PhD, Associate Professor N.I. Khokhlova¹
PhD, Associate Professor T.A. Rodermel^1
1Surgut State University, Surgut

Keywords: training system, karate, martial arts, psychological service

Background. For the last few years the national sport community has given a growing priority to a few ontogenesis-specific popular sport disciplines [2] including karate, one of the most popular martial arts particularly appreciated by many for its sensitivity to philosophical and lifestyle-related progress aspects, motivations and some other training system specifics including attentiveness to the individual progress agendas.

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of a psychologicla support for specific training system aspects in modern karate sport.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for our experiment (in cooperation with D.S. Dyakova [1]) EG1 (n=25) and EG2 (n=18) of 8-17 and 33-49 year-olds in the Nizhnevartovsk karate groups with 1-year-plus sport experiences. The experiment was timed to the precompetitive training period.

To analyze the group training systems and psychological service, we monitored 6-8 trainings using the following methods: (1) “Focused behavior rating observation in training process’ method [3]; (2) Coach-athlete relationship survey using the Y.L. Khanin and A. Stambulov "Coach-athlete Relationship Rating Scale" [3]; and (3) ‘Individual coaching style rating method’ by A. M. Markova and A.Y. Nikonova [3].

Results and discussion. The observation method was intended to rate the following training system components: briefing; warm-up; goal-setting by the coach; execution; waiting; self-reliant training goal setting by the coach; execution; and completion phase [3]. We identified the following training system elements in need of a psychological service: sport-specific needs and motivations formation domain; goal setting; forming a guiding framework for the trainings; actions; operations; operational control; and progress tests. In addition, the psychological service was classified into the general psychological conditioning and training system specific psychological service. The general mental conditioning covered the operational and technical aspects of the training activity including the fight tactics, goal setting in the training components geared to train the sport-specific timing, distance and punching power rating ‘feels’ (qualities).

The sport-specific psychological service was intended to develop the relevant needs and motivations, semantics and worldviews [1] based on the knowledge of the historical origins and philosophical roots of this martial art. Since karate is one of the historic martial arts, its progresses on the European and Eastern turfs are still different in the following alternatives: European activity versus Eastern tranquility; monologue versus dialogue; imbalance/ impulsivity versus equilibrium; isolation/ discreteness versus unity with people and nature; globalism versus minimalism; with all these alternatives need to be addressed by the specific martial arts training systems. It is also important that the world is united in the Eastern worldview – that means that every activity and sporting progress in particular should be designed to reach certain integrity/ contentment. Let us consider how these basic concepts were implemented in the practical trainings.

Based on the observations, we rated the training system components in both groups as follows. Warm-up (20 min): the athletes perfectly know the warm-up sequence and immediately startup it after the briefing. The coach would set goals for every exercise (it takes 3-5 minutes prior to every exercise) followed by a sample demo and execution taking 15-20 minutes. Both the EG1 and EG2 coaches make emphasis on the execution quality, with the training going in the “show-repeat” mode, with the coach urging the athletes being attentive and careful in execution. Such trainings are designed to secure the high-quality automatic execution, with only the coach deemed to know the ideal execution model.

As far as the psychological service elements of the training system are concerned, we should note that the coaches prioritize the operational and technical aspects of the trainings, with no efforts to form the basic fight plan and discuss the fight tactics. Despite the demonstrations and repetitions of the key actions, the trainings were still in need of goal variations, particularly in the training components geared to train the timing, distance control and punching power control skills. The coaches were also found giving no attention to the philosophical roots of karate and, as a result, the trainings were found short of sound semantics. Even in case of the top competitive accomplishments, the competitive performance analyses were focused on the operational and technical aspects with little if any attention to the sport visioning and core mission. Having analyzed the coach-athlete relationship [3], we would emphasize a few aspects: see Diagram hereunder.

Diagram 1. Coach-athlete relationship rated by the athletes:

1 - “coach is skillful in my conditioning for competitions”; 2 - “coach is clearly insensitive in dealing with me”; 3 - “coach carefully designs my training system”; 4 - “coach is not demanding enough”; 5 - “I’ve got full trust in the coach”; 6 - “coach tends to stick to the good old standards”; 7 - “coach is insensitive to my individual specifics”; and 8 - “coach is always interested in my opinion”

The intergroup differences were found insignificant (p≤0.01) for most of the above scales, with the only exception the “the coach is not demanding enough” test 4, and that is why we would analyze the results as a whole. The lowest points were scored in the “coach is clearly insensitive in dealing with me” test 2 that shows that the coaching style is inacceptable for a few athletes. We found the statistically significant intergroup difference (p≤0.05) in the “coach is not demanding enough” test 4 albeit the actual reasons were not clear – it could mean either underrating of the actual successes of the athlete by the coach or lack of attention and control from the coach. About 30% of the sample mentioned the “coach sticking to the good old standards” test 6 and “coach’s insensitivity to my individual specifics” test 7. More than one of two respondents emphasized the coach’s focus on the training system technicalities and competitive conditioning (test 1) for competitive success (test 3). At the same time, the respondents largely appreciated the coach’s sensitivity as verified by the “coach is always interested in my opinion” (test 8) and “I’ve got full trust in the coach” test 5 – which does not mean that the relations are fully free of unhappiness in some other aspects.

It should be mentioned that negligence to psychological service in the training system design results in the athletes being too focused on the coach’s personality, coaching style and training system technicalities with the success motivations at sacrifice of the values- and priorities-forming and sporting spirit building elements.

The coaches’ self-analysis using the ‘Individual coaching style rating method’ [3] showed one of the coaches giving preference to an emotional improvisation style, and the other to a methodical reasoning style. The EG1/ EG2 ratings of the coaching service were dominated by the emotional component (p≤0.05 in the Mann-Whitney test,) that may be interpreted as appreciation of the coach’s personality. Generally athletes of both age groups were found to rank coach among the most emotionally close people, and this is one of the core motivations for trainings.

Conclusion. The karate age-specific training system analysis found the training service meeting the valid technical and tactical training standards albeit still in need of the modern psychological service components. The training system limitations in the values- and priorities-forming and sporting philosophy developing elements may be of constraint for the athletic progress in the personality development and physical fitness domains. We found the training system dominated by the operational and technical aspects of the sport-specific motor skills at sacrifice of the core mission visioning in context of the competitive progress. The coaching styles were tested largely different albeit the athletes were tested with reliance on the emotional appreciation aspect in their ratings of the coaching service. The fact that the high rates on the emotional scales are combined with some outstanding issues in the coach-athlete relationship may be interpreted as indicative of the shift of focus from the activity and own role in activity to the external aspects of the training system that could be of limiting effect on the training system efficiency. The study data and analysis have demonstrated the need for the psychological service elements being reasonably added to the karate training system within the relevant project framework.

References

1. Dyakova D.S., Khokhlova N.I. Psychological and pedagogical analysis of training process of karatekas. Improving system of physical education, sports training, tourism, psychological support and rehabilitation of various categories of the population. Proc. XVIII nat. res.-pract. conf. with international participation. Surgut: ID «Rossizdat» (IP Kazachenko L.Yu.), 2019. pp.142-146.
2. Kudinova V.A., Karpov V.Yu. Sports progress statistics analysis for Russia. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2019. no. 5.pp. 42-43.
3. Melnik E.V., Silich E.V., Kukhtova N.V. Trainer Psychology: Theory and Practice: Guidelines. Vitebsk: Masherov VSU publ., 2014.58 p.

Corresponding author: apokin_vv@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of a psychologicla support for specific training system aspects in modern karate sport.

Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study were the 8-17 year-old children and 33-49 year-old adults with at least 1 year of training experience (Nizhnevartovsk). They were divided into two experimental groups: EG1 - 25 subjects and EG2 - 18 subjects. The athletes were subjected to a questionnaire survey in the preseason. To analyze the pedagogical and psychological components of the training process, the authors visited several (6-8) training sessions in the studied groups, during which they conducted focused observation, analyzed the relationship between the coach and the athletes, determine the style of the coach’s pedagogical activity.

Results and conclusions. The karate age-specific training system analysis found the training service meeting the valid technical and tactical training standards albeit still in need of the modern psychological service components. The training system limitations in the values- and priorities-forming and sporting philosophy developing elements may be of constraint for the athletic progress in the personality development and physical fitness domains. We found the training system dominated by the operational and technical aspects of the sport-specific motor skills at sacrifice of the core mission visioning in context of the competitive progress. The coaching styles were tested largely different albeit the athletes were tested with reliance on the emotional appreciation aspect in their ratings of the coaching service. The fact that the high rates on the emotional scales are combined with some outstanding issues in the coach-athlete relationship may be interpreted as indicative of the shift of focus from the activity and the own role in activity to the external aspects of the training system that could be of limiting effect on the training system efficiency. The study data and analysis have demonstrated the need for the psychological service elements being reasonably added to the karate training system within the relevant project framework.