Hyung (Forms)

Scoring & Deductions

Performance criteria, the point scale, and mandatory restart deductions.

Key takeaways

Judges score on a 5-to-10 scale: 10 perfect, 9 excellent, 8 good, 7 average, 6 below average, 5 poor.
A restart costs a mandatory 0.5-point deduction, every time — up to two restarts (three total tries) before a mandatory 5.0.
Small hyung variations don't affect scoring — correcting technique differences is the Technical Advisory Committee's job, not the judges'.
On a 5-judge panel, the highest and lowest scores are dropped before totaling; on a 3-judge panel, all three count.

Performance criteria

Judges must give every competitor their full, undivided attention and score impartially. The rulebook lists these as the criteria to weigh:

Understanding of hyung
Skill of hyung execution
Degree of perfection, according to the individual's age and physical condition
Degree of difficulty in performing the hyung
Contestant's attitude
Rhythm and feeling put into the hyung
Speed and coordination of techniques
Balance, power, and focus

A competitor executing a high kick with a raised fist during a hyung performance. — Speed, balance, and focus all factor into a hyung's performance score.

Small variations aren't your call

A contestant's small variation in hyung techniques should NOT affect the scoring decision. Correcting technique differences is the Technical Advisory Committee's responsibility — not the Championship Committee's or the judges'.

The point scale

Score	Meaning
10	Perfect
9	Excellent
8	Good
7	Average
6	Below average
5	Poor

Mandatory restart deductions

A competitor who makes a mistake may request a restart — but it always costs points.

Every restart costs a mandatory 0.5-point deduction from the score, regardless of rank.
No more than two restarts are allowed — three total tries (the first attempt plus two restarts).
If the third attempt still fails, the contestant receives the lowest possible score: 5.0.
Equipment failure that forces a restart still requires the mandatory deduction.
Before calling for scores, the center judge announces that the score reflects a restart deduction.

A young competitor performing a bong (staff) hyung while a ring official records notes beside the ring. — Scorekeepers tabulate the scores while the next competitor is performing.

Calculating the final score and standings

The scorekeeper's job is to record and calculate accurately — not to watch each performance — tallying scores immediately after they're announced, while the next competitor is already performing.

Three-judge panel: all three scores count toward the total.
Five-judge panel: the highest and lowest scores are dropped, and the remaining three are totaled.

The top four scoring competitors win 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and co-3rd place. For a five-judge panel tie, the dropped high and low scores are added back in to break it. If a tie remains — or the tie happened on a three-judge panel — the tied competitors repeat the same hyung one at a time (order decided by a coin flip). If they're still tied after that, each judge simply points to the competitor they believe performed better, and the majority wins.