Background and Study Aim: The unified K44 classification and the revised five-minute single-round format have reshaped tactical demands in para taekwondo. The purpose of research is empirical evidence that can significantly influence training practices and competition strategies in the evolving landscape of para taekwondo. Material and Methods: A total of 173 athletes from the 2023 World Para Taekwondo Championships and the 2024 Paris Paralympics were analysed using notational analysis. Offensive frequency, kick-to-score ratio, defensive success rate, and technical diversity were examined to compare winners and non-winners and to identify predictors of victory. Results: Cross-tabulation analysis showed that non-winners exhibited a higher overall offensive frequency than winners (69.5% vs. 61.3%, p<0.001, V = 0.087) and also demonstrated a higher frequency of technical actions during the final 4-5 min phase of the match (23.7% vs. 20.6%, p<0.001, V = 0.042). In contrast, independent-samples t-tests showed that winners had significantly higher kick-to-score ratios (40.17% vs. 16.09%, p<0.001) and defensive success rates (83.91% vs. 59.83%, p<0.001) than non-winners. Logistic regression analysis further identified defensive success rate (OR = 1.135, 95% CI = 1.102 to 1.169, p<0.001) and kick-to-score ratio (OR = 1.051, 95% CI = 1.029 to 1.074, p<0.001) as significant predictors of match outcomes. Conclusions: Under the revised para taekwondo rules prioritizing technical efficiency (kick-to-score ratio) and defensive stability (defensive success rate) is significantly more critical for winning than merely increasing offensive volume. In male K44 competition strategic pacing and robust defence emerge as the central performance determinants.
Background and study Aim: Wrestling is a strength and endurance sport. Understanding the methods and means that support the development and enhancement of muscle strength and anaerobic capacity can provide valuable insights and facilitate the design of appropriate training programs in competitive wrestling. The aim of this study was the effect of supplementation with ashwagandha on changes in muscle strength and endurance of the upper and lower limbs in highly skilled wrestlers during an 8-week training program. Material and Methods: The study included 26 elite wrestlers. All participants were enrolled in a structured sports training program. During the 8-week training period, the athletes received either a placebo or an ashwagandha supplement (2 x 300 mg/day). Before and after the 8-week supplementation period, selected indicators of muscle strength and anaerobic capacity of the upper and lower limb muscles were assessed. Results: No differences in muscle strength were observed in wrestlers after the placebo and ashwagandha supplementation periods. The rate of decline in maximum upper and lower limb muscle power and the time to maintain maximum lower limb muscle power worsened in the placebo group, which may be a result of the intensive 8-week preparation period. This effect was not observed in the ashwagandha group. Conclusions: Ashwagandha does not improve muscle strength in elite wrestlers; however, it may enhance athletes tolerance to fatigue resulting from an intensive training period, as evidenced by measures of anaerobic capacity in the upper and lower limbs. To identify measures and methods for optimizing the training process, further research should be conducted by extending the duration of supplementation or increasing the dose of ashwagandha or other supplements while developing various motor skills in wrestlers, taking into account their athletic level, gender, and fighting style.
Background and Study Aim: Kakari practice, which is one of the methods of practicing such techniques, involves skilfully breaking uke's body balance and repeating techniques using accurate form. Accordingly, using both the pulling and lifting hand is important, the position of the upper limbs needs to be improved and the reproducibility ensured, and the sense of the shoulder joint position is thought to have a considerable influence. Sense of position refers to the perception of one's own body posture and where body parts are located, without relying on visual information. Many biomechanical studies report the focus on the pulling and lifting hand, but none examine the sense of position. The cognitive goal of this research is knowledge about the sense of the shoulder joint position in judo athletes. Material and Methods: We observed 14 judo athletes: 7 represented the conventional lightweight group, including five 66kg and two 73kg, and 7 heavyweights, including two 81kg, one 90kg and two over 100kg. We used BIODEX (13BY6333, manufactured by Sakai Medical Co., Ltd.) in automatic and passive modes to measure both shoulder joints. The measurement items were flexion/extension (60 degrees, 90 degrees, 120 degrees), abduction/adduction (60 degrees, 90 degrees, 120 degrees), and external rotation/internal rotation (5 degrees, 35 degrees). The analysis was conducted from multiple perspectives. Results: We succeeded in finding significant differences in comparison bybody mass, hikite and tsurite, and target angle. In the comparison between lightweight and heavyweight athletes, the sense of shoulder joint position in heavyweight athletes may be superior as a whole. The comparison between hikite and tsurite, the tsurite side of the shoulder joint may have a better sense of shoulder joint position. Comparison by target angle established that the 120 degrees target angle had the smallest error, suggesting that this angle had the superior sense of position. Conclusions: Heavyweight athletes may have an overall superior sense of shoulder joint position. The comparison between the pulling and lifting hands revealed athletes are more likely to have a better sense in the former. Moreover, when comparing target angles between the two hands, the error for the target angles of 120 degrees was the smallest in the pulling hand, thus suggesting a better sense of position.
Background and Study Aim: Modern living conditions require a reassessment of many aspects of the problem of human development, preparing one for life in a multidimensional society based on a complex balance of interests. In a pedagogical perspective, this requires addressing issues directly related to the analysis of practices and factors that can influence the formation of ideas about danger and ways to overcome it, rivalry, and the struggle for primacy. The phenomenon of hand-to-hand combat without weapons systems (martial arts without weapons) is a unique model that reflects these aspects. The purpose of this study is to answer the following questions: How are hand-to-hand combat without weapons systems (martial arts without weapons) symbolically embodying competitive activity and certain aspects of national culture, selected and depicted in educational publications? What types of international and national martial arts weapons systems do the compilers of illustrated publications select, and how are the images of martial arts participants presented?. Material and Methods: In this study, we assumed that the world of martial arts without weapons has been presented in educational publications over the years through didactic illustrations that create a visual representation of learning. Identifying the frequency of representation of unarmed combat phenomena and their qualitative uniqueness in educational texts allows us to identify the intentions of the publications' authors as communicators in shaping ideas about the world of agonistics. The empirical sample consisted of illustrated publications combining text and illustrations, including visual dictionaries, primers, copybooks, Wimmelbooks, and textbooks on morality and the rule of law. Of 122 modern publications from 27 countries, 36 publications from 14 countries were selected, covering unarmed combat. Three thematic publications from the 17th and 19th centuries were included. Results: A trend toward selecting martial arts without weapons was identified, with boxing, judo and karate predominating, as well as national wrestling styles in countries with Turkic populations. The theme is presented primarily through the image of a child practicing hand-to-hand combat without weapons. French, Israeli, and Italian authors demonstrate martial arts without weapons by introducing animal imagery, thereby avoiding the depiction of the characters' ethnic and national affiliations. Russian publications do not cover traditional Russian martial arts without weapons, such as fistfighting, vorotok wrestling, and sambo. Wrestling styles cultivated in countries and republics with predominantly Turkic populations are widely represented, such as kuresh, khapsagay, and B & ouml;kh (Kazakh wrestling). Conclusions: When choosing the opxions for representing hand-to-hand combat without weapons system there is a tendency to favor combat sports that were previously considered national but have now achieved international status (boxing, judo, karate). The use of images of women practicing these sports demonstrates the desire of educators and illustrators to overcome ingrained patterns of stereotypical thinking among people from predominantly Muslim countries. National martial arts are not represented in European publications. This publication may be an example of countering the tendency to promote neo-gladiatorism under the attractive name of mixed martial arts (MMA).
Background and study Aim: The utilisation of music in sports training has been demonstrated to yield tangible benefits, with a particular emphasis placed on the significance of individual differences between athletes. The present study's cognitive objective is the knowledge about athletes' predispositions in terms of concentration during training sessions with the use of music. Material and Methods: A total of 117 subjects (74 female and 43 male, aged 22-24 years) who engage in competitive training utilising music were examined: 55 in bodybuilding; 32 in volleyball and 30 in fitness. The Dominant Attentional Style (DAS) questionnaire was utilised in the study. The DAS comprises ten questions, with respondents being awarded 1 point for answering `yes' and 2 points for answering `no'. Consequently, a score ranging from 10 to 20 points can be obtained, which is interpreted as follows: a score between 10 and 13 points indicates that the respondents predominantly exhibit a dissociative style (they actively seek forms of distraction from the discomfort of heavy training). Scores falling between 14 and 16 points indicate an absence of style dominance among respondents (they are only able to derive specific benefits from music during monotonous training sessions). Scores ranging from 17 to 20 on this scale indicate a preponderance of respondents who favour an associative approach. The level of significance was set at alpha = 0.05. Results: Athletes training in volleyball were characterised by a statistically significantly lower level on the attention style scale (12.75 poi points) than fitness athletes (13.97 points) and bodybuilders (14.25 points). Taking into account the specific nature of the samples, the dissociative style was characteristic of: 75% of volleyball players, 36.4% of bodybuilders and 33.3% of fitness athletes; no dominant style was characteristic of: 25% of volleyball players, 45.5% of bodybuilders and 66.7% of fitness athletes; the associative style was characteristic of only 18.2% of bodybuilders. In the studied population of athletes, 46.2% generally exhibited a dissociative style, 45.3% had no dominant style, and 8.5% exhibited an associative style. Conclusions: In the process of devising training programmes that incorporate music, it is essential to take into account the unique characteristics of the athletes in question, as well as the specific nature of the respective sport.
