Kinematic Analysis of Mae-Geri Kicks in Beginner and Advanced Kyokushin Karate Athletes

Abstract

Background: Each of the techniques used in sport is a complex technique requiring a combination of neuromuscular conduction, motor anticipation, and extremely developed proprioception. This is especially the case in martial arts when we deal with a kick or a blow to a specific target. Methods: The main purpose of this study was to determine the kinematic differences in the tested movement pattern among athletes with different levels of advancement in the conditions of kicking: in the air, at a target (a shield), and in direct contact with a competitor. Comparative analysis was performed among 26 players: 13 advanced (group G1) and 13 beginners (group G2). Kinematic data was recorded using an optical motion capture system. The examination consisted of performing three tests of mae-geri kick in sequences of three kicks in three different conditions (without a target, with a static target, and with an opponent). The examination was performed with the back leg and only the moment of kick was analyzed. Results: The most significant differences were observed in the movement of head, torso, hip, knee, and ankle segments, especially during a kick at a shield. Based on the conducted analysis, we can assume that karate training changes the strategy of neuromuscular control, promoting improvement of mobility pattern efficiency. Conclusion: Acquiring this type of knowledge can lead to better results, elimination of errors in training, especially in the initial period of training, and the prevention of possible injuries that occur during exercise or competition.

Fatigue-Related and Timescale-Dependent Changes in Individual Movement Patterns Identified Using Support Vector Machine

“…Because of the original intention to ensure high external validity with the kata form, no transfer to kicks toward an object that would be related to kumite could be made. Consistent with the research by Błaszczyszyn et al (2019), it can be speculated that kicking against resistance has a considerable effect on muscle contractions, especially by the end of the movement. Further research is necessary to discern whether this also influences inter-and intra-personal differences in the fatigue-related temporal change of the karate front kick.…”

Managing the Effectiveness of Teaching Boys Aged 10 Mawashi-Geri (Roundhouse Kick) Technique in Kyokushin Karate

“…Українська збірна представляє країну на Європейських і Світових турнірах в повному складі. З'являються нові спортивні організації різного рівня, відкриваються спортивні секції, друкуються наукові статті (Błaszczyszyn, Szczęsna, Pawlyta, Marszałek, & Karczmit, 2019;Марченко & Коваленко, 2020), захищаються дисертації (Голімський, 2014; Кіндзер, 2016). Слід зазначити, що в більшості випадків наукові розробки із зазначеної проблематики стосуються тренувального процесу професійних спортсменів (Голімський, 2014;Кіндзер, 2016;.…”

“…Розширено уявлення про оптимальну взаємодію різних ланок тіла під час виконання колового удару ногою «маваші гері чудан» Błaszczyszyn, Szczęsna, Pawlyta, Marszałek, & Karczmit, 2019). Конкретизована роль різних ланок тіла у цілісному русі колового удару ногою «маваші гері чудан».…”

Optical motion capture dataset of selected techniques in beginner and advanced Kyokushin karate athletes

“…In karate, it is extremely important to be able to execute techniques and changes of direction at speed, and this requires high levels of coordination and balance. Research in martial arts focuses primarily on injuries 5 , 6 , psychology 7 – 9 , biomechanics 10 , 11 , and perception of health 12 .…”

“…Every technique was performed three times per recording (resulting in one data file), and under three conditions: (i) kicking or punching the air, (ii) kicking or punching a training shield, and (iii) kicking or punching an opponent. Possible applications of the data obtained are: comparison of movement patterns between individual athletes, or groups of athletes 11 , based upon factors such as age, gender, training experience, and karate grade, kinematic description and analysis of movement patterns used when executing karate techniques 24 , measure personal and interpersonal repetition of movement 24 , 27 , development of virtual reality environments for virtual training 28 , 29 , training and validation of machine learning techniques for the classification, prediction and synthesis of human movement 30 , 31 , development and optimization of methods for teaching karate techniques. …”