Karate Kata Research Articles

Imagining Embodiment in Karate Kata

This paper is an exploration of how a particular moment in time - the 2020 pandemic - created a paradigm shift that both has and has not affected the way martial artists train. I argue rethinking the concept of virtuality beyond the bounds of technology provides a lens through which to better understand certain aspects of embodied existence that both reinforce and go beyond the physical. I discuss the virtual effects on training in terms of a phrase I call embodied imagination via a phenomenological analysis using Gilles Deleuze, Edward Casey, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. I focus on karate kata and their bunkai, which serve to exemplify how embodied imagination is always already both virtualized and actualized in senses individual and communal. I end with a description of a combination of techniques that relies on narrow line work, utilizing creative interpretations of limited and liminal spaces.

Innovation of scoring board for the android-based assessment of karate kata

Innovation of scoring board for the android-based assessment of karate kata

The Acute and Long-Term Effects of Olympic Karate Kata Training on Structural and Functional Changes in the Body Posture of Polish National Team Athletes.

The aim of this study was to assess the acute and long-term effects of karate kata training on body posture (range of motion (ROM)) and musculoskeletal pain in elite karate athletes. Twelve kata athletes from the Polish national team participated in the study. A cross-sectional study protocol was used, with direct participatory observation (NMQ-7/6 questionnaire, spinal curvatures and spinal ROM testing, ROM of joints) and natural experiment (225 min of kata training) methods of assessment. Age and number of weekly kata sessions were found to correlate with ROM of the lumbar spine (R = (-0.6), p < 0.05). High increase in the prevalence of lumbar hypolordosis and posterior pelvic tilt was noted after karate training sessions. ROM of the inclination in the sagittal plane differed significantly between the first and second trials, by 10.0 degrees on average. Kata stances and their movement pattern seem to be related to the occurrence of disturbances in the ROM of the internal and external rotations of the hip joints and decreased depth of the lumbar lordosis, pelvic tilt, and their ROM. The locations of the long-term musculoskeletal complaints (NMQ-6) seem to result from compensatory changes that occur in the musculoskeletal structures as a result of elite-level kata training.

The Effect of Circuit Training on Word Performance in Forki Palembang Karate Athletes

This study aims to determine the effect of circuit training ont the performance of karate athletes FORKI Palembang. The type and design of the research used in this study is a quantitative study with a One Group Pre-test Post-test research design. The subjects in this study were karate kata athletes, especially 20 kata athletes of cadet to senior age at the Wadokai Central Dojo Palembang. The data analysis techniques in this study were normality test, homogeneity test, and t-test using the paired sample t-test.The result of the research on the effect of circuit training on kata performance on FORKI Palembang karate athletes were obtained from the paired sample t-test, namely sig (2-tailed) 0,000 0.05. these result indicate that the hypothesis is accepted, which means that there is an effect of circuit training on kata performance in FORKI Palembang karate athletes.

The effect of karate interventions on the motor proficiency of female adolescents with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) from high and low socio-economic status

BackgroundThere is not a general consensus on the best type of intervention to improve the motor proficiency (MP) of adolescents with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Considering the effect of socio-economic status (SES) in relation to the MP of adolescents with DCD, it is necessary to examine this issue further. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Karate-Do interventions on the MP of adolescents with DCD from high/low SES.MethodsParticipants included 16 adolescent girls (12 to 13 years old) with DCD, and their classification into high/low SES groups was done by using appropriate previously validated questionnaire. A short form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2), was used to assess fine motor precision, fine motor integration, manual dexterity, upper limb coordination, bilateral coordination, balance, strength, speed, agility, and overall MP level of the participants. Both high/low-SES groups completed a specifically prescribed Karate-Do intervention program for 8 consecutive weeks (3 sessions per week with each session lasting for 75 min).ResultsResults from this 8-week intervention showed that the pattern of change in manual dexterity, bilateral coordination, strength and the total MP score improved over time in both groups with varied socioeconomic backgrounds. Specifically, the high-SES group performed significantly better than their low-SES counterparts during the 8-week Karate-Do intervention (p < 0.05).ConclusionsFollowing participants’ completion of the Karate-Do intervention, the existence of significant changes in the MP of adolescents’ with DCD at high/low SES confirmed our hypothesis. Compared to the low-SES group, adolescents with high SES displayed superior MP following the intervention. It seems that karate (kata) training serves as a good alternative for rehabilitation MP programs, however, an important issue concerning social infrastructure is to create a suitable exercise environment for adolescents at lower SES. Until the SES achievement gap in female adolescent MP is stable, future work is warranted to discover more practical and meaningful interventions.

Physiological Responses During Karate Kata in Practitioners and Athletes: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Kata is a relevant task practiced by karatekas during karate sessions and an important competitive category that has made its debut at the Tokyo Olympic Games. This scoping review article presents what is already known about the physiological demands, and energy system contribution during kata practice in athletes and practitioners. The focus was related to heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentration ([La]), and oxygen consumption (V̇o 2). Studies were retrieved from Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, and in 104 articles found, 10 were considered eligible for this review. The results showed that kata practice can improve cardiorespiratory fitness. HR and lactate values changed according to the kata performed and the level of the performer's expertise. Lactate responses increased significantly after 3 kata repetitions compared with resting values. The energy system contribution was related to the kata duration, with the oxidative system being the predominant energy source in the longer kata, which is usually executed during competitions. For a video abstract of this article, refer Supplemental Digital Content 1 (see, http://links.lww.com/SCJ/A339).

Validation of session ratings of perceived exertion for quantifying training load in karate kata sessions.

This study was intended to investigate the associations between session Ratings of Perceived Exertion (sRPE) and Edwards’ training load (TL) and Banister training impulse (TRIMP) in order to determine the validity of the sRPE method for TL assessment in karate kata discipline. Eight elite karate kata athletes, members of the national karate team, took part in this study. A multistage 20 m shuttle run test was performed to determine maximal heart rate (HRmax). Subsequently, the subjects performed 3 different kata training sessions separated by minimally 48 hours. To calculate Edwards TL, Banister TRIMP and sRPE, heart rate (HR) was continuously monitored during the sessions and RPE of the entire session was collected 30 minutes after each training session. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was used for determining associations between TL variables. Edwards TL (p = 0.064) and Banister TRIMP (p = 0.102) were not, but sRPE was significantly different between each training session (p < 0.001). There were no significant correlations between sRPE and Edwards TL (r = 0.53, p = 0.18) or Banister TRIMP (r = 0.13, p = 0.77) when data from all training sessions were pooled. A significant correlation was obtained between sRPE and Edwards TL (r = 0.71, p = 0.04) in situational training session, whereas in technical training session sRPE was significantly correlated with Banister TRIMP (r = 0.82, p = 0.01). HR-based methods for TL assessment are not able to discriminate between kata training sessions and, therefore, sRPE may be more useful for coaches to monitor TL in karate kata athletes.

Physiological Response to Different Kata Performances

Summary During a karate competition, a competitor in the kata discipline may choose one kata of 102 katas on the list. This kata must not be repeated. Katas differ in duration, complexity, number of fast and slow techniques, which also means different intensity, physiological response of the karateka body and energy coverage. Problems and Aim. In our study, we focused on the identification and assessment of the duration and difficulty of selected katas by monitoring the internal response of the human body (heart rate, lactate) of three top women´s Slovak national team karate competitors of kata individual categories during training and competition. Methods. The research sample consisted of 3 karate kata athletes (age 17.3 years, body height 161.7 cm, body weight 55.7 kg), who trained kata on average 7 years. To evaluate the indicators of the internal body load in selected katas we used mean, standard deviation, min-max. Results. The highest mean maximum heart rate values athletes had during performance kata Gojushi Ho (187 ± 8.2 bpm). The highest average heart rate values were observed during performance kata Chatanyara Kushanku (171 ± 9.9). Similarly, we found the highest mean values of blood lactate 4 minutes after performance kata Chatanyara Kushanku. (7.6 ± 2.5 mmol.l-1). The longest duration had the kata Suparinpei (204 ± 13 s). There was a significant difference in level of blood lactate reached in different katas (p ≤ 0.05) and the duration of katas. Conclusions. The duration of 5 most common katas used at the high level competition is different (p ≤ 0.05), thus the intensity expressed by the frequency of the techniques, and heart rate and blood lactate concentration. ATP-PCr energy system seems to be the major contributor while contribution of the aerobic energy system rises with the increase in duration of kata.

Changes in heart rate and blood lactate concentration during karate kata competition

Background and Study Aim : Karate is going to take part in the Olympic games, for the first time in Tokyo 2020. The aim of this study was to analyse the changes in heart rate (HR) and blood lactate concentration of karate practitioners performing different katas in competitive conditions. Material and Methods : This study consisted of five elite male athletes (26.80±5.97 years), members of the Bulgarian national team in Shotokan karate, competing in the kata discipline. The study was conducted in competitive conditions during national competitions, in which three katas were performed by each of the competitors. Capillary blood lactate concentration (La) was determined at rest and after each kata. Heart rate (HR) was registered and physical activity was monitored by using three-dimensional accelerometers. Results: The mean La increased progressively after each following kata: 1.4±0.32 mmol/L at rest, 4.7±1.91 mmol/L after the first, 6.8±2.59 mmol/L after the second, and 7.1±2.35 mmol/L after the third kata. This increase was significant after the second (р&lt;0.05) and third (р&lt;0.01) kata, in comparison with the registered La at rest. The mean HR values reached 179±11.55 bpm during the first, 180±11.63 bpm during the second, and 181.5±15.44 bpm during the third kata. Conclusions: The La appeared to be a more informative parameter than heart rate, and the moderate increase of the La values (4-6 mmol/L) indicated optimal muscle tension and amplitude of moves when performing katas in competitive conditions. Further research is needed to determine the optimal La levels for the performance of different katas.

Feasibility of a modern video-based technology for assessing the reaction time during specific karate kumite situations

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a video-based technology for assessing the reaction time (RT) during karate kumite situations. The Simple RT (one stimulus and one response), 2-Choice RT (two stimuli and two responses), and 4-Choice RT (four stimuli and two responses) of 10 karate kumite, 10 karate kata, and 10 beginners were recorded during a single session. Four karate kumite offensive actions (“stimulus”) (front arm punch, front leg kick, back arm punch, and back leg kick) were projected in a real size, after which the participants performed a defensive action (“response”) (high and low block for front and back attacks, respectively). The results indicated that (1) the video-based method was sensitive to discriminate between beginners and karate practitioners (p < 0.05) (higher RT for beginners), (2) no differences in RT were observed between kumite and kata (p = 0.504), (3) Simple RT was lower than 2-Choice RT and 4-Choice RT (p < 0.001) but no differences were observed between 2-Choice RT and 4-Choice RT (p = 0.112), and (4) the RT was higher for the back attacks compared to front attacks (p < 0.001). These results support the video-based method for assessing RT during karate kumite situations.

Evaluating Movement Quality Through Intrapersonal Synchronization

We present a method to measure intrapersonal synchronization of movement from motion capture data, and we show that our method is effective in classifying the level of skills of athletes performing karate kata. Our method is based on detecting relevant peaks of acceleration of limbs (arms and legs) and measuring their synchronization. We run a multiscale analysis, based on topological persistence, to rank the importance of peaks of acceleration. The resulting impulse signals are processed next with a multievent class synchronization algorithm, in order to define an overall synchronization index that scores the level of intrapersonal synchronization with a single scalar value. We build a basic multiclass classifier, which uses just the means of indexes computed on the different classes in the training set. We make a statistical analysis and a cross validation of the classifier on real data. Performances by athletes from three levels of skill have been recorded, classified by experts, and used to test our method. Cross validation of the classifier is performed by leave-one-out and bootstrap resampling. Results show that our method can classify correctly with very high probability (beyond $\text{99}\%$ ), while it succeeds on $\text{100}\%$ of the data used in cross validation.

The influence of competitive co-action on kata performance

Social facilitation is a phenomenon that can help explain performance outcomes in competitive sports. Previous research has shown that performing in the presence of others may increase physiological arousal and that performance can be either facilitated or inhibited depending on the skill level of the performers and the complexity of the skill performed. Although extensive research on this phenomenon has been reported in the sport psychology and related literature, previous findings have not focused on individual differences in terms of how social facilitation influences performance, and very little research has focused on martial arts. To bridge these gaps in knowledge, we investigated how a co-action situation would affect performance among 17 participants performing karate kata routines at a regional competition in SE England, comparing outcomes across age and sex variables. Expert judges awarded scores to each participant in both solo and co-action settings. Results showed higher performance scores in the co-action setting across the entire sample, with female karateka and older performers appearing to benefit the most. We argue that more research is required to explain this phenomenon, specifically with respect to understanding the apparent effects of age and sex on social facilitation.

Analysis of the occurrence of musculoskeletal pain in Shotokan karate kata athletes

Introduction. The aim of the study was to verify whether long-term practise of the basic kata stances in Shotokan karate contributes to the occurrence of pain in the lower extremities and lumbar spine. Material and methods. The study was conducted on a group of men taking part in Shotokan karate kata tournaments whose age ranged from 15 to 60 years with training experience between 5 and 42 years. A total of 57 valid questionnaires composed of 31 questions were selected. Results. The percentage of the respondents who complained of musculoskeletal pain was 82% (the most common locations included: 34% knee, 28% hip, 13% ankle, 11% lumbar spine); this group was then divided into 3 subgroups with respect to the length of training experience. They were compared with a group of subjects who did not experience any pain which was divided into subgroups according to the same criteria. In the first group, with less than 10 years of training experience, 75% of the subjects experienced musculoskeletal pain, in the second subgroup, 10 to 15 years of training experience, 81% suffered from pain and in the last subgroup, over 15 years of training experience, 86% of the athletes complained of pain. Conclusions. The occurrence of pain in the joints of the lower extremities and lumbar spine confirms that the ailments result from performing the basic stances. There is evidence for a relation between the length of training experience and the occurrence of pain in athletes taking part in kata tournaments.

空手「形競技」における勝敗判定をもとにした動作解析

The rating of the karate kata competition is decided by the judgment of the referee. However, the judgment criteria of superiority and inferiority are not clear. The purpose of this research is to extract the karate-Kata motion features which are the criterion of superiority/inferiority and to quantify the win/loss determination. In this paper, as the first step, we described our analysis of KARATE motion based on subjective evaluation results of experts and discussed the obtained motion features.

Metabolic and hormonal responses to a single session of kumite (free non-contact fight) and kata (highly ritualized fight) in karate athletes

BackgroundSeveral studies report martial arts as a good model for investigating neuroendocrine responses to competitive fighting. However, little is known on the metabolic responses elicited by elite athletes during fighting. In particular, the metabolic picture in elite athletes of martial arts is little known.AimIn the present study, our aim was to investigate the acute effects of a session of karate practice on the glucose-insulin system.Subjects and methodsTen healthy individuals (6M/4F; BMI: 22.1 ± 0.7 kg/m2; 21.9 ± 1.1 years, mean ± SE) who practice karate in national or international competitions were enrolled. All participants completed two experimental trials in a randomised-crossover fashion. A basal blood sample was collected from each athlete to assess plasma glucose, insulin, cortisol, testosterone and catecholamines, before karate training session. In two separate days, another blood sample was collected from each participants after 3 min of real fighting (kumite) and 3 min of ritualized simulation of combat (kata).ResultsIn both trials, plasma glucose resulted to be higher at the end the of performance compared to the basal (p < 0.001 after kumite and p < 0.02 after kata). In contrast, insulin was similar in the basal and after physical activity in the two trials. Catecholamines were higher after kata and kumite sessions with respect to the basal values (p < 0.04) and, in particular, epinephrine post-kumite values were much greater than those measured after kata.ConclusionsOur results indicate that unlike performances of karate (kumite and kata) elicit different plasma glucose increases. In particular, we found that glucose and epinephrine concentrations increased more after kumite than after kata.

Analysis of heart rate and lactate concentrations during coordinative tasks: pilot study in karate kata world champions

Kata, the artistic part of karate, requires motor control, rhythm and movement differentiation capacities. When performing in a synchronised manner, kata team members have to make temporal and spatial adaptations to satisfy the requested task. It is not clear whether these coordinative adaptations modify physical output such as heart rate (HR) and blood lactate ([La−]) nor is it known how rapidly top-level athletes adapt. This study examined HR and [La−] outputs in different coordinative tasks and how accurately these tasks were done, in three world champion kata team competitors. In session 1, athletes performed their individual best trial (IM) on Gankaku, the kata that is normally executed during final team events. In sessions 2 and 3, the athletes repeated the kata with temporal and spatial variations (TV10 and TV20, SV1 and SV2). In session 4, one maximal team trial (TM) was performed. There was a decreasing trend in both HR and [La−] across the trials (HR: −2% in TV10, −4.2% in TV20, −2.9% in SV1, −3.2% in SV2; [La−]: −23.6% in TV10, −32.6% in TV20, −18% in SV1, −15.9% in SV2), and between IM and TM (HR −9.9%; [La−] − 21.5%). The coordinative tasks were achieved with a small error (<3%) in all subjects. These results indicate that top-level kata athletes easily adapt to coordinative modifications, with a reduction in HR and [La−]. Although this decline does not compromise the competition results, it also occurs when the performance is executed synchronously in a team.

An analysis of sidedness in traditional Goju-ryu karate kata.

The 684 moves of the 12 Goju-ryu kata (forms) widely practised today were analysed for left-right bias. Significant right-sided bias was evident for kicks only.

Right-sided bias in traditional Kyokushinkai karate kata.

The 912 moves forming the 24 kata (forms) of Kyokushinkai karate were analysed for left-right bias. Significant right-sided bias was noted for counter-offensive techniques and over-all, but not for blocks.

Oxygen Uptake, Heartrate and Blood Lactate Responses to the Chito-Ryu Seisan Kata in Skilled Karate Practitioners

To evaluate the efficacy of Seisan kata as an aerobic power training mode, four male (28.5 +/- 4.2 y) Chito-Ryu karate black belt practitioners did kata continuously for 10 min. In separate sessions the kata (formal, organized movement sequences) were done at rates of 1 (PACE) and 2 (FAST) kata "cycles" per minute. Heartrate (HR) and VO2 were monitored continuously during the sessions. VO2 during the PACE and FAST sessions averaged 73 +/- 3 and 94 +/- 2% of leg cycling VO2peak, respectively. The corresponding HRs were 93 +/- 6 and 101 +/- 3% of HRmax (leg cycle test). PACE and FAST post-exercise blood lactates were 12 +/- 4 and 22 +/- 6%, respectively, of the maximal leg cycle test values. These data indicate that karate kata can be used as an effective and specific means for training aerobic power in karate practitioners.

Blocking and countering in traditional Shotokan karate kata.

Analysis of the 1183 techniques forming the twenty-seven Shotokan karate kata (forms) widely practised today shows a significant preference for blocking over counter-offensive techniques. This may be interpreted as evidence to support Karate-do as a Way of self-defense and non-violence.