D.A. Tyshler, professor, Dr.Hab.
E.B. Belkina, senior trainer of Russian national team,
President of Paralympic wheelchair fencing federation.
A.B. Moiseev, Ph.D.
Russian state university of physical culture, sport, youth policy and tourism (SCOLIPC), Moscow

Key words: sword fencing, “B” category, Paralympic program, bout actions, amount and effectiveness, competitive activity.

The present work is the first to represent the scientific basics of competitive activity of Paralympic wheelchair sword fencers.

The characteristics of using bout actions within wheelchair fencing competitions reflect the conditions of bout fencing, differing from Olympic sports fencing first of all by the amount of hit space in athletes, blade distance and instant counterwork and moves in the competition area.

Proceeding from the expert observations, the quoted statement influences the indices of application of various bout actions. Therefore the evaluation criteria of technical-tactical preparedness of Paralympic wheelchair fencers require scientific substantiation by examining sword bouts of “B” category for objectization of the ideas on the features of competitive activity in the quoted sports.

The correlations between typical actions finished by a hit in different sectors of attacked surface are especially acute for Paralympic wheelchair fencers, including attacks, counterattacks, parry with riposte along with their instant and regional rates of use at competitions.

The purpose of the research was to objectify assessments of the level of technical-tactical preparedness of qualified Paralympic wheelchair fencers.

Research results. Attacks (68,2 %) with 78,0 % of effectiveness are the most typical actions for fencers of “B” category (table 1), that is crucial for fencer competitive activity, including participants of the competitions of “B” category.

Defense with response is dominating among attack contradictions (18,2%) and effective for 51,2 %. Herewith, couterattacks are used much less (13,6 %),  but quite effective (71,4 %) when compared with the data of use of parry with riposte. Consequently, the composition of bout actions of qualified sword fencers in the competitions of Paralympic wheelchair athletes of “B” category is associated with the dominating use of attacks and insufficient number of counterattacks.

The attacks beginning phrases are usually the most massive (52,7%) among tactical varieties of attacks analyzed in view of instant parameters of their execution (table 2). Attacks of preparation essentially yield to them by the amount of data (11,1%), required mainly for athletes wishing to advance close-ups or opponents’ beginning assaults. The amount of reprises of attacks (25,1 %) is rather substantial compared to the amount of riposte attacks (11,1%).

The data on the quantitative correlations of the amount of application of various attacks in view of characteristics of their execution specify the features of the operating composition of athlete competitive activity, proving the necessity of stimulation of training and using attacks based on their situational diversity.

Meanwhile, effectiveness of tactical variations of attacks, analyzed in view of instant parameters is principally the same. Thus, basic attacks which amount is proved to be essential are efficient for 73,3 %.

Riposte-, repeated and basic attacks are approximately same effective in use (69,7; 71,5 and 73,3% correspondingly), whereas attacks on preparation are the most effective (91,3%).

Therefore it is advisable to increase the number of situations applied in the educative and training process for better realization of instant and space training units and use of varieties of attacks combined with actions on preparation.

Competitive Paralympic wheelchair fencing has a number of features distinguishing it from such ones in Olympic sports fencing, some of which are excluded repeated hits at feet and limited ripostes at lower part of body due to the introduced electroconductive wheelchair fencing apron with electrofix appliances blocking hits in it. The present term is meant to balance the hits at body, weapon hand and mask in the first place, characterizing the bout specifics in wheelchair fencers (“B” category) in this type of fencing (table 3).

Thus, hits at body amount to 53,9%, far exceeding the indices of cuts at weapon hand (38,5%). Meanwhile, the number of cuts at mask registered in Paralympic wheelchair fencing is comparatively less (7,6%), but still they are highly effective (81,7%).

Consequently, effectiveness of cuts at various sectors of hit space are in the inverse relationship (r=-0,81) with the amount of their application, testifying to the role of unexpected situations for the use in competitions in view of their effects on the common results of bout fencing.

Duration of phrase is one of the acute features for estimation of attacks. The quoted criterion is informative for assessment of situational preconditions referred to preparation and application of attacks, since athletes’ qualification can be estimated by comparing the distinctive features in duration of execution of actions, along with their ability for continuous attacks required in bouts at counteraction of fencers using varied distances before the beginning of a phrase. Moreover, taking into account the instant features of actions in the attack duration, they can be conditionally divided into, for instance, single-time, two-time and multi-time ones. The adduced characteristics reflect the assessments proceeding from the approved in the rules term of “fencing time”.

Proceeding from the analysis of the data received, Paralympic wheelchair fencers are mostly subject to using single-time attacks (60,1%), which are highly effective (82,6%), testifying to the knowledge of specifics of the means of training it (Table 4).

The adduced statements approve the importance of the opponent proximity (established by the rules of competitions) when beginning a phrase, resulting in the more effective application of shorter attacks, where the use of multi-time attacks can be considered ultra-difficult (2,4%) and inefficient (12,6%).

The use of two-time attacks (37,7%) is determined by the tactical necessity of creating time in addition to single-time attacks. The adduced assessment is based on their high effectiveness (74,2%), close by its indices to the use of single-time attacks. Therefore, the wide use of shorter attacks and their high effectiveness prove its advantage, stated in the rules of competitions in wheelchair fencing.

Effectiveness of hits is of special importance for Paralympic wheelchair fencing program but the common research approaches to the analysis of Olympic phrases fail to give the full idea on the effectiveness of various actions in view of specifics of Paralympic wheelchair sword fencing due to the use of the electroconductive wheelchair fencing apron that covers athletes’ wheelchair and lower body. This is taken into account by many fencers at counter-riposte, counterattack and ripostes at apron, since when hitting his apron the opponent has to shorten arm for repeated hit, which is successfully used by athletes for stop thrust on a riposte.

The analysis of the indices of using of stop thrust on a riposte after various bout actions is of special interest (table 5). Thus, most of advance hits were registered in counter-ripostes (66,7%), whereas the least amount of such hits refers to parries with riposte (46,1%) and repeated hits (40,0%).

The shown index testifies to effectiveness of the actions in phrases continued by parries with riposte and counter parries. Herewith, Olympic athletes tend to use repeated hits, which is not specific for Paralympic wheelchair fencers. It can be due to frequent (20%) hits at the electroconductive wheelchair fencing apron, covering the vulnerable in Olympic sword fencing lower sectors from repeated hits. This factor must be the reason of the large number of repeated hits (29,7%).

The attempts to hit an opponent fencing with the body bending deep backward often result in hits at the electroconductive wheelchair fencing apron (18,5%) when lower body is the easiest and closest sector for hits. The lack of reflex assessments of the differences between the sector of hit space and electroconductive apron in the athlete within a bout wastes approximately 1/5 of all attacks.

While choosing bout actions at critical score in the final part of the bout the low percent of double touches is to be taken into account due to the use of repeated attempts to hit and the least likelihood of couterattacks.

Thus, estimation of effectiveness of various actions determines the capacities of more profound analysis of the content of competitive activity of Paralympic wheelchair sword fencers.

Estimating the amount and effectiveness of hits while using various body positions of fencers of “B” category (table 6), the hits combined with deep angle body (56,3%) are marked to be dominating and especially effective (86,2%). Meanwhile, the hits are much less effective (51,6%) in case of the wide use of small angle body (22,5%). However, the hits in the vertical body position (9,9%) are the most effective (71,4%).

The hits (97,8%) with the body bending deep backward with the lowest amount (4,2%) are highly effective.

Consequently, the hits can be most effective in case of using deep bent forward or lean backward. Keeping vertical body position at hit is of special importance. Therefore, for successful bout fencing wheelchair fencers should pay constant attention to mastering of hits with various moves and body positions, facilitating better results in all types of bout actions.

The introduction of the objective data to the training and competitive practice of sword fencers of “B” category promotes modernization of planning of their specialized training, selection of methods of technical-tactical perfection followed by personalization of the operational contents of competitive activity.

Bibliography

1. Independent training of wheelchair fencers. Contents. Technologies. Methods. Exercises: study guide / G.D. Tyshler, E.B. Belkina. – Moscow: Fizicheskaya kultura, 2011. – 112 P. (In Russian)

2. Sports fencing: textbook for universities of physical culture / Ed. by D.A. Tyshler. – Moscow: FON, 1997. – 389 P.: ill. (In Russian)

3. Tyshler, D.A. Wheelchair fencing. Contents and methods of training / D.A. Tyshler, E.B. Belkina. – Moscow: Chelovek, 2010. – 144 P . (In Russian)

Author’s contacts: laguna70@bk.ru