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Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology

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Abstract - Psychomotor skills of Kickboxing athletes and their correlation with training experience, body mass, and technical-tactical skill levels

Introduction. Contemporary Kickboxing is a discipline with a complex combat structure and demanding sports competition. One of the key areas determining the effectiveness of athletes is psychomotor potential. The aim of the study was to assess the psychomotor skills of Kickboxing athletes and identify their correlation with body mass and training experience. The aim of this study was to assess selected areas of psychomotor abilities in high-performance Kickboxing athletes using psychometric computer tests in the TEST2DRIVE system. A further aim was to diagnose their relationship with body mass, the training experience of the subjects and technical-tactical indicators

Materials and Methods. The study consisted of a group of 44 active Kickboxing athletes. Basic anthropometric procedures were applied (body height: 176.83 cm ± 4.33; body mass: x ̃ =77.18 kg ± 9.93), and a direct interview was conducted (age: x ̃ =22.60±2.72; training experience: x ̃ =8.98±2.64). Psychomotor skill assessments were carried out using psychometric computer tests in the TEST2DRIVE system. Four thematic tests were applied: SIRT-simple reaction time, CHORT-choice reaction time, HECOR-hand-eye coordination, and SPANT-spatial prediction. Three components were used to assess the level of technical and tactical training (effectiveness, activity and effectiveness of the attack), recorded during a 3-round fight. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistica 13.3 package to process the results.

Results. Comparative analysis revealed significant differentiation in the level of results for a given test (p<0.001). Within the Kick- boxers group, very low intragroup variability was observed (CV%=9.1-15.8). Significant multiple associations were noted between training experience, body mass, and SIRT with moderate strength (R= -0.437; p<0.05) and SPANT with strong dependence (R= -0.644; p<0.05). Furthermore, during the analyses, significant strong partial correlations were demonstrated for the combination of training experience with SPANT (r= -0.644; p<0.05) and body mass with SIRT with moderate strength (r= -0.417; p<0.05). Components determining the level of training, i.e. special skills, were negatively correlated with reaction times in each test. The strongest associations were recorded for the SIRT test.

Conclusions. The research indicates that in kickboxers, reaction time is associated with lower body weight, and longer training experience significantly correlates with better visual-motor skills (SPANT test). Regular kickboxing training positively impacts the development of psychomotor abilities. The specificity of movements in kickboxing justifies the use of psychometric diagnostic tests to assess motor preparedness, with higher technical-tactical skills leading to shorter reaction times.