I.S. Kolesnik, professor, Dr.Hab.
Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University, Ulyanovsk

Key words: boxing, training for beginners, key components, methodology, educational experiment, physical and special fitness.

Relevance. Competitive activity of boxers is characterized by a high degree of structural complexity which is due to the necessity to choose the most effective attack action under severe time pressure caused by a constantly changing situation in the boxing ring. Boxing is so appealing for adolescents and youth mostly due to the actual risk of picking up an injury, being knocked down or knocked out, which results in intensification of sensations and perception of every single physical action of an opponent.

The body reacts to any complex technical movement by a systemic response based on the concerted activity of a number of nerve centers and peripheral nerve divisions, which determine accomplishing of a set goal. Choosing a counteraction in response to an opponent's attack requires involvement of the regulatory functions of the nervous system along with the corresponding status of the executive peripheral organs.

The purpose of the paper was theoretical and methodological justification of the role of afferent synthesis in designing a program of boxer's actions.

An attacking boxer's action sequence comprises his behavioral acts, which can be figuratively divided into afferent (sensory), programming and efferent (executive) components [1, 3], and by considering the main issues of the theory of functional systems there can be identified the following factors specifying afferent synthesis: motivation, memory, situational and triggering information. Social motivations to a great extent determine the attitude of a boxer to the educational and training process. As personality-centered motives (to become strong and deft; to be able to defend oneself; to gain the lead, etc.) transform into social ones (to become a master of sports, to join a national team, to defend the honor of one’s country in a sports competition, etc.), such fundamental moral and volitional qualities as self-dependence, responsibility and proactiveness are formed, that determine creative performance and self-improvement orientation on the basis of commitment and realization of the kinesiological potential.

The role of memory is conditioned by the physiological mechanism of trace features that arise while mastering motor and competitive skills. The experience developed during boxing matches determines effectiveness of wrestling when interacting with a strong skilled opponent.

In afferent synthesis, the role of triggering information, which serves as a signal to start or continue a bout, consists in ensuring the mobilization readiness for motion control and for control over opponent's actions. In a boxing match, external stimuli determining the accurate choice of response motor actions have a complex structure. In the process of confrontation, triggering afference is to be considered as a certain situation where triggering signal effects and situational information stand together. Thus, when the attack begins, powerful defensive actions set it back, and that makes an athlete try and choose another right time to realize the planned attack.

Repetitive beginning of same actions in a constantly changing environment compounds afferent synthesis due to counterstrokes nature being determined not by the one-time signal but by a complex of stimuli resulting from a constantly changing situation in a boxing match. The important point is the necessity to conduct afferent synthesis under severe time pressure, which increases its complexity considerably. Consequently, afferent synthesis serves as a basis for making a certain decision or for planning further actions, which gives a boxer relevant information on the nature of the emerging situation under the influence of offensive or defensive techniques used by an opponent.

In boxing, the leading qualities are speed-strength, motor response time, accuracy in performing offensive actions, core stability in response to powerful balance disturbing factors, and specific agility. Any technically complex action is backed by a sequence of neurophysiological processes that comply with the common patterns of morphosis, in association with biomechanical processes. This determines the necessity in the in-depth knowledge of fundamental techniques of offensive and defensive actions; in detecting the nature of the correlation of motor action technique, style of moving in a boxing ring, competitive distance, attack beginning time, redistribution of muscular efforts at the final phase of the punch. This indicates the involvement of the peripheral motor apparatus into the boxer's motor activity, together with its complex multi-link kinematic system which is dependable on the work of central motor control mechanisms that are located at different levels of the central nervous system and represent an hierarchical control system [4-7].

Results and discussion. The suggested approach is based on the method of system analysis introduced by a set of methodological tools used to choose and justify effective ways of completing an assigned motor task. By applying system analysis one can identify some inter-related aspects of the system:

• its component structure;
• ways of interaction of these components;
• he system functions;
• possible directions in the development of the system.

Body response to training load is to be examined in view of these aspects.

The attitude to sports training is to a great extent determined by the nature and structure of the motivational sphere. When the motive "to become courageous" is prevalent, an adolescent prefers risky physical actions related to display of self-determination and courage. The motive "to become strong and deft" determines an athlete's interest in mastering strength exercises; solving comprehensive coordination motor tasks.

A couch has to explain to beginner boxers that one can become courageous and masculine by developing moral and volitional qualities (discipline, responsibility, self-dependence, diligence, will-power, etc.); mental qualities (attentiveness, thinking, analytical abilities, etc.); motor-coordination qualities (muscular strength, swiftness, endurance, agility, flexibility, tolerance, etc.). Every qualified boxer obtains all these qualities of motor, mental and psychological activities during sports training by means of patient and persevering work.

The significant role of motor memory in afferent synthesis consists in the ability to accurately reproduce the motor actions which turned out to be highly effective previously, in a similar situation. This does not require much time for making a decision and searching for the ways of its realization, and allows an athlete to clarify the details enhancing the performance of the combat maneuver made. Memory improvement methodology involves the following tasks:

• to create a specific situation during a sparring bout that will require objective evaluation, fast decision-making, simulation of one's own actions;
• to be able to predict an opponent's technique and ways of its realization by analyzing his preparative movements during a sparring bout, and to design one's own sequence of motor actions;
• to be able to counteract at least 3 defensive actions, allowing setting an attack back, against each offensive action of an opponent etc.

The effectiveness of boxer's motor activity is much influenced by the situational information. In order to form skills needed for its effective usage, we developed a methodology of workout sessions of specific orientation. The subject matter of the methodology implies:

• conducting a sparring bout in a gym with audience including family, friends, teacher, and classmate boxers;
• participation in a sparring bout during a seminar for the coaching staff of the Children's Sports School and Youth Sports School;
• conducting one training round with a highly qualified boxer;
• participation in a sparring bout after training;
• conducting a sparring bout on an open play area of a sports stadium and so on.

Triggering information implies not only the gong sound, or couch’s instructions and comments, but also opponent's movements: position, boxing stance, preparative moves prior to one of offensive actions. In order to shape skills of efficient usage of triggering information, the developed methodology comprised a set of corresponding tasks:

• at the first gong sound, to initiate motion anticipating opponent's actions, thus choosing tempo which is unusual for him;
• by analyzing opponent's preparatory movements to identify the kind of the succeeding offensive action and to pick at least 3 defensive actions allowing setting an attack back;
• following coach’s instructions, to keep the competitive distance which would be unfavorable for an opponent and so on.

In a boxing match, triggering afference may be represented by a situation requiring non-standard solutions. In this case a triggering signal and situational information superimpose on one another and an athlete needs to respond to several external stimuli simultaneously. This comprises the necessity to choose a rational response sequence to corresponding stimuli as well as the way to respond. Successful solution of this problem enables a combat athlete to take an advantageous position and increases his motor control capacity, while controlling opponent's actions. Reasonability and effectiveness of the given methodology was tested during the educational experiment, in which a total of 39 boxers of mass categories were involved. There was a control group (CG) - 19 athletes and an experimental group (EG) - 20 boxers. Prior to the educational experiment, the probands' physical fitness level was checked by means of the following muscular endurance tests: 30 m trial run (sec), 100 m trial run (sec); 1000 m trial run (min); standing long jump (cm); left and right handed shot put, 4 kg (m); modified pull-ups (number of reps). The analysis of the research findings did not determine any significant differences in physical fitness of boxers from CG and EG (р>0,05). Moreover, it was possible to identify competitive performance by the criteria as follows: proportion of made and missed offensive actions; number of couteractions in response to every offensive action; ability to predict opponent's actions.

The processing of the obtained data did not reveal any significant differences in the competitive performance indices either (р>0,05). Workout sessions in CG were held in accordance with the standard practice in view of the sports training program for boxers, approved by the Boxing Federation [3]; in EG we used the methodology of improvement of afferent synthesis skills during designing a program of conducting a boxing bout.

Evaluation criteria:

We evaluated the correlation of made and missed offensive actions, number of defensive actions, ability to determine opponent's actions during a bout.

Evaluation criteria:

5 points - correlation of made and missed offensive actions is 3:2; at least 3 counteractions in response to the offensive action, ability to anticipate opponent's actions in all rounds;

4 points - correlation of made and missed offensive actions is 3:2.5; 2-3 defensive actions; ability to anticipate opponent's actions in the first 3 rounds;

3 points - correlation of made and missed offensive actions is 3:2.75; 1-2 defensive actions; ability to anticipate opponent's actions;

2 points - quantity of accurate and missed offensive actions is 2:3, correlation of accurate and missed offensive actions is 2:2; 0-1 defensive actions; inadaptability in anticipating opponent's actions;

1 point - correlation of accurate and missed offensive actions is 1:3; 0:1 defensive actions; inadaptability in anticipating opponent's actions.

At the end of the educational experiment we have obtained the data showing that in the process of systematic workout sessions there is a regular increase in sports results in both of the groups: CG and EG, despite their different meaning.

Conclusion. When organizing a training process, it is necessary to use the key components of afferent synthesis: motivation, motor memory, situational and triggering information. The methodology of improvement of afferent synthesis in view of its key components proved its reasonability and effectiveness in the process of conducting the educational experiment.

References

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