Anthropometric and Physical Performance Profiles of Elite Karate Kumite and Kata Competitors

• Authors: Nenad Koropanovski , Bobana Berjan , Predrag Bozic , Nemanja Pazin , Aleksandra Sanader , Srecko Jovanovic , Slobodan Jaric
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Karate tournaments consist of two equally important karate disciplines: the kumite and kata competitions. Due to being based both on the distinctive selection of movement techniques and their kinematic and kinetic patterns, we hypothesized that the elite kumite and kata competitors could differ regarding their anthropometric and physical performance profiles. Thirty-one senior male karate competitors of the national karate team (kumite n = 19; kata n = 12) participated in this study. The tests applied included both the assessment of anthropometric (body height, mass and body mass index) and the following physical performance measurements: the adductor and hamstring flexibility (sideward leg splits test), speed and acceleration (20-m sprint test with 10-m acceleration time), explosive power (countermovement and standing triple jump), agility ("T"- test) and aerobic endurance (20-m multistage shuttle run test). The kumite competitors revealed a larger body size through body height (p = 0.01) and mass (p = 0.03), while the differences in body composition were non-significant. The kumite competitors also demonstrated higher acceleration (p = 0.03) and explosive power (standing triple jump; p = 0.03). A 6-7° higher flexibility of the kata competitors remained somewhat below the level of significance (p = 0.09). The findings could be interpreted by the distinctive differences in the movement techniques. Specifically, a higher explosive power could be beneficial for kumite, while both a smaller stature and higher flexibility (particularly of the lower extremity) could be important for the exceptionally low postures of the kata competitors. Although further elucidation is apparently needed, the obtained finding could be of importance for both the early selection and training of karate competitors.

Keywords

EN

testing; training; selection; morphology; karate; motor abilities

• Publisher: De Gruyter Open
• Journal: Journal of Human Kinetics
• Year: 2011
• Volume: 30
• Pages: 107-114

Dates

published

1 - 12 - 2011

online

25 - 12 - 2011

Contributors

author

Nenad Koropanovski

author

Bobana Berjan

author

Predrag Bozic

author

Nemanja Pazin

• The Research Center, Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, Belgrade University, Serbia

author

Aleksandra Sanader

• Serbian Institute of Sport, Belgrade

author

Srecko Jovanovic

• The Research Center, Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, Belgrade University, Serbia

author

Slobodan Jaric

• Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, USA

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Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10078-011-0078-x