Candidate V.M. Voronov
Alexander Nevsky Sports Club of Stary Oskol Electromechanic Plant, Stary Oskol
Professor, Dr.Hab. A.A. Gorelov
Professor, Dr.Hab. V.P. Sushchenko
St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg
Ph.D. A.P. Khlopetsk
S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy (Military Institute of Physical Culture), St. Petersburg

Keywords: morphofunctional, psychomotor and moral and spiritual determinants, sports qualification, combat sports and mixed martial arts.

Introduction. The beginning of XXI century has outlined a tendency of the universalization in the development of combat sports, which led not only to the transformation of already existing forms of wrestling, but also to the formation of the new ones. Widely popular among young people are the so-called "mixed" or "complex" martial arts. Unlike the classical martial arts they use a comprehensive technical arsenal including punching (boxing, taekwondo, karate, etc.) as well as throwing and submission (freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, judo, sambo and others.) types of techniques and actions. In 2012, MMA were included in the Russian register of sports. The competition rules have tough age regulation and restrictions declaring the level of sports readiness. Thus, in the mixed martial arts fights there can only be allowed athletes of at least 18 years of age and having athletic skills not less than of a candidate for the master of sports in any of the martial arts, sports disciplines of which include punches and / or throwing of the opponent [2].

It follows that the pre-qualification of those wishing to engage in mixed martial arts begins at 16 years of age, and only among those, who for a long time have been engaged in combat sports. Commenting on this fact hardly makes sense, since the rules of the competitive fight allow to use almost the entire arsenal of classic martial arts (punches and kicks, all kinds of throws, pinning down and submission techniques), which are not only accompanied by significant physical activity, but also cause extreme pain sensations. Therefore the problem of finding sporting talents for the MMA training is actualized on the one hand by the fact that this is still a rather young sport, in which the system of training of athletes does not have a serious scientific basis, on the other hand, by the fact that the severity of this problem is already manifested in the pre-qualification when the coach has to search for the most "gifted" fighters among the qualified representatives of other martial arts.

The purpose of the research was to determine the leading psychomotor and moral and spiritual determinants of sports qualification for mixed martial arts.

Results and discussion. Many years of experience in training athletes, specializing in such types of martial arts as boxing, wrestling, sambo, judo and others, show that organizational and methodological basis of selection, approaches to testing of the physical qualities and psychomotor skills, diagnosis of the functional state of the body fits perfectly into the general scheme and the algorithm of the initial as well as prolonged selection. However, speaking about the selected determinants, that reflect a particular combination of factors, causes and conditions that outline a certain range of personal characteristics of an athlete, competitive activity of which has almost no restrictions, we can confidently state the presence of a broad problem area. At the same time in the practice of sporting qualification in mixed martial arts we highlight morphological, functional, psychomotor and spiritual and moral determinants.

Morphological and functional determinants of bodily development, functional fitness of the main systems of the body of those representing mixed martial arts, according to our observations, fully reflect the conditions, causes and factors that serve as the criterion base of other combat sports. Therefore, we shall not dwell on them, but will rather focus on the rest of the aforementioned.

Psychomotor determinants in our view are the conditions, causes and factors, which are the basic component of the motor development of the fighter, who, being in a competitive fight, is not limited by rigid rules (as it is provided for in other combat sports), as well his opponent, who is also not limited by the same rules. This implies some serious scientific researches aimed at a profound study of these positions that differentiate MMA from other forms of martial arts that are part of the All-Russian Unified Sports Classification.

Longitudinal observations (over 5 years) of a quite large selection of athletes (300 men), specializing in mixed martial arts, has allowed us to state the following. For the athletes who came to MMA from boxing, kickboxing, karate, taekwondo, is rather typical to use punching techniques and to have a fairly slow development of throwing techniques, holds and submissive techniques. At the same time for the judo and sambo wrestlers who came in mixed martial arts, the priority in competitive fights, on the contrary, is given to the throwing technique and submissive holds. Punches and kicks in most cases are not applied. At the same time we have concluded that those athletes who quickly learn  physical actions not peculiar to their "native" type of martial arts are more successful in climbing up the career ladder in the MMA. This, in turn, determines the direction of scientific research of the evaluation criteria of the ability of the fighters, judoists and sambo wrestlers to quickly master and effectively apply in competitive fights punching and kicking techniques. And visa versa, with regard to boxers, kickboxers, karatekas, taekwondists, they are able to quickly master the throwing techniques and submissive holds.

The next series of studies were about the identification of the leading in mixed martial arts psychomotor qualities, for which purpose there was used the method of paired comparisons. The results showed high significance of the speed of motor acts, speed-strength capabilities and coordination endurance. In addition, through the use of hardware psychophysiological techniques there was revealed that for the athletes involved in mixed martial arts, the high activity of the brain and sensorimotor reactions are of a great importance. An important characteristic providing successful competitive activity of the MMA athletes is also the latent period the oculomotor reaction, the reaction to a moving object, the ability to quickly change the structure of motor acts, the functional capabilities of attention to the fast switching and distribution.

Interesting data were obtained from the results of the study of the trainability properties of MMA representatives. Similar studies with an emphasis on the genetic aspects of the individual properties were conducted on boxers by V.A. Taymazov and S.E. Bakulev [1, 5, 6], who identified such varieties of trainability as: high and fast, high and slow, low and fast, low and slow. At the same time the authors proved that in combat sports the effectiveness of the training process and competitive activity is determined by the high and fast trainability.

Similar studies were conducted by us in relation to the athletes picked for MMA. The obtained results have allowed us to state that the quickly trainable boxers with a qualification of candidate for master of sports, would reach the same level in MMA in 2-3 years, whereas those slowly trainable athletes would reach the same level in 3-4 years. Approximately the same situation is typical for the fast trainable kickboxers. They need at least one and a half years in order to achieve the above mentioned skill level in MMA, and for the slowly trainable athletes it requires at least two and a half years. As for judoists and sambo wrestlers, a quick adaptation to the training process and the conditions of sports matches is typical for this category of martial artists. Athletes of the level of candidate for master of sports, susceptible to quick trainability, begin to fight effectively in the mixed martial arts tournaments after a year of specialized training. However, for the slowly trainable athletes this period lies within 2-3 years.

The obtained results and their interpretation became the basis of the representation of the psychomotor determinant in the form of conditions and factors of a consistent tasks solving in the following cause-and-effect algorithm: identification of the level of development of the leading for mixed martial arts psychomotor qualities; diagnosis of mental processes, mental state, mental characteristics; the study of the functional motor asymmetry and the individual asymmetry profile; identification of the properties of athletes’ trainability.

The next aspect that we want to draw serious attention to - is the spiritual and moral determinants of sporting qualification in mixed martial arts, or personal factors that have led an individual to practice this extreme sport, as well as the cause-and-effect positions of predicting the mechanisms of socialization of a person, who have certain physical superiority over others. Unfortunately, in the literature available to us we have not found evidence-based recommendations that could shed light on the solution of the problem. Even in the fundamental work of L.P. Sergienko "Sporting selection: Theory and Practice" the spiritual and moral foundation of all sporting qualification in general and the selection in combat sports in particular are not defined as a crucial issue [4].

Talking about the spiritual and moral determinants of sporting qualification in mixed martial arts, we should note that at the moment we are completing a wide range of studies on the spiritual and moral sphere of combat athletes. The aim of this research is not only to identify the motives of an individual to master the techniques of martial arts, but also the formation of the socialization processes of athletes during sports training. In this article we made an attempt to actualize this problem in the context of the urgent need to conduct deeper analytical and experimental studies.

First of all, we consider it necessary to note that the combat sports are not just a combination of theoretical, technical, tactical, physical and mental readiness of an athlete, but also an embodiment of a wide range of spiritual and moral qualities, intellectual abilities that determine the ideals of humanism. If the training process of combat athletes was based only on mechanical actions aimed at preparing for a fight, which ultimate goal was to win at any cost, there probably would not have been such a variety of forms of martial arts, outlined by their traditions, rituals, rules, etc. In this regard mixed martial arts, sometimes referred to as the fights without rules, are still the exception to the rule. Traditions, rituals and the original moral code are not formed yet, so, speaking of the inalienability of moral education of athletes, specializing in mixed martial arts, it is necessary to emphasize the fact that moral behavior is not based on the actions and the underlying motives, that drive these actions. After all, the pursuit of high sports results can characterize not only the achievement of a certain level of physical perfection, but also a desire to stand out from the crowd, to show your own superiority, strength and use it to achieve personal goals. Therefore, as the most important determinants of the humanistic principles of mixed martial arts there should be kept in the same problematic field such concepts as "spirituality", "morality", "sport", where the essence of the latter, as mentioned above, is composed not only from the existing components of sports training, but also from the spiritual and moral qualities and abilities of implementing the ideals of humanism.

Thus, the spiritual and moral determinant of mixed martial arts should be considered as the category having, using the words of O.V Dergunov [3], the pervading ability to be implemented in all spheres of human life as well as controlling human relationships in everyday life, in the family, at work, and, of course, in sports.

Conclusion. Considering the results obtained in the context of understanding of the psychomotor determinant it can be represented in the form of conditions and factors of successive solution of tasks in the following cause-and-effect algorithm: detection of the level of development of leading psychomotor qualities for mixed martial arts; diagnostics of mental processes, mental state, mental properties; study of motor functional asymmetry and individual profile of asymmetry; identifying trainability characteristics of athletes.

Speaking of actualizing the problem of moral and spiritual determinants in the qualification for combat sports in general and particularly mixed martial arts, it should be noted that detraction from this aspect of training of combatants can lead to various changes in the formation of spiritual and moral foundations of athlete's personality. And, unfortunately, there are negative examples when namely the representatives of mixed martial arts get involved in organized criminal groups. We will not give statistical data, but only focus on the scientific areas that, as we believe, should be carried out along with the improvement of the theory and practice of this sport. Their implementation is seen in the following order:

• the theoretical and applied aspects of the spiritual and moral development of combat athletes in the context of the ideas of socialization and individualization of a growing individual in the modern society;
• the retrospective analysis of the content, direction and methods of spiritual and moral development in national and combat sports;
• studying of the positive and negative effects of combat sports in the context of familiarizing of an individual with the social life in the modern society;
• the monitoring of the key vectors of socialization and moral development of combat athletes at various phases of qualification and sports orientation;
• studying of the interrelationship between anthropological, psycho-physiological, educational, motor, motivational and personal keynotes of combat athletes of various skill levels;
• formation of spiritual and moral determinants in the system of sports training of combat athletes at various stages of their long-term training.

References

1. Bakulev, S.E. Prognozirovanie individual’noy uspeshnosti sportsmenov-edinobortsev s uchetom geneticheskikh faktorov treniruemosti: avtoref. dis. … dokt. ped. nauk (Success forecast for specific combatants considering genetic factors of trainability: abstract of doctoral thesis (Hab.) / S.E. Bakulev. – St. Petersburg, 2012. – 54 P.
2. Voronov, V.M. Prognozirovanie odarennosti i otbor sportsmenov v smeshannye edinoborstva (Talent prognosis and qualification of athletes for mixed martial arts) / V.M. Voronov, A.A. Gorelov // Bereginya.777.Sova: scientific journal. – 2012. – № 4(15). – P. 181–188.
3. Dergunov, O.V. Kul’turnoe prostranstvo sporta (Sports cultural space) / O.V. Dergunov. - Saratov: Nauka, 2010. – 47 P.
4. Sergienko, L.P. Sportivny otbor: teoriya i praktika: monografiya (Sports qualification: theory and practice: monograph) / L.P. Sergienko. – Moscow: Sovetskiy sport, 2013. – 1048 P.
5. Taymazov, V.A. Prognozirovanie uspeshnosti sorevnovatel’noy deyatel’nosti sportsmenov s uchetom geneticheskikh osnov treniruemosti (Athletes' competitive success forecast in view of genetic bases of trainability) / V.A. Taymazov, S.E. Bakulev // Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta, 2005. – Iss. 18. – P. 81–91.
6. Taymazov, V.A. Znachenie funktsional’noy asimmetrii kak geneticheskogo markera sportivnykh sposobnostey boksera (Role of functional asymmetry as genetic marker of boxer's sports abilities) / V.A. Taymazov, S.E. Bakulev // Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2006. – Iss. 22. – P. 72–76.

Corresponding author: alexagorr@yandex.ru