Postural control in high-level kata and kumite karatekas

Gérome C. Gauchard*, Alexis Lion, Loïc Bento, Philippe P. Perrin, Hadrien Ceyte

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

    20 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Postural performance may vary according to the constraints related to the practice of different martial arts. This study aimed to investigate the visual and tactile contribution in balance control: (i) between karatekas and sedentary controls; (ii) between kata and kumite specialists within the elite karatekas. Balance control in quiet stance of 23 high-level karatekas (11 kata and 12 kumite specialists) and of 24 sedentary controls was evaluated in four sensory context conditions, a combination of visual cue availability (eyes open or closed) and tactile support reliability (firm or foam surface). The results showed that karatekas had a reduced body sway and a smaller sway area compared to controls, especially in the more challenging condition, i.e. eyes closed on a foam surface. Moreover, kata karatekas tended to have a reduced body sway and a smaller sway area than kumite karatekas in all sensory conditions. The practice of karate may enhance balance control in quiet stance by optimizing the role of tactile cues and by decreasing the weighting of visual cues. Moreover, the specialization into different karateka practices may induce the implementation of specific postural strategies to solve a given balance problem.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)21-26
    Number of pages6
    JournalMovement and Sports Sciences - Science et Motricite
    Volume100
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2018

    Keywords

    • balance control
    • Body sway
    • Karate
    • Specialization

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