Theory and Practice of Physical Culture № 12 2016

T.G. Kotova
Tyumen State University, Tyumen

Keywords: training process differentiation, personal physical progress experience, modular education material, universal motor skills, typical errors in martial art techniques.

Background. In the context of the new national education policy under implementation, a sport educator is expected to obtain a wide range of general cultural, basic professional and special professional competences with a good ability to apply the relevant interdisciplinary and disciplinary knowledge, skills and personal experience in the educational practices. Sport educator’s training systems under the valid academic bachelors’ curricula give a high priority to the students’ activity and self-reliance building components that imply the educational process being differentiated on the whole and in the specific academic disciplines in particular, including the Martial Arts discipline.

Objective of the study was to differentiate the sport educators’ training process in the academic Martial Arts discipline with a focus on the personal physical progress experience of the students.

Methods and structure of the study. Personal physical progress experience (PPPE) is defined herein as the practical progress in performing and mastering necessary physical training and sport-specific skills based on the good knowledge, abilities and physical qualities acquired in the process, with due emphasis on the determined attitudes to the education centred on self-improvement goals.

Education process differentiation is referred to herein as the way to design the educational process by grouping the trainees based on their personal qualities and traits with the group educational process being customized for the latter. Based on the findings of I.V. Manzheley [4], we detailed the differentiation forms applied in different education and physical culture models, as follows: selective differentiation that is implemented in the knowledge-giving education and in “conditional” format of physical education so as to convert “external to internal”; selectively-elective differentiation designed on the concept of “external organization of internal processes”; elective differentiation centred on personality and driven by the concept of “external through internal”; and the electively-selective differentiation that may be described as personal-activity and competency-centred education model driven by the concept of “internal into external”.

Traditional education of the Physical Culture University students in the Martial Arts discipline is dominated by the theoretical studies of the combat techniques in every sport discipline with virtually no practical physical experience being acquired in the process. We believe that the education efficiency may be improved if the students master at the same time universal motor skills applicable in all the subject martial arts, with due priority given to the students’ PPPE with reasonable differentiation of the educational process by paces, tools and methods to develop the deficient physical qualities and prevent typical errors in the process. The theoretical educational effects on the students will be replaced by a constructive cooperation model that implies the educator-student and intergroup interactions being designed so as to help the parties become real partners in the co-operation and co-progress [3].

It was in the period of 2009-2014 that we performed a pilot training project (PTP) designed as a line study that involved 217 full-time students of Physical Culture University trained in the academic Martial Arts discipline as subjects for the study designed in the following three stages.

Framework setting stage (2009-2011) was designed to complete the following: analyze the PPPE and individual qualities of the subject students; select the education materials and identify the universal motor skills including the standing and ground positions; form combinations allowed by the wrestling rules and applicable in modern sambo, judo, Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling; group students into differentiated education groups by the relevant sport disciplines (V.S. Farfel’) [5] as follows: Group 1 for cyclic sports; Group 2 for acyclic sports; Group 3 for “situational” sports including the following subgroups: Subgroup 3A for team sports; and  Subgroup 3B for martial arts; and identified the typical errors in the competitive combat techniques and deficient physical qualities of every student.

Empirical transformation stage (2011-2012) was designed to: complete the modular design of the education material with the relevant progress rating system; select due tools and methods (sets of general and special exercises) to correct the typical errors in the motor skills execution techniques; and develop the deficient physical qualities with due emphasis on the PPPE.

Constructive transformation stage (2012 and 2014) was designed to additionally develop Motor Skills Mastering Cards (MSMC); help the students master the martial art techniques based on the Guiding Frame for Actions (GFA) and the Key Foothold Points (KFP); and the martial art technique semantics analysis.

Study results and discussion. Prior to the pilot training project, the subject students of the above Groups (of both sexes) were tested with the high overall physical quality rates and mostly mean special physical quality rates, whilst the motor skills performance techniques were tested as mostly “satisfactory” and “unsatisfactory”.

In the martial art technique mastering process, we found a few factors of influence on the Motor Skills Technique (MST) execution: external factors including status-symbols-related (ranks of the competitions and opponents); communicational (behaviour of coach and supporters); environmental-and-subjective (i.e. indoor climatic conditions, sport shape etc.); and the internal factors including physical qualities (coordination, speed-strength qualities, flexibility, endurance); typical errors in the technique (kinematic and dynamic characteristics of the motor skills). We identified the typical errors of influence on the combat technique success and the deficient physical qualities. The typical errors may be listed as follows: dominated in Group 1 were the deviations in the MST execution amplitudes and directions; disharmonies in the leg/ arm movements; stiffness of the trunk/ lower limb movements, with the errors being generally due to the deficiencies in coordination, dexterity, flexibility and upper-limb-muscle strength qualities. In the men’s Group 2 (weight lifting), the MST errors were dominated by unnecessary movements, trunk stiffness with disproportions in the muscular efforts and low movement speed; these errors were largely due to deficiencies in dexterity, speed-strength and flexibility qualities. In the women’s Group 2 (gymnastics), the MST errors were dominated by the head lowering in the movement sequence, distortions in the rhythmic structure and amplitudes of the movements, and the strength deficiency in dorsal muscles [1]. In Group 3A, the MST errors were dominated by the ineffective bodily positions and balancing, imperfect lines of movements and stiffness of the lower/ upper limbs, with the errors being largely due to the developmental deficiency of the upper-limb and trunk muscles, poor dexterity and flexibility. Special sets of conditioning exercises were used to correct the errors [2]. It was based on the findings of the framework setting stage of the pilot training project that we identified the objectives, key missions, content, tools and methods of the students’ education differentiation technology in application to the three-stage martial technique mastering process based on the PPPE.

We used the following background for the students’ education differentiation technology in application to the martial techniques mastering process based on the PPPE: activity theory by A.N. Leontiev; motor skills (MS) mastering regularities by M.M. Bogen; motor conceptions (MC) formation method via new practices by Y.K. Gaverdovskiy; and study reports by the martial art researchers (G.S. Tumanyan, Y.A. Shuliki, Y.A. Shakhmuradova et al.).

In the diagnostics and design stage, we completed the modular design of the education material with the relevant academic progress rating system; collected data on the students PPPE; formed study groups by the sport disciplines and identified the deficient special physical qualities and the typical errors in the MS execution process.

The content-and-technology focused stage implied the Motor Skills Mastering Cards (MSMC) development to detail the educational process by stages, objectives and results, and spell out the educator and student’s performance. The sets of the relevant exercises were customized to the specific wrestling disciplines to ensure the motor skills being well mastered, with the sets including the following: imitational, preparatory, combined (connected) and ideomotor exercises designed to correct the typical errors in the MS execution techniques and develop students’ physical qualities. The key intergroup differences in the educational process were dictated by the educational process objectives setting and attainment (including the MS difficulty levels, MS mastering pace and levels, reiterations, training cycle intensities, work-rest schedules etc.) with account of the specific requirements to the basic motor skills need to be mastered by a martial arts athlete.

In the primary MS mastering stage, the educator’s efforts were dominated by the objective setting; semantics and designs of the key motor conceptions via logical, visual and kinaesthetic images based on the key foothold points (KFP); and actions to form due students’ performance self-control and mutual-control capacity. In doing that, the technique mastering process in Groups 1, 2 and 3A was designed mostly in a phased manner; and in Group 3B based on the combined exercise method. The deficient physical qualities were developed in Group 1 mostly using the interval-reiteration method; in Groups 2 and 3A using the intermittent-interval methods; and in Group 3B using the circular method. The students mastered the MS via the movement sequence learning process based on logic images (action verbalizing, due wording), visual images (from mental conception to visualization), kinaesthetic images (from detailed feeling to motor sensations); with the Guiding Frame for Actions (GFA) being mastered by going through all the key foothold points (KFP) (from internal speech to realization and to the muscular memory).

In the MS comprehensive mastering stage, the educator showed the semantic links connecting all the KFP into GFA; created the detailed picture of the GFA based on the KFP being accepted via logical, visual and kinaesthetic images; and executed the MS performance control. The students mastered the MS execution techniques based on strictly regulated ideomotor and practical exercises; the preparatory exercises were performed in simplified formats (from simple to complex forms); the students were given time to think over every MS execution algorithm going through all the KFP with reference to the motor technology mastering cards, each group of students moving forward at its own pace. The motor skills mastering process included the integrated iteration practices under the MS mastering algorithm; sets of preparatory exercises specific for every group and designed to correct the erroneous elements of the execution technique; and the resistance-free reiteration of the MS under increasingly difficult conditions. The students’ physical qualities were basically developed using the cross-fit system focused on the Guiding Frame for Actions (GFA). The students were expected to understand the semantic links, self-rate the MS execution quality and track and correct errors. The MS were mastered and executed via acknowledgement, conception and iteration of the MS on the whole; apprehension of the logical image (from the verbal-and-motor image of the GFA to verbalizing the GFA through conscientious control of every KFP), visual image (ideomotor image of the GFA) and kinaesthetic image (identification and recognition of the alike MS followed by reproduction) of the mastered exercise; and learning the comprehensive GFA going through every KFP (loud verbalizing of the steps with verbal clarifications of actions by every KFP).

In the MS consolidation and excelling stage, the educator’s activity was designed to: ensure the motor sequence being perfectly mastered to reduce the energy costs, achieve due freedom and streamline the GFA. The students excelled the martial art techniques with a special emphasis on the GFA streamlining (using the education cards) mostly by the interval method including a set of group-specific preparatory exercises performed under increasingly difficult conditions; with due attention to the correction of errors, self-control and mutual control. The students’ efforts in this stage were dominated by the self-rating of the MS semantics by the self-control tools and self-commands; and tracking the deviations in the execution techniques (deficient physical qualities, typical errors). The MS were realized and executed via the MS rating and analyzing process (from the internal conception to sensational images, to internal vision, to muscular feelings and to the movements harmonized within the differentiations); followed by the GFA streamlining.

In the result rating stage, the educator rated the knowledge acquired by the students, their practical skills, physical qualities and the martial art technique execution quality.

Conclusion. The students engaged in acyclic sports and team sports were found to master the education materials 2-3 sessions earlier than the cyclic sports group students. By the end of the pilot training course, the subject students were tested with the overall physical quality rates staying virtually at the same high level, whilst the special physical qualities showed a meaningful growth.

Good progress was found in the standing throws execution techniques, with the “excellent” marks found to increase by 25-50% on the whole, with the only exception for the men’s Group 3B that marked the growth of 22.2%, whilst the women’s progress stayed the same as 100% “excellent”. Notable progress was also found in the ground motor skills execution techniques, with the “excellent” marks found to grow by 30-60% on the whole, and with the Group 3B marks staying the same as 100% “excellent”. In the combinatory MS execution techniques, the students’ progress was rated to grow by 25-53% on the whole, with the men’s Group 3B progress making 11.1% and the women’s progress staying the same as 100% “excellent”.

References

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Corresponding author: tatyna2205@mail.ru

Abstract

The article considers the ways to differentiate the competitive martial arts training process in application to physical culture university students. Special emphasis is made on the differentiation forms most appropriate for different physical education and training models and the personality-focused experience of the students’ physical progress management. The study identifies a set of universal motor skills; offers a structured curriculum designed on a modular basis; lists typical errors in the martial art techniques; and outlines special correction exercises designed by the author. Subject to the tests and pilot project under the study were 217 full-time students of Physical Culture University engaged in the academic Martial Arts discipline. The study has found that the students engaged in acyclic sport disciplines and team sports master the education materials 2-3 sessions earlier than the cyclic sports group students. By the end of the pilot training course, the subject students were tested with the overall physical quality rates staying virtually at the same high level, whilst the special physical qualities showed a meaningful growth.