Are Locking Battles Fair?

 

” Hey Skeet we gotta do something about the judging ,the crew I wanted to win didn’t win and the judges they sucked, they can’t lock. they dance too much, are not qualified to judge, you gotta help me do something about the judging” 

This is a message that i have gotten several times after events. and it usually causes a big commotion on the fairness of street dance competitions. But listen to what I really heard !!

Hey Skeet the style of locking that I teach and that I like didn’t win at the event. help me get judges that will pick my style as the foundation and criteria for determining the best Lockers in the world ! I don’t like the style that those judges think is good, because i can’t control it in MY HISTORY.  and if they keep judging and picking that style . what i do will be lost. so endorse what I DO..oh i mean what WE DO (snicker).. & lets stop them from Judging.

Now the manipulation is on to get a creditable pioneer or Og with a name to endorse your style , so your workshop and teachings are valid in the street dance world , and if I won’t do it, they will find someone who will.. because they control the paying jobs and events..Thats The POLITICS of todays judging system at the events.

But the fact of the matter is ..AS OF TODAY there is no foundational based criteria set for what is correct or incorrect in the judging of locking , and no one REALLY wants a criteria (until they lose) or at least until what THEY DO and what THEY SAY and TEACH is SET AS THE FOUNDATION and is foundational accepted as the criteria set for determining what LOCKING IS , and also what style of locking,will determine who is the best.

So with that NO judge is qualified to render a decision based on a educated system from foundational history. But all Judges are qualified to chose what they best like.

So the FIX is on to get the judges who will endorse your style & eliminate the judges who like and will chose other styles based on a different foundation than yours… lol.. again that is THE POLITICS of subjective judging , in subjective competition.. The same political problem the The International Olympic committee faced years ago, with judging in Subjective competition. When every country wanted to dominate the roll of champion, and we are going back to that geographical control in locking and street dance.

so who is qualified ?

When it was members of the performance group the lockers or people that they endorse, who were the only ones considered qualified HERES what happened  …Too much clowning and entertaining at the events and they are only choosing dancers like them ,who dress like them , and perform like them , and its ruining the street dance aspect of the style ..ok so stop them from being to only Judge and that being the only style right ? Then Locking will not be a Joke at these street events

what about an endorsement from Don Campbell as who can Judge ? well he says there is no criteria , its total freedom & total creativity you can do what you want and that is locking..HERES WHAT THE DANCE SCENE SAID…oh my can we judge on THAT CRITERIA.  Oh No if we do that no one needs any structure or workshops to learn. Oh hell No we can’t let that be the only foundational criteria.there is nothing to teach or pass on, anybody can do what they want and that is locking?

Well Soul Train is in Lockings’ foundational History right ? what about lockers that danced on soul train, what about that style and judges who learned and endorsed that style can they be qualified as judges..ummm might work ? But heres what eventually WAS HEARD Oh No that’s too much dancing ? we don’t want that much dancing at a street dance event. there has to be some technical foundation to the moves with the dancing right ? Oh NO but Don says there is none ! and the foundational moves in the performance of the Lockers are cool. but they are mixed with people thinking the freedom of creativity and the minstrel look of the entertainers make locking a Joke at these street events.

Ok lets just go out and comfort each other with fast quick points and gestures , do some breath taking stunts ,show up the other person and that’s locking right, we can judge on who was the most serious in the confrontation right. I think we can sell that it is just like the solos the lockers do , but without the clowning..

But who can we get as an Og to endorse this?

Ohh so there is a street culture , of lockers and dancers ,and it is connected to a real street history ..cool ..ahh shucks but it doesn’t look like a dance at all now.. and the street cats are saying.. ? NOT ENOUGH DANCING , SOMETHING IS MISSING.. WHERE IS THAT GROOVE, THAT SOULFUL FUNK….So WE HERE..oh shit ! the power is missing out of locking is that part of the foundational criteria we should have ?

Well to embrace and to Endorse that we have to endorse the History and cultural background that will set a criteria that has a cultural base. A cultural base that goes back before the groups performed. before the costumes. even before we have to go back to what was the foundation and power that was around when Don instituted the first Lock , to back when the first footwork was put to the locks, to why handshakes and gestures were so influential. to the passion that made it so powerful ,mixed with the dance that made it so graceful, its social conscious, cultural roots.. But id those things are studied and instituted as foundational and PART of the criteria set along with creativity for judging, THEN IT WONT BE MY STYLE OR MY COUNTRIES STYLE set as foundational and i won’t control what kind of locking is taught as the best .. OH HELL NO we gotta discredit anyone who wants to set Locking back to that historical roots has a part in our criteria.. like we said we would rather have no foundational criteria and COMPLAIN about fairness ,Than to have one and HAVE to recognize a cultural base that we don’t have control over…

What do we do Now..

Back to square ONE…. discredit all who will not endorse us as setting a criteria and foundation,we will endorse ANYONE..BUT DO NOT let the cultural foundation or anyone who endorses it be established because we can’t control that .and then we can’t determine what style can as determined in history as correct locking

But we need an Ogs endorsement, RIGHT ?

Heck we can go back stroke a few egos and always get one who will let us do what we want , Even if that means turning on their cultural truth of their dance art form.. for their personal adulation..AS LONG AS WE PAY THEM…

NOW ‘THAT’S FUNNY but SAD

No locking competition is not fair or factually based as good or bad , by the judges that are on the scene today , win a contest , people like what you did ,you can teach and judge and make up your own criteria, unless you already belong to a clique that is trying to establish one..So why don’t you just stop COMPLAINING and let the judges you have created pick what theyLike … OH I FORGOT they might like something different from YOU ! and that will mess up YOUR plans , just as you messed up the planes of the community and culture that PRODUCED a simple style to a movement with a proud dance art form..

NO FOUNDATION, NO ORGANIZATION, NO FAIRNESS…JUST OPINIONS

so just enjoy the dance ! because there is NO best with those rules.

Post Response on Facebook 3/2017 by Skeeter..

ARE YOU REALLY SURPRISED That there is CONTROVERSY in the Judging at the

First of all I want to say to all the contestants , who competed in the true spirit of the love of dance & the respect for the culture of its Origin , That no matter how you feel , your worth is not based on the opinion of those who have no standards other than WHAT they like !

The standard for competition involving any cultural or classical art form that exist in this world today comes from its ORIGIN , That is except the street dance cultural art form of Locking , ( and other Street styles )
There is no standard , and that is heartbreaking to those who know that what is real is ignored in the major , NEW Commercial/underground events of today

And with no standard , there will never be any justification for what is true and honest judging with comparison of levels of competence , because it is based on the personal likes & favoritism of a system of individuals who are setting the standards as they go. And there are various reasons , including economical greed & mans lust for power which plays heavily in those decisions.

That is why even though you can understand both , one method of speaking a language can be considered proper & speaking slang can be considered wrong and you can be judged on that , right or wrong , those are things taught in a school , which continues that cultural standard

BECAUSE SOME WHERE , SOME HOW, SOME PEOPLE from its history , set that STANDARD ! !
Based on the Language’s CULTURE

It’s Plain and simple if you control the teaching of the style and it’s origin of development that wins you control the economics & the power. So first stop the cultural connection , discredit & eliminate all that teach it , and make sure the judging favors all those who support that agenda … Sounds like Governmental Politics didn’t it ! , It is the same ! And not even the people down to the very person of its creation & Origin can change it now , without coming together & embracing the true culture !

Today it has gotten to the point where they realize that the people who became famous themselves through the commercial exposure have no standards, other than what sells

So according to many individuals , They too can claim there is no standard , until the standards set empowers them. Individuals who are or were connected to organizations , outside of its cultural Origin who wish to set the standards , and each develop and teach the standards they want differently , This even happened as the dance style expanded from its PLACE of ORGIN from the moment it became a commodity & the significance of culture of the dance was recognized as a powerful influence

It’s PURPOSE was so powerful that it was worth changing .. and today we are at the point of losing the respect it once had !