PhD, Professor Y.L. Orlov¹
Doctoral student J.A. Sanauov^2
1Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism (SCOLIPE), Moscow
²Kazakh Academy of Sports and Tourism, Almaty

Keywords: sensorimotor action stimulation and control system, situation modeling method, competitive karate.

Background. Analysis of karate masters’ competitive performance has shown that one of the key reasons for the competitive failures is the underdeveloped sensorimotor qualities that may overshadow even the best fighting tactics. Imperfect timing, faulty amplitude and low speed of the punches give ample opportunities for the opponents to respond by defenses and counterattacks. Competitive success in the modern karate heavily depends on the attack speeds, amplitudes, footwork and accuracy.

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of the sensorimotor action stimulation and control system model for the efforts to improve the punching speeds in attacks and, hence, the competitive performance of the Kazakhstan Republican karate team. 

Methods and structure of the study. The testing experiment was run in the period of 01–14.04.2019 at the Fencing, Modern Pentathlon and Oriental Martial Arts Department of Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism. Sampled for the experiment were the Kazakhstan Republican karate team members (n=10 including 7 male and 3 female WCMS) trained for the international ranking event to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo by Doctoral student J.A. Sanauov, Honored Coach of the KR.

Progress of the athletes was tested by the pre- and post-experimental tests to rate the sensorimotor fitness, test rate variations and correct the sensorimotor-action-stimulation-and-control-system-based training toolkit. The personal data of the athletes were protected by the sample numbering. The progress was basically tested by the free falling object targeting lead-fist (dominant hand) punching test (突っ込み逆突きin Japan, Tsukkomi Gyaku Dzuki) with the punching accuracy tested on a free falling tennis ball.

Description of the punching test: We stretched two (1m and 2m high) ropes, with a 0.5m long line drawn on the floor 1m in parallel to the ropes. The tested subject facing the ropes took the “the medium combat stance’ (中段 構 え TUDAN GAMAE) with the thumb of the foreleg touching the line. The assistant stood on an elevation aside of the subject holding a tennis ball as high as the top rope (see Photo 1) and let it fall at any moment on his (assistant’s) discretion: wee Photo 2. The subject athlete was given 10 attempts to lunge and punch the ball in between the two ropes with the opposite fist with a lunge (see Photo 3, 4), with every accurate hit scored by 1 point, and with the total score fixed in the test record. The punch was video-captured by the CoachesEye system with the 0.01s discretion.

After the progress test, the athletes were offered two options of special 5-min exercises in every training session. The exercises were geared to excel the attack movement amplitudes, speeds and accuracies by means of the competitive situation models generated by a Visual Motor Response Training Laser Simulator synchronized with a beep: see Photo 5.

The exercise was designed to train the speed and accuracy, with the athlete required to hit the laser point flashes on the dummy. On the whole, every athlete was tested for 60 min.

First version of the test exercise in the first training micro-cycle was geared to excel the simple motor response speed and accuracy of the target punch in the mid-section of the dummy (突 っ 込 み 中段 逆 突 き TSUKKI TUDAN GYAKU DZUKI); and the counterattack mimicking punch (遭遇 逆 撃 SOGU GYAKU GECA). The athlete took the standard combat stance at the 1m line (Photo 6); and the Visual Motor Response Training Laser Simulator operator set the laser flash frequency at 500ms, with the beam covering the chest of the dummy simulator. The operator moved the laser pointed target on the chest flashing it on a random basis, and the athlete was hitting the laser flashes as soon as hears the beep: see Photo 7. After every hit the athlete was taking the standard combat stance again for the next attempt out of 10 attempts in total, with the successful hits scored in the test record.

Second version of the test exercise applied in the second and third training micro-cycles was geared to excel the complex disjunctive (choice) responses. We used three laser beams moving on the dummy chin, chest and stomach (three sectors), with all the other test conditions being the same. The operator randomly chose the hit sector and moment, and the athlete was required to lunge and hit the target on the laser spot as soon as hears the beep.

Results and discussion. Given in Table 1 hereunder are the pre- and post-experimental test data. The data and analyses demonstrated benefits of the sensorimotor action stimulation and control system -based training model making a special emphasis on the sensorimotor action stimulation and control component to effectively excel the situation-specific individual punching style for a relatively short time as verified by the athletes’ progress in the sensorimotor qualities and punching efficiency rating tests. The progress was verified by the meaningful (p>0.01) improvements in the hitting accuracy in the men’s and women’s groups (T=7.43 and T= 3.77, respectively). The average (10 attempts) punch time was tested to decrease by 0.04ms and 0.06ms in the men’s and women’s groups, respectively. It should be mentioned, however, that the latter improvements were significant (p>0.05) only in the men’s group (T=2.47) although it may be explained by the too short women’s sample (n=3 only).

Table 1. Pre- and post-experimental punching speed and accuracy test data: sensorimotor action stimulation and control system training model testing experiment

Conclusion. The study data and analyses demonstrated benefits of the model making a special emphasis on the sensorimotor action stimulation and control component to effectively shape up and excel the situation-specific individual punching style for a relatively short time as verified by the athletes’ progress in the sensorimotor fitness and punching efficiency rating tests.

References

1. Orlov Yu.L., Mandych I.N. Efforts to improve motor reactions of karatekas using laser simulator-stimulator of visual motor responses. Fizicheskaya kultura: vospitanie, obrazovanie, trenirovka.2014. no. 2. pp. 12-15.
2. Orlov Yu.L., Ryzkhkova L.G.  [ed.]. System for sensorimotor stimulating control of athlete in competitive karate. Combat sports and martial arts: science, practice, education. Proc. III nat. res.-pract. conf. with intern. part. (Moscow, September 21 2018). Moscow: Anta Press, 2018. pp. 11-16.
3. Orlov Yu.L., Ryzkhkova L.G.  [ed.]. Tactical components of competitive activity in martial arts. Combat sports and martial arts: science, practice, education. Proc. III nat. res.-pract. conf. with intern. part. (Moscow, September 21 2018. Moscow: Anta Press, 2018. pp. 32-40.
4. Orlov Yu.L., Tajmazov V.A.  [ed.] Technology to determine single offensive hand action execution time and speed in sports karate in the absence of hardware and technical means of control. Proc. IX intern. congress «SPORT, MAN, HEALTH». April 25-27 2019: Proc. congress. St. Petersburg, 2019. pp. 239-241.

Corresponding author: fencing-rgufk@yandex.ru

Abstract

Competitive performance analysis for elite karate has showed that one of the key reasons for the competitive failures is the underdeveloped sensorimotor qualities that may overshadow even the best fighting tactics. Imperfect timing, faulty amplitude and low speed of the punches give ample opportunities for the opponents to respond by defenses and counterattacks. Competitive success in the modern karate heavily depends on the attack speeds, amplitudes, footwork and accuracy. The competitive performance analyses in the Kumite karate discipline found the losses being due mostly to the delayed responses, poor timing, imperfect amplitudes and low speeds of the attacks. These deficiencies may be corrected by a new punching speed boosting special training model. The study data and analyses demonstrated benefits of the model making a special emphasis on the sensorimotor action stimulation and control component to effectively shape up and excel the situation-specific individual punching style for a relatively short time as verified by the athletes’ progress in the sensorimotor fitness and punching efficiency rating tests.