IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE

Traditional karate belongs to the family of martial arts of the Far East. The popularity of this discipline of sport increases continuously. According to some sources the number of those practicing exceeds 10 million people. Karate requires movements of various complexity, that is, manifestation of all three levels of co-ordination. Achieving technical proficiency and sport success demands the manifestation of all basic co-ordination abilities at nearly the highest level. In spite of their leading importance in this discipline of sport, no research in this vital matter has been undertaken so far. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to: 1. Define the level of co-ordination abilities among the leading karate competitors. 2. Establish its variability during the yearly training cycle. 3. Search the conditions of the level of these abilities. 4. Compare this level among athletes practising various martial arts. The researches were conducted three times, with 15 competitors of the Polish national team, out of which many athletes have achieved considerable success at international arenas (European and World champions). The average age of those tested was 28. The following methods were applied in the researches: the measurement of the ability level for the kinaesthetic differentiation of the movement amplitude (with a kineasthesiometer), as well as the size of the muscle tension (with a tensodynamometer ); coordination and jumping ability test of W. Starosta, a test of static balance maintenance ability (posturography), and a questionnaire.
Conclusions: 1. Among the tested competitors practicing 7 different kinds of martial art sports, karate competitors demonstrated almost the highest level of motor coordination (x = 848). Only seniors of judo, many of whom belonged to the world’s elite, demonstrated a slightly higher level of coordination (by 8). 2. The average arithmetical value of the 3 successive researches conducted every few months, did not differ much. It confirms that there are insignificant alterations in the level of co-ordination in the 10 month training cycle. Simultaneously, considerable differences of results among athletes was observed.