Hints When Taking part in the Competitions of Tai Chi - 1 (Obey the rules and regulations)
Obey the rules and regulations, and notice the important details:
Due to the fact that there are definitive standards of performance regarding the competition routines, the referees usually judge the performance according to these standard rules. Therefore it is important for the participants to perform according to what is required in the standard and avoid the situations which would constiture violations and result in unnecessary point deductions. You should be aware that it is sometimes difficult to get the right posture when learning from books alone. For example, in the earlier version of the competition routine of Chen style, it is required to display a small circular movement at the beginning while in actual practice, what we do is a slightly bigger circular movement. That’s the reason why you should refer to the video on these differences. You should also pay special attention to the notification of changes issued before every competition which usually contains the latest amendments on the rules and the movement requirements. Sometimes the chief judge and the referees might have different interpretations regarding the movement requirements and that will some times result in slight changes in the competition process and the point deductions if you are unaware of them. For example, in the 42 form of Tai Chi Sword, there are some differences in turning foot inward and landing the heel and toes. So you should try your best to get a mutual understanding with the referees about the requirements before the competition.
