In an event of this nature, the success lies directly proportional to not only the quality of the organization but also the quality of the officials.  Judges for the North East Open are hand selected. Only the highest ranking, most experienced martial artists are recruited.  Each a Master or school owner and an expert in their discipline.  These top martial artists from throughout the region, all have to sign a contract of commitment to the event, give an oath to unbiased judging based on style or school and participate in a pre-event meeting one month prior to the event. These extraordinary prerequisites ultimately lead to the highest quality of judging and the most well run martial arts competition possible. Each year each division is judged by a panel of different martial artists, representing different style knowledge and background. This diversity helped create a level playing field for the competitors. Because each judge was a master in their field as well as a seasoned martial artist, they had the ability to judge based on technique rather than style.