wrists with the hands back to back.
    3. The referee will place his/her hand between the two contestant's joined hands. The contest will begin when the referee's removes his/her hand. The referee should make sure that the contestant's hands are either side of the mutual centre line and approximately equidistant from each contestant.  The referee will start the match by starting "Go" and should remove his hand smartly from the two contestants hands and step back.
    4. The referee will stop the contest by shouting, "Stop" when a point has been scored or an infringement of the rules occurs.  At this point the timekeeper will stop the clock. The referee will signal to the scorekeeper the number of points scored and by whom. This can be done verbally and reinforced by the referee for the benefit of the audience by holding his hand with the appropriate number fingers displayed next to the contestant who has won the points. For example if red scores a single point against white; the will referee stop the contest saying "one point red" and hold up a hand, with one finger displayed, next to the "Red" contestant.
    5. The contest will resume in the manner described in (1,2  & 3). At which point the timekeeper will restart the clock.
    6. At the end of one minute accumulated time the timekeeper will signal the referee, who will stop the contest, and direct the contestants to lead with the opposite leg.
    7. At the end of each half of the contest the timekeeper will signal the referee, who will stop the contest, and await the scores given by the scorekeeper.
    8. The contestant with the higher total score shall be declared the winner. The referee will signify this by holding up the hand of the winning contestant.
  2. Permitted Techniques
     The eight direction/Jin techniques
    • Pung - Ward off
    • Loi - Roll back
    • Ji - Press
    • An - Impact
    • Choi - Pluck
    • Led - Spin
    • Chang - Elbow
    • Kou - Shoulder
      And
    • Push
    • Pull
    • Uproot
    • Sticking but not prolonged gripping.
  3. Permitted contact areas

The contact area is the arm and front of the torso. Attacks to the back, head and neck, and below the waist are not permitted.The waist is considered to end at the iliac crest of the hip.

 Once the contest has started both left and right arms, hands, elbows and shoulders may be used to contact the opponent, no other part of the body may be used in contact.

Attacks to any of the non-permitted areas, or using a non-permitted part of the body as contact, will result in a warning.

Warnings
Referees may give warning to contestants for fouls or un-sportsmanship behaviour e.g. gripping around the neck, striking the opponent, foul language etc. Two warnings or fouls will be given. A third will result in a disqualification. For serious infringements eg vicious attacks to the opponent, the referee may immediately disqualify the contestant.

Fouls & Infringements.
The following techniques or behaviour are not permitted

      • Locking Joints
      • Neck attacks or pressure applied to the neck
      • Kicks
      • Groin attacks
      • Knee Joint attacks
      • Hair Pulling, spitting, biting, gouging or attacks to the eyes
      • Striking or pressure point attacks
      • Sweeps of any kind.
      • Abuse of officials, dissension or foul language.

Scoring

The aim of the contest is to destroy or disrupt the opponent's balance by the use of tai chi chuan techniques.

No part of the body may be in contact with the floor other than the feet.

  • 1 point will be awarded to the opponent if a contestant lifts or slides either foot. The contestant is permitted to raise the toe or heel and turn the foot as long as the foot remains on the same spot.
  • 2 Points will be awarded to the opponent if the contestant's knee and/or hand touch the floor.
  • 4 Points will be awarded to the opponent if any part of the contestant's body, other than those already mentioned, touches the floor eg shoulders, back, buttocks.
  • If both contestants move their feet, lose their balance or fall, no points will be awarded.

To ensure a score the contestant must remain balanced for at least three seconds after the score has been made i.e. a point cannot be scored if the contestant unbalances his/her opponent, but in so doing subsequently becomes unbalanced him/her self

The Winner will be the contestant with the highest score. In the event of a tie a third round will start whereby the first person to score will be the winner.


Pushing Hands - Moving Step Pushing Hands

  1. The contest arena shall be a 4 x 4-meter matted area, with the center of the area demarcated by a cross of tape or chalk.
  2. The officials for each contest will be Referee, Scorekeeper and Timekeeper.
  3. The contestants shall be designated as colours; depending upon the colour of sash they wear e.g. "Red" "White"
  4. 4 The referee, whose decision is final, will signal the scoring of points to the timekeeper by indicating who scored how many points e.g. "four points white"
  5. The bouts will be of 2 x 1 minute duration (actual contest time). The time taken for stoppages will not be included in the contest time.


Contest Rules

  1. Setup
    1. The contestants shall face one another in the arena. For the first half they should be connected at the wrist of the right hand and with the left foot forward. The leading foot should overlap the horizontal centre line of the arena by half a foot length, and initially be to the left side of the vertical centre line. The referee will place his/her hand between the two contestant's joined hands and circle with the contestants.
    2. At the start of the first half of the bout the contestants and referee shall circle the arms clockwise joined at the wrist until the referee removes his hand and shouts "Go!" At which point the timekeeper will start the clock.
    3. At the start of the second half contestants are connected at the left wrist with the right foot forward and circle anticlockwise until the referee removes his hand and shouts "Go!"
    4. The referee will stop the contest by shouting, "Stop" when points have been scored or an infringement of the rules occurs.  At this point the timekeeper will stop the clock. The referee will signal to the scorekeeper the number of points scored and by whom. This can be done verbally and reinforced by the referee for the benefit of the audience by holding his hand with the appropriate number of fingers displayed next to the contestant who has won the points. For example if red scores a single point against white. The referee stops the contest says "one point red" and holds up a hand with one finger displayed next to the"Red" contestant.
    5. The contest will resume in the manner described in (1,2  & 3). At which point the timekeeper will restart the clock.
    6. At the end of one minute accumulated time the timekeeper will signal the referee, who will stop the contest, and direct the contestants to lead with the opposite leg.
    7. At the end of each half of the contest the timekeeper will signal the referee, who will stop the contest, and await the scores given by the scorekeeper.
    8. The contestant with the higher total score shall be declared the winner. The referee will signify this by holding up the hand of the winning contestant.
  2. Permitted Techniques 
     The eight direction/Jin techniques
    • Pung - Ward off
    • Loi - Roll back
    • Ji - Press
    • An - Impact
    • Choi - Pluck
    • Led - Spin
    • Chang - Elbow
    • Kou - Shoulder
      And
    • Push
    • Pull
    • Uproot
    • Sweeps
    • Throws
    • Striking with Palm (An), Shoulder (Kou) or elbow (Zhang)
    • Sticking but not prolonged gripping.
  3. Permitted contact areas

With the following exceptions contact to all parts of the body is permitted.
No contact is permitted to the head and neck, waist to the groin and genitals area. The waist is considered to end at the iliac crest of the hip.  Attacks to any of the non-permitted areas will result in a warning.

Once the contest has started both left and right arms, hands, elbows and shoulders, legs and knees may be used to contact the opponent.

Fouls & Infringements.
The following techniques or behaviour are not permitted

      • Locking Joints
      • Neck attacks or pressure applied to the neck
      • Attacks to the head
      • Kicks
      • Groin attacks
      • Attacks to the Knee Joint(s)
      • Hair Pulling, spitting, biting, gouging or attacks to the eyes
      • Punches & Chops (Striking with Palm (An), Shoulder (Kou) or elbow  (Chang) is permitted).
      • Pressure point attacks
      • Abuse of officials, dissension or foul language.

Warnings
The rules for warnings are the same as for fixed feet pushing hands. A contestant will be permitted two warnings for fouls & infringements. Third warning results in disqualification. For serious infringements eg vicious attacks to the opponent, the referee may immediately disqualify the contestant.

Scoring

The aim of the contest is to destroy or disrupt the opponent's balance by the use of tai chi chuan techniques.

No part of the body may be in contact with the floor other than the feet.

  • 1 point will be awarded to the contestant if his/her opponent is forced i.e. pushed outside of the designed contest area. This is either one foot or both feet outside the matted area.
  • 2 points will be awarded to the contestant if his/her opponent falls or is drawn down to the mat, and either a hand, knee or elbow touches the mat. This applies only inside the contest designated area.
  • 4 Points will be awarded to the contestant if his/her opponent is bodily thrown or swept from the permitted area or fall such that the torso or legs touch the floor outside the contest designated area.
  • 8 Points will be awarded to the contestant if his/her opponent is thrown or swept within the contest designated area.
  • If both contestants lose their balance or fall at the same time, either within the ring or outside the ring no points will be awarded.

The Winner will be the contestant with the highest score. In the event of a tie a third round will start whereby the first person to score will be the winner.

Note :

The highest authority of the competition and judging will be the Judging Committee together with the Chief Judge- Grandmaster Wu Kwong Yu.

These Rules may be amended by the Judging Committee in consultation with the Chief Judge.