ZNA America

Remembering Ronald Reagan

ZNA America — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:31:10 GMT

This week marks the funeral date of Ronald Wilson Reagan, our 40th president. In light of that anniversary, we have included a note from our late president addressed to our Southern California ZNA chapter .

NorCal 2nd annual show date set for November 2008!

ZNA America — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:20:05 GMT

Northern California's NorCal ZNA announces the dates for it's 2nd Annual ZNA Nishikigoi Show - Nov. 15-16, 2008

   The site will be the Clarion Hotel San Jose Airport
    1355 North Fourth Street
     San Jose, CA 95112

    NorCal is ZNA North American District's newest chapter and also one of it's most active. To celebrate this special event, the chairman of ZNA America, Ron Goforth, will act as head judge for the show. We wish all the greatest success to the NorCal members in this undertaking. Supporting the show will be members from several sister chapters including SoCal ZNA, MAKC ZNA and Moto-kara koikai ZNA. Looking forward to a really great show!

Contact information :

   Show Chairman : Donald Dang Ph 408- 390-1938
                                                      cartoonzz@yahoo.com

   NorCal President: Larry Gill         Ph 510 - 352-7168
                                                      gelldu@sbcglobal.net

ZNA's Southern Koi Association President

ZNA America — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:01:51 GMT

Congratulations to Joe White, the newly elected President of SKA!

Anyone in the koi hobby who attends koi shows knows Joe White. A tireless volunteer, Joe also serves as an AKCA Judge and is our co-manger of this website, providing comments and back up whenever asked. As current President of SKA and founding member of SKA, we all can rest assured that ZNA's image and presence in the region is well represented. Best of luck, Joe!

Additional officers elect for SKA this year are:

Henry Culpepper - Vice President
Luane Porter - Treasurer
Karen Hardcastle - Secretary

Shredding the mystique of beni

ZNA America — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:57:40 GMT

Shredding the mystique of beni. ( part one)

No one loves the mystique associated with nishikigoi more than I! The myths and poetic names of nishikigoi are really enriching to this once exclusive Japanese hobby. And the many facets of koi color and pattern can take a life time to study, and in that regard, add mystery to things like beni.

But beni is not hard to understand if you learn correctly what it is to begin with. Unfortunately it is in the interest of many to keep the customer hobbyist both in the dark and in awe of professional’s ability to seem to see things that mere mortals can not possible see if not a breeder or 40 year master. Honestly understanding good beni is tricky , not hard.

Let’s begin to pierce the beni glass ceiling by defining beni-

Beni is the red pattern formed within the white skin of nishikigoi. It is both the color red and the structure form by layers of red within the three dimensional pattern. So depending how we use the word beni in a sentence, an understanding/meaning should be evident as to just what beni means in that context.

Even though we use terms to describe red patterns such as - "solid", ‘fluid", "thick", "uniform" etc., beni pattern or beni plate is not one solid color surface. It is , in fact, layers of millions of tiny cells joined up to give the human eye the impression of one solid mass. You can imagine a series of tiny red beads suspended in a clear Jell-O mass. If the density of the tiny red beads is great enough, with spaces between ‘spheres’ filled in from beads both above and below as well as being tightly ‘bunching’, we will see a solid ‘sheet’ of red when we look down thru the Jell-o from above. But the human eye is better than that! It can also see depth in color! So we see different ‘reds’ but we are usually just not armed with enough information to express what it is we are really seeing.

The plot thickens! These tiny beads of red are not all red! They are a complex of different shades, and in some mixes, they contain both clear and silver shiny beads. Here the eye get’s ‘fooled’ into thinking it is seeing a different color rather than a mix of color shades. So the beni plate can be made up of all red cells, red and slightly black/blue beads ( red + blue = purple), or a beni plate can be made up of orange in a single lateral sheet or in a variation- layers of orange and deeper orange on top of that! And in many of very high class fish, beni plates can be of an orange and yellow bead mix spaced within clear reflective beads- a VERY beautiful effect! And hold on here- but the different colors mentioned can also be in the same beads! These are the best specimens of gosanke.

Now if your still with me after the Jell-O and tiny red beads image, then now imagine this Jell-O and tiny red beads not in a cup, but in sheets! In great koi, the Jell-O sheets themselves are stacked over time and with age to create layers of transparent epidermis and dermis. And each of these sheets wraps a scale both top and bottom! This is the thick yet transparent and BILLOWY skin type we often refer to as quality skin. This skin is well hydrated and accommodates large numbers of ‘beads’ on many levels creating the impression of a thick sheet of red.

Perhaps the true ‘mystique’ of nishikigoi is in the relationship of the human eye and the demonstration of color it takes in? How well the eye is challenged to pierce the illusion presented by koi’s color! Maybe this is what captures and fascinates us? The confusion and stimulation the brain gets from the conflicting images the eye delivers.

why ZNA redefined the rules for Ginrin

ZNA America — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:31:51 GMT

Why ZNA redefined the rules on Ginrin

ZNA has long set the standards for koi varieties- for 40 years now as a matter of fact. Yet the rules are living documents that change as the fish change, and in some cases- reappear! It is a very big decision to change a standard as without perspective one could be heeding pop trends or become caught up in momentary issues.

One case in point was the reappearance of old type ginrin scales that all had believed had ‘gone the way of the dinosaur’ many years ago. It certainly is not produced any more and tend to only show up in certain lines from the yamakoshi blood of old.

And in this day and age, it is the Hiroshima gin that rules as a strong and impressive ginrin type. This gin is a brilliant dorsal orientated ginrin and created the previous rule that Ginrin fish are fish with two or more rows ( preferably three or more) of silver scales aligned regularly along the back , starting from the top of the shoulder.

The rule was reviewed however after some research showed that a cross between a Matsunosuke female and a Sadazo male produced sanke with the old ginrin in rows but not at the location of the shoulder top. These old style ginrin scales must be in two or more rows just as the old rules stated, in order to qualify as ginrin variety. BUT the location of the two or more rows did not have to be at the top of the shoulder. The rows do however have to be above the lateral line.

This creates a lot of confusion and misjudging in local shows in America. As the rules have been misinterpreted and only bits and pieces get absorbed. As a result koi with ginrin starting off the shoulder are considered inferior and passed over and in other cases, the rule is updated and all fish with ginrin in two or more rows are considered equal. This is of course a mistake as it is the TYPE of ginrin that dictates the rule of location. OLD style ginrin may start at a level below the shoulder. But Hiroshima ginrin should be at the shoulder and really three rows or more is the target ideal for that type of ginrin. And of course, even arrangement and non broken lines are important and necessary for both.

Finally, the matsunosuke line has a tendency to throw ginrin ‘rips’ of old style scales at the tail and below the shoulder. This is not ginrin variety for the technical reasons just explained. But the location of these rips of old style scales shows the genetic component and gene locale for the trait that when crossed with other lines like old Sadazo throws a true ginrin sanke with multiple rows of ginrin as a ‘lateral pattern’ of ginrin scales. As opposed to Hiroshima gin that is a dorsal orientated genetic trait.

NorCal ZNA News!

ZNA America — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:46:27 GMT

CONGRATULATIONS TO LARRY GILL , elected President of NoCal ZNA !

Just wanted to take a minute to congratulate Larry Gill for his win as President of NorCal ZNA. Great bit of news for the new organization. For those who do not know Larry, he has been in the hobby for many years and is a true koi kichi. Very quite about what he knows, Larry is one of the better judges in the country, with Gosanke being his specialty. A certified AKCA judge, larry has judged shows on both coasts and advises hobbyists within both AKCA and ZNA. On top of this, Larry is a great guy and a loyal friend. Best of Luck, Larry!
Erwin Santos, our newest judge trainee was elected VP.
Included in the new slate of officers is:

Donald Dang ( Treasurer)
Karen Turtle ( Secretary)
Steve Eckard ( Membership)

the address to their chapter website is znanorcal.org

Reserve Grand Champion SoCal ZNA 2008 ( owner Michael Chua)

ZNA America — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:34:46 GMT

shiro utsuri

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

    Utsuri       size 7   owner: Michael Chua      Dealer:               Breeder:           Judges comments -
                                                                                                                 Motoda " excellent body line and pattern"

what makes a koi a show fish?

ZNA America — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:27:20 GMT

What makes a koi a show fish?

Many outlets advertise ‘Japanese show koi’ to the buying public. But just what makes a koi a show fish and what makes a koi a pond grade fish? And more importantly, for the consumer, what makes one fish worth hundreds, and even thousands of dollars and others of no monetary value at all?

Well generally speaking, Koi, like many other domestic animals, has been selectively bred for specific appearance. And the term show fish is typically reserved for excellent representatives of each breed or variety that selective breeding has created. Pond fish on the other hand, might be siblings of show fish and be recognized as a specific breed, yet they lack levels of accomplishment in key areas of development.

To better understand what these areas, or elements, are that define one fish from another ,we need to appreciate what a koi is. A koi is technically, a common carp. Yet through the accumulation of mutations and selective breeding programs, the Japanese koi farmers have produced a surreal version of the drab black carp. And over time this unique race of carp have formed thirteen distinct varieties with scores of pattern and scale variations.

The ‘elements’ that separate pond fish from show fish and average show fish from super show fish are :

1) conformation

2) skin quality

3) color

4) pattern

- Conformation is the most fundamental element as it judges the fish on two levels. First, the basic soundness of the fish as future breeding stock. The fish should have a normal healthy body free of deformities and evidence of permanent damage. Secondly, the body line and general shape and condition of fins, eyes, head, gill plate should be ideal for the nishikigoi standard. This means a torpedo shaped body, strong backbone, and certain volume that creates the effect. Within this description, special recognition is given to fish that excel in body shape. And although the first description of conformation is to catch and weed out deformities and serious defects, especially in very young fish, the second description of superior conformation is most important in the adult female fish which as the potential for demonstrating the ideal in the standard for high quality show fish.

- Skin quality is the second fundamental element in show fish as it becomes the canvas on which the show pattern will be carried. The two basic colors for all nishikigoi is either black or white. This can be confusing for the beginner as these two basic colors can appear in many different shades and colors based on the complexity of the fish’s skin. Black becomes blue for instance, when the black skin is effected by mutation or location within the depth or surface of the skin.

The word ‘quality’ when discussing skin, refers to a refinement of skin in which the layers that carry color cells and pattern are translucent, bright and lustrous. And in the case of the ‘Big Three’ Gosanke varieties ( Kohaku, Sanke and Show) this skin is a beautiful porcelain white in color and often has a silk like quality to it.

Because koi are examples of ‘living’ art, the quality of skin develops and evolves over the life of the koi, with the very best display evident on adult female koi.

- Color is, of course, THE thing that gives koi their reputation. Color never fails to produces great fascination in all that see an adult koi for the first time. All koi, to the beginner’s eye, are brightly colored. But the difference between the color in a pond koi and an accomplished show fish is immediately evident even to the beginner when the fish are compared , side by side. And this is exactly one of the purposes of a koi show- to education by example what makes one koi better than the next.

Color in show fish is always bright and well defined. In exceptional koi, those blessed with both high quality skin and rich well defined colors, the color takes on a beautiful glossy appearance. Some have described the red as reminding them of a candy apple in depth of color and glossiness.

- Pattern is the artist expression of each individual koi, and it is unusual to see any two patterned koi that are exactly alike in every detail. This is one of the contradictions of nishikigoi, they are similar enough to be recognized as a ‘family of carp’ but different enough from one another that each variety has it’s own pattern charm and points of amazement.

Nishikigoi are traditionally kept in ponds and viewed from above. So it is logical that they have been selectively bred to have most of their visual impart from that angle. Through selective breeding all of the koi varieties have one of four potential pattern designs-

* Solid body color- one single body color. Red, white, black, yellow, platinum, green, brown, grey, grey/blue, orange.

* Dorsal pattern- Islands or steps of color creating an artistic and balanced pattern down the body

* Wrapped patter- similar to the dorsal pattern at first glance, but the wrapped pattern rises from the belly area onto the back . This creates a dorsal viewing surface.

* lateral line pattern- this is a pattern derived from scaleless or doitsu koi. In this pattern orientation, color patterns run from head to tail along the area just above the lateral line of the fish.

Show koi’s patterns are judged with a different ‘weighting’ as the fish grows and matures. When small, a fish pattern can change and even disappear in some fish. The pattern that remains in tact and well defined is of greatest value. In addition, the balance of the pattern as the eye travels from head to tail is of paramount importance in a show fish.

ZNA in America

ZNA America — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:32:26 GMT

ZNA in America-

SoCal ZNA show winners

ZNA America — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:30:59 GMT

WINNER'S BOARD

GRAND CHAMPION

    Kohaku     size 7   owner: David Tran        Dealer:               Breeder:           Judge's comment-

                                                                                                                   Suzuki "Great quality and conformation"

  RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

    Utsuri       size 7   owner: Michael Chua      Dealer:               Breeder:           Judges comments -
                                                                                                                 Motoda " excellent body line and pattern"

  MATURE CHAMPION

    Sanke     size 6    owner: Perry Nguyen      Dealer:                Breeder:

YOUNG CHAMPION

   GinRin A   size 4    owner: Jim Smith           Dealer:                Breeder:

BABY CHAMPION

   kohaku    size 2    owner: Don Chandler      Dealer:               Breeder:

BEST BABY

   Ginrin A    size 2    owner: Don Chandler      Dealer:               Breeder:

   BEST OF SIZE 7

    kohaku    size 7    owner: Perry Nguyen       Dealer:               Breeder:

   BEST OF SIZE 6

    kohaku   size 6     owner: Carolyn Swanson Dealer:               Breeder:

   BEST OF SIZE 5

    Showa     size 5     owner: Alan Stein           Dealer:               Breeder:

   BEST OF SIZE 4

    kohaku   size 4      owner: Tony Gallegos     Dealer:               Breeder:

   BEST OF SIZE 3

    kohaku    size 3    owner: Don Chandler       Dealer:               Breeder:

   BEST OF SIZE 2

     kohaku   size 2    owner: Khuong Doan        Dealer:              Breeder:

   BEST OF SIZE 1

     kohaku   size 1     owner: Bobby Lee            Dealer:              Breeder:

The Origin of nishikigoi

ZNA America — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:32:26 GMT

The Origin of Nishikigoi