Dui Lian.
The synchronized architecture, walked through.
How synchronization is judged, why pairs are scored as one performance, and what the 14m × 12m platform asks of two practitioners moving in concert. Watch this if you're trying to understand what separates choreographed saber competition from rehearsed demonstration, and why the partnership decision matters as much as the technical work.
What Is Partner Performance?
Partner Performance is the paired choreography format. Two practitioners executing a designated sequence together, judged as a unified performance. Unlike Solo Forms, where the performer has only themselves to manage, Partner Performance introduces a second variable that cannot be controlled alone: your partner. The form either speaks as one voice or it doesn't.
Within the Federation's competitive structure, Partner Performance is evaluated as a unified performance. Both practitioners are judged as a pair and receive a single combined score. Technique, synchronization, and martial expression are assessed together, not separately.
Three prescribed choreographies exist at each division level. The referee panel announces which one will be performed after both pairs have completed their warmup and are standing on deck. Neither pair knows in advance which choreography will be called. Both pairs are expected to be prepared to perform all three at competition level.
Solo Forms →
Partner Performance
Combat / Saber Tag →
The Pairing Requirement
Partner Performance requires two competitors registered as a declared pair. Both must hold current Federation competitor registration and must complete joint registration before the competition deadline. Pairs are not assembled at the event. They are confirmed in advance.
Both competitors must register as a declared pair before the competition registration deadline. Competitors cannot enter Partner Performance individually, pairs must be confirmed in advance. Both practitioners must hold current Federation competitor registration at the time of registration.
Both practitioners in a Partner Performance pair must hold current Federation academy membership, but they do not need to train at the same academy. Cross-academy pairs are fully permitted. Pairs from different academies must ensure both registrations are active and both competitors meet the training level requirements for their chosen category.
Both members of a pair must meet the minimum training requirement for the category they enter. A pair consisting of one Advanced and one Foundation competitor may not enter Mastery Partner Performance. The pair competes in the category appropriate to the less experienced competitor. Pairs may voluntarily compete in a higher category than their training level warrants. They may not compete in a lower category.
Both competitors in a pair must maintain active competitor registration through the date of competition. If either competitor's registration lapses before the event, the pair is ineligible to compete. Registration status is verified at check-in.
Three prescribed choreographies exist at each division level. After warmup (and not before), the head referee announces which choreography will be performed. Neither pair knows in advance which choreography will be called. Competitors are expected to be prepared to perform all three at competition level.
Five Criteria. One Number That Exposes the Partnership.
You prepare three forms. The referee panel selects one after warmup. Then five certified judges evaluate every element of what follows. From technical accuracy to whether the pair moves as one. The score out of 10.0 does not reflect effort. It reflects the actual depth of the partnership that was built before the day.
Structural accuracy of each technique against the Federation Technical Standard. Designated Form pairs are assessed against the published choreography. Deviations from the standardized sequence are treated as errors. Freestyle pairs are scored against their declared form level.
- Correct technique execution for the declared form level
- Designated Form: deviation from published choreography = error
- Footwork, guard positions, and blade angles all evaluated
- Freestyle: scored against general requirements of declared level
Power, speed, rhythm, and overall physical quality of movement from both practitioners. Each technique must demonstrate real martial application. Dynamic contrast between controlled and explosive sequences rewards depth of training.
- Power and speed expressed in every strike
- Rhythm self-driven and consistent throughout
- Crisp, decisive stops, no floating or trailing techniques
- Martial intent distinguishable from theatrical motion
The criterion most specific to Partner Performance. At each technique exchange: does the Defender's response begin before the Attacker's strike arrives? Does the Attacker's commitment read as genuine? Is there any moment of waiting? Waiting negates synchronization entirely.
- Defender's response must begin before the strike arrives
- Attacker's commitment must appear genuine, no telegraphing
- No visible waiting between exchange sequences
- Distance management consistent throughout the performance
The degree to which the pair's performance reads as a real martial exchange rather than a rehearsed routine. Both competitors must commit to their roles (Attacker (Gong) and Defender (Shou)), with genuine martial intent throughout and across role transitions.
- Both roles performed with genuine conviction
- Strikes targeted at realistic contact zones, not the air nearby
- Defenses are responsive, not mechanical anticipation
- Role transitions executed without breaking the martial narrative
Holistic impression: spatial use, uniform compliance, music/movement alignment (if music is used), and floor presence. Music that conflicts with the martial nature of the form reduces this score. The pair is assessed as a unit, not as two individual performers.
- Spatial awareness and floor coverage appropriate to form level
- Both competitors' uniforms matching or coordinated
- Background music (if used) must support the martial character of the form
- Opening and closing bows (to referee table and to each other), observed
Highest and lowest scores excluded. Average of remaining 3 = final score. Calculated to two decimal places.
Two highest and two lowest excluded. Average of remaining 3 = final score.
The Scoring System
Five to seven certified Federation judges score each performance independently. The highest and lowest scores are excluded before calculating the final score. Deductions are applied by the Head Referee to the final score.
| Score Range | Classification | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0 – 10.0 | Elite | The pair performs as a single entity. Timing variance imperceptible. Technique equal across both. Narrative unmistakable. Competition-winning caliber. |
| 8.0 – 8.9 | Advanced | Synchronization strong with minor variance at 1–2 checkpoints. Individual technique solid. Clear performance quality and relational presence. |
| 7.0 – 7.9 | Proficient | Pair is competent. Sync holds through most of the choreography. Technique adequate but averaged technique score is evident. Performance quality present but not commanding. |
| 6.0 – 6.9 | Developing | Visible synchronization breaks at multiple checkpoints. Technique variance between practitioners is significant. Performance quality absent at key narrative moments. |
| Below 6.0 | Remedial | Major sync failure. Choreography recognizably becomes two separate performances. Wrong choreography, collision, or safety violation committed. |
- Failure to complete opening/closing protocol −0.1
- Either practitioner exits platform boundary −0.1
- Competitor-caused interruption (1 restart permitted, then withdrawal) −0.1
- Under minimum time for form level −0.1 to −0.3
- Over maximum time for form level −0.1 to −0.3
- Either practitioner falls, performance not completed No score
- Practitioner collision, minor contact −0.3
- Mid-performance competitor-caused interruption (restart allowed once, then −0.1) −0.1
- Wrong choreography performed DQ
- One practitioner does not complete performance DQ
Final Score = Average of Middle Judges − Head Referee Deductions (max 10.0)
The pair receives a single combined score. There are no separate Attacker and Defender scores.
Three Choreographies. One Revealed.
Every division has three prescribed Partner Performance choreographies. Both pairs competing in a division must be prepared to perform all three at competition level. The head referee announces which choreography will be performed only after both pairs have completed their warmup and are standing on deck, not before.
This format requires competitors to prepare all three choreographies fully, not just one. The three choreographies per division represent distinct movement vocabularies: one is primarily mirror-based, one is call-and-response, one is close-proximity engagement.
Three forms prepared. One called on the day.
The reveal mechanic is the point. Divisions are open for all rank levels. Register your pair now, slots are confirmed in registration order.
Register Your Pair, June 30, 2027You Train in WISE. You Compete Here, Together.
Partner Performance is the Compete layer of WISE applied to two people simultaneously. The synchronization criteria that judges look for on June 30, 2027 (the read, the commit, the absence of waiting), only develops through consistent paired training inside the same system. Four layers of WISE build the pair that stands out on the floor.
Full-body master-coached form review on any phone, Apple or Android. No special hardware. No video recorded. No data shared. Each partner trains the individual technique components independently through the Master-Coached Form Review before the pair trains together. The individual scores are what make the paired performance look inevitable, not rehearsed.
The platform tracks both partners' training consistency, recovery, and readiness. Partner Performance pairs that fall apart on competition day typically have one consistent practitioner and one inconsistent one. The Wellness Platform, powered by AcadevoFit, makes that gap visible in advance, and fixable before June 30, 2027 rather than after.
Five certified judges. A single combined pair score. One of three prepared choreographies, revealed after warmup. Every result submitted to the Federation and entered into the official competition record within 48 hours. The pair that performs on June 30, 2027 is writing the first line of this format's national history.
Each division's designated choreography is built on the corresponding form from the 9-Form System: Form 3 for Foundation, Form 6 for Combat, Form 9 for Mastery. The pair that has trained through the curriculum knows the underlying form. They're not learning choreography on top of nothing. They're applying structure they already own.
Train inside the WISE. Compete with the edge. , June 30, 2027 is where the pair becomes the record.
Register Your Pair, June 30, 2027 →Your Rank. Your Three Choreographies.
Each division has three prescribed choreographies. All three must be competition-ready before you arrive. After warmup, the referee panel selects one, and that is the performance that is scored. The pair that has prepared all three equally has no weakness to exploit.
The minimum age to compete in Partner Performance is 13 years old. There is no upper age limit. Both competitors in a pair must meet the minimum age requirement at the time of competition.
Age-specific sub-divisions may be created upon request when five or more competitors of the same age group are registered. Sub-division requests must be submitted to the Competition Committee before the registration deadline.
Four masters.
The credentials behind every LSMAF format.
A federation is only as legitimate as the people who designed its rules and certified its judges. Here’s who built LSMAF.
Built a landmark U.S. light sword academy · Entrepreneur of the Year · Featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox · Parks & Recreation Contract
3× WEKAF National Champion · NASM-Certified Trainer · U.S. military contracts, Langley AFB & Fort Eustis
2× World Champion · 2004 Olympics Performer · Black Belt Magazine Feature · 2nd-Gen JKD, Bruce Lee lineage
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 · Tenet · The 5th Wave · 101 Stunt Credits on IMDb · JKD · Capoeira · Kempo · Judo
Sport governance is only credible when the people running it have stood on the floor themselves: as competitors, as judges, as builders. These four have.
Eastern Regionals
The first officially sanctioned Federation Partner Performance competition. Three choreographies prepared. One selected on the day. All rank divisions open. Your pair's result here is permanent. The first entry in the official record that defines this event.