My bud and fellow judge Steve C has posted a great explanation of showa pattern and the general rules of balance over on Koi Bito that everyone should read and absorb.
I do not wish to take away from his lesson and post below his post as I think it will take his lesson off track and I don't want that. So here is an additional thought about showa pattern and really, all patterns.
As Steve points out, a pattern needs to be balanced or the fish will be:
*front heavy
*back heavy
* side heavy ( lopsided)
* a natural fish pattern . IE too heavy and non artistic. This takes away from the surreal effect of nishikigoi and leads a koi to be more of a colored carp in status.
But probably most important of all is the lesson of jitai. In it’s expanded concept, a pattern needs to ‘fit’ the body the high quality white skin is draped on. Meaning, a pattern needs to FLOW down a koi so that the body line is complimented and accented. This is an advanced judging concept but quite easy for the artistic person with no training to understand. Often the words can escape the observer but the phrase ‘just right’ just as often satisfies that loss for words. Balance is another description but one must be careful with the generalization of this word. Balance yes, but not always the western definition which involves symmetry. Symmetry is appreciated no doubt but balance refers more to ‘flow over the body line’ than left-right symmetry.
It is helpful to go to a dealer ( or meet me/us at Carl’s or Matt’s) so that a tank of koi can be observed and the difference can be seen first hand. It is amazing how many fish in the small sizes are flawed in this jitai concept. Probably why they were sold off to begin with.
There is nothing wrong with falling in love with a pattern as a learning experience. And it is amazing how observation at home, over time, delivers a ‘final message’ to the owner of a once much admired fish! But if you want to buy a fish that will last and not disappoint your eye down the road, try and learn the rules of balance and the lesson of jitai as an expanded concept. JR

Posted by MikeM on 1/30/2007, in reply to "showa and pattern"
It seems to me that pattern is more important in Showa than in the other gosanke, and more important in Sanke than in Kohaku... taking a backseat to quality/conformation, but still differing in relative importance. I think it is the difficulty of achieving "balance" with the differing roles of Sumi: as an accentuating mark in Sanke, and as the determinant of the powerful impression in Showa. This is not necessarily consciously considered when selecting a fish or judging, but rather inherent in the factors weighted in making a personal or judging evaluation.
Thoughts?

Posted by daniel on 1/31/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
Mike
The way I always understood the pattern issue is that you start like a painting. You do the background. Pure white. Then you add the primary color pattern, the Kohaku red. Then after you have a nice Kohaku, you start adding the sumi. And how that color interplays with the others gives you the overall pattern.
But with Showa and Sanke, you must start with a nice Kohaku pattern first. No matter how good the sumi pattern ends up being, if the Kohaku pattern is not right, then the end result is not acceptable as a good specimen.
At least that is the way I always remember being taught.
It seems that Showa more than Sanke has morphed somewhat over the years. While heavy patterns are still produced, it seems there is a more refined lighter pattern that is more of a favorite these days.
-d

Posted by James P on 1/31/2007, 1:10 pm, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
"But with Showa and Sanke, you must start with a nice Kohaku pattern first. No matter how good the sumi pattern ends up being, if the Kohaku pattern is not right, then the end result is not acceptable as a good specimen."- d
d, this part is certainly 'not wrong' and right on the superficial level but not a rule. Just one way to describe a good fish.
A kohaku pattern flows down a koi's body. It 'suits' the body of the fish we are looking at. In the early days we used to suggest that patterns could be too small for adult fish and too large for baby fish. Or maybe a pattern was just right for a baby but the same pattern would not grow well into an adult body. This turns out to be another lesson that was a step in learning but unfortunately NOT the path to understanding.
The use of kohaku blood into sanke and sanke into showa could make your statement MORE true as time goes by. But showa is from different background and as such has a unique pattern. Many great showa actually have poor kohaku pattern. But the judges are not looking for a 'kohaku' trapped in the body of every showa! Instead, they are looking for the quality elements of gosanke. ( remember the meaning of the word GoSanke).
so what we WANT is the quality elements of kohaku but the IMPRESSION or look of showa. This changes the balance issues and aspects of the pattern.
Here is a good example , I think, of a world class showa. It has the quality beni of a kohaku but the 'kohaku pattern' is front heavy. If this were a kohaku it would not make it very far at all in the All Japan. In fact, it would probably not make it at all TO the All Japan! LOls
But the showa elements of the pattern can only be described one way- SUMI POWER/PLACEMENT. This is what makes this a winning fish. But more importantly it is a fish of superior body and skin elements- quality, quality, quality.
Have a great day d, JR

Posted by daniel on 2/1/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
Agreed JR
IF you look at only the Kohaku pattern, the fish would be lacking. It has wonderful skin and the hi is sharp and crisp. But once again, when you talk about "rules" this is a great example.
To really judge the fish, you must take in the whole fish, not just parts of the fish. (I think I quote you?) As a whole, it is breathtaking. The interplay between the colors and patterns is superb. And as usual in a great fish, the shiro is spectacular. And from there on out, it is a perfect a fish as a person could ask for.
As you state, a truely powerful pattern, on a truely powerful fish.
Best
-d

Posted by MikeM on 2/2/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
JR, your explanation is getting very close to why I was suggesting that among the gosanke, pattern is more important to Showa than to Kohaku and Sanke. (Always secondary to quality,of course.) A Kohaku can reach a high level of distinction based on quality alone. But Showa has a need for pattern as well as quality to have the character of Showa.
I agree that pattern is most important to Tancho Kohaku compared to Tancho Sanke or Tancho Showa. I'd explain the reason as: The Tancho Kohaku has only one mark to distinguish it from Shiromuji, so that mark has to be in near perfect harmony with the body shape for a specimen to be accomplished. With Tancho Sanke and Tancho Showa, there is more opportunity for the Sumi to counter-balance an imperfection in the maruten.
I cannot decide whether pattern is more important in Tancho Sanke compared to Tancho Showa or vice versa. ...rather like the angels on the pin.

Posted by James P on 1/30/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
No way Mike. In truth, pattern can be a distraction in showa judging- confusing the intermediate judge and collector. Of all the koi varieties I guess I would say it is tancho that is most dependent on pattern.
all KOI are first subject to conformation, then quality of skin and then color quality. Pattern can separate show fish from collector fish for sure, but once you have identified show fish it become a matter of age as to how important pattern becomes. JR

Posted by James P on 1/30/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
Mike, ti re-enforce those comments:
A showa is perhaps THE most flawed variety. Its common deformities include head anomilies, mouth deformities and gill plate issues. Showa also frequently suffer from deformed pec fins ( tiny) and split dorsals ( two sections). Often missing eye lens and missing barbels are missed. And finally, many showa have short bodies.
The pattern tends to hind all this!
You are correct and very observant in that showa pattern can add to the shape and therefore POWER of showa in a subjective support of showa ' as a concept'. But then again--
kohaku, for instance, is 'better' if it is a refined three or four step with a horse shoe face pattern and a nice odome at the tail. It is truly then, a refined piece of art= an artistic prototype! BUT the heavy mask of some koi hint of the wild pattern that make koi very large. So we accept masked and inazuma koi for want THAT trait brings to the variety- but still we idolize the artistic 'refined' koi as a standard prototype. JR

Posted by MikeM on 1/31/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
Are you speaking of Tancho as a class, or just Tancho Kohaku? (As being the variety in which pattern is more important.)

Posted by James P on 1/31/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
Tancho kohaku , Mike. JR

Posted by MikeM on 1/31/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
Why do think pattern is more important to Tancho Kohaku than Tancho Sanke or Tancho Showa? [I agree, but am wondering if our reasons are the same.]

Posted by James P on 1/31/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
Morning Mike. Tancho kohaku is a very interesting variety! Beginners love them, then they find them boring and then they re-discover them!
A tancho ( kohaku) is considered THE living example for Jitai study because it can't hind it's quality elements with a flashy pattern!
It is a 'naked' fish in that regard. Yet it HAS the elements, or potential for the quality assessment, of kohaku- all of them.
So we look at the 'skin' first. In the old days, judges would look for blood shot skin, buff skin and then shape of body and finally a round spot. It seemed so easy that eventually negative judging took over and fault hunting judged the koi rather than positive elements like jitai. We lost the lesson in America at that point as we thought 'saying nice things about a koi' was what was meant by being 'positive' in our judging.In truth it is really a postive approach regarding a search for quality/ the holy grail.
Today we understand better that judging tancho starts with quality elements of body, skin texture and type- and finally, THICKNESS of beni and a shape that works with the body. So Tancho need not be perfectly round- desirable in a perfect world?-- yes! But square tanchos work just as well IF they are thick, show high class beni and MATCH the skin and frame of a high class kohaku.In truth, large tancho pattern plates match large females and small thin males do well with small round tancho plates. But it is the whole fish being judged. And if the whole fish is of quality then the shape becomes less important- not unlike issues of beni in fins and beni touching tails and eyes in the kohaku clan proper.
So to summarize, Tancho kohaku allows the koi student to study the shape of a body without distraction and also a way to study pure white skin to learn to see high class white,bellowy, trnslucent,porcelain skin Vs the harder white male skin or the tateshite type skin. Soon the light bulb goes on and you SEE the differences. Then isolated comments about blood shot skin or buff color are put into context. The tail no longer wags the dog.
-JR

Posted by Brady Brandwood on 1/30/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
I don't see Showa as being any more prone to flaws than other varieties (these days). I look through a lot of Showa, Sanke, & Kohaku fry each season, and find more flaws in Kohakus actually,... BUT they're culled out. They're easily visible. What happens is flaws are missed more often in Showas during culling, and the fish is allowed to grow more which eventually reveals the flaw, as JR eluded to. This gives the impression that flaws are more common in Showas, because some of the flawed fish actually get to the hobbyist,... (hidden in the intricate patterning) rather than being caught in the early culls.
I personally would like to see a lot of what has been written on Showa up to this point be re-evaluated and updated.

Best Wishes,
Brady Brandwood

Posted by mike pfeffer on 1/30/2007, 7:23 pm, in reply to "showa and pattern"
Jim-
I take it there is not a one word definition for jitai. "ji" is the white background. So, the longer definition of jitai would be....?????
Thanks
-Mike

Posted by James P on 1/30/2007, 9:04 pm, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
Hi Mike, Jitai in its most basic use is an attempt to discuss QUALITY of white ground. And this is how breeders will use the word.
The ZNA judges use the quality trait of shiro ground ( translucent porcelain white) on the quality frame ( body structure). Taken to the final step of the concept, we wish to see a properly sized pattern formation on this quality skin and a high quality body type. And ideally we are talking about adult and young adult fish. As I’ve mentioned before, tancho is the very best fish to study jitai on- white skin, a ‘naked body’ and a pattern ( tancho) that must fit the body type.
This is also why adult fish are judged strongly on body and skin quality than the pattern and why baby fish, with no adult development as of yet, are judged primarily on pattern and color.
-JR

Posted by dick benbow on 1/30/2007, in reply to "showa and pattern"
good students make good teachers...and i think
the first step is to seek knowledge. I think the next step is hardest and that is understanding,
because once you grasp that then the final step in the process of application is quite easy (and enjoyable) as the next installment of your lesson plan "teach"....since often times it takes
many many years before a tategoi showa has developed it's pattern and filled in the process
of sumi, how does one select with younger koi, a pattern that will fit with the koi (jitai)when it ages. I think most of us here realize that the answer is probably unanswerable at tosai but what about nisei? I think the problem we all have is trying to afford the best, but not being able to
purchase a koi older in age when the question mark on development is eliminated. Any insights you may have to share would be appreciated.

Posted by James P on 1/30/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
Hi Dick,
I think that we have to qualify our comments and apply terminology to what it is we are discussing.
IF we are talking about buying koi, especially promising koi YOUNG koi, you can’t really discuss points that apply to the finished adult show fish only. Instead you are looking for young traits that hint of a future better show fish.
So we talk about bone structure hints, sashi conversations, beni characteristics etc. This implies we are assessing:
1) a body that is not adult but should finish into a nice adult body
2) characteristics of shiro ground that lead to thinker but delicate finished shiroji and also a bellowing dermis and epidermis WHEN this develops later in life as an adult.
3) young beni that will likely be covered by additional coats ( depth) of beni over time
4) a pattern that is elastic in nature and a vison of what that pattern may look like when color solidify and finish happens.
If we are talking about a young finished male fish, we KNOW what the reality of this fish already is. It is beautiful, of a normal baby conformation, has hard white skin , bright colors and a shape fixed and above all- pleasing pattern.
When I was a beginner judge, I used to see baby champions as miniature Grand Champions. Now I understand that all they have in common is that they are BOTH finished. Otherwise they are VERY DIFFERENT animals.
And if we have an adult female we are assessing rarity. Jitai ( all those quality aspects mentioned already) is key in that it captures the essence of quality- the most rare traits of all.
When a breeder tells you that your greatest risk is in buying unfinished one and two year olds- he ain’t kidd’en!!!!
The price is higher and the risk is lower as time brings progressive finish and less guess to the table. So three year olds are often mentioned as the hard guessing time is passed. At four, even less guess and the jitai is there or it isn’t.
This all makes showa the hardest to assess- especially wishing on pattern! The body, the quality of ground an the quality of color will over come the pattern.. At least as the standard states it should be. If it flows OVER the perfect body of a high quality adult fish, details of that pattern become less and less relevant.

Posted by Steve Childers on 1/30/2007, in reply to "Re: showa and pattern"
Thanks for the kind words JR conserning my Bito post.
Dick, you asked about sellecting at Nisai. I received an email some years back from the boys in Dallas (D&G). Gene had been emailed a picture from Tim of a 2 year old Kin Di Showa, Sakai (Isawa) I believe. He asked me my opinion. I was astounded. It was a beautiful Koi but gene was still not convinced. My best advise was that if he didn't like it, then don't buy it.
Some people have a better eye and knowledge of developement than others. Hints of Sumi here and there develope as you well know. I told Gene that before he made his decision, to print a large picture of the Koi and take a Sharpie and color in the grey areas, slightly larger than what they appeared as. After he had done so, guess what? He bought the koi! I have had the honor of watchinhg this Koi's progression and you know what? Today, it looks almost exactly like the colored in picture.
This is a trick that perhaps some people could use to get a better idea of the "possibilities." I wouldn't suggest such for a Tosai Showa, but for a Nisai, Kin Di Showa it could work well for others too.
-Steve