[KoiCop]

Well said, Ray. Very well said.

If I might, I'd like to add this excerpt from one of JR's rambles since it directly address this issue:

Koi Judging 201

For the history buffs among you, this event, really a new more evolved way of looking at koi, changed koi judging for ever. This evolution was born out of two emerging realities- 1) Breeders were starting to produce ‘different’ looking koi compared to the highly technically correct patterned koi, with vivid colors. 2) Absolutely amazing and inspiring fish were being produced that were technically lacking under hard standards yet somehow were ‘superior’ to the fish chosen under Koi Judging 101 perspectives.

The other reason for this inevitable move away from Koi Judging 101 (lets call that judging level KJ101) was that amateur judges in Japan were confused and threatened by the new way breeders were looking at their koi and took over all amateur koi show judging in Japan in 1971. This had the desired benefit of removing dealer and breeder manipulation of the outcome of the koi show but it also had the effect of isolating the judging decisions to the standards and slowing the amateur side of judging evolution from KJ101 to KJ201.

So slowly through the 70s the ZNA judging evolved to another plain while America was still learning how to look at koi from the KJ101 perspective. And even today you might hear an old timer or two say “I can judge like the ZNA judges if you like? I will simply pick the largest gosanke!” This of course is an example of being trapped in the KJ101 perspective.

So what is the lesson of KJ201? Well there are many lessons but the fundamental lessons are 1) the concept of subjectivity and 2) The concept of quality.

Quality is a tricky subject in that you can’t see it until you are ready to see it. Meaning you need to be exposed to many koi of many grades to begin to have ‘the clouds part’ on this subject. But basically it has to do with superior genetics manifesting itself as superior body line and bone structure, evolved refined skin and associated colors within that special skin.

This is also why today at koi shows we have BEST fish and BEST winning show fish! And the reason American judges can never understand how BREED JUDGES pick the winning fish they do! The breeder, who if you remember has been breeding since the split in judging of 1971, chooses fish everyday based on potential: Meaning fish that have a future due to inherent qualities of body and skin. The fish he sells are useless as they are certainly sellable but they hold no fascination for the breeder. It is the fish of promising superior potential that is -THE BEST FISH.

If you contrast this with the KJ101 mind set, these fish simply do not rise to the criteria taught in 101 judging. So we agree to disagree by saying things like “well on THIS day, this fish is not ready to be shown” or “in a koi show we judge THE fish on THIS day”. Fair enough! BUT do realize that this is exactly where Japanese ZNA judges were in their perspective in 1977. Today even Amateur Japanese judges lean towards Breeder’s eye views and breeder’s judging standards for two basic reasons. 1) Get on board or get run over! LOL. This is the trend in koi breeding and the job of those Japanese is to understand the koi evolution that has occurred. 2) In training to be an enlightened koi judge, they must recognize WHY things have evolved (not replaced) the judges of 1977.

Source: Nishikigoi International
Posted by James P on 2/18/2007, 1:08 pm
http://members4.boardhost.com/koimag/msg/1171807710.html