Kinetics of the knife-hand strike used in power breaking in ITF Taekwon-do

Abstract

Description and analysis of a sports technique in terms of its compliance with the principles of biomechanics and with regard to the efficiency of a given technique form the basis for the technical aspect of a training process, which is supposed to result in enhancement of athletes’ sports performance level. The study was based on 6 ITF Taekwon-do (International Taekwon-do Federation) athletes (age 16.5 ±0.7 years; weight 64.1±7.0 kg; height 176.5±4.6 cm). The study relied on an Italian system called Smart-D, manufactured by BTS S.p.A., used for complex movement analyses. The system comprised six cameras reflecting infrared rays, which in real time located the markers fixed to the athlete’s body. In the present study the maximum velocity of the sonkal yop tearigi strike reached 13.00 ± 2.35 m/s. The velocity of the traditional fist strike seems to be lower. In this study the average maximum velocity was reached at the length of the arm being equal 92 % of the maximum length value. This length can be taken as the optimum value in this particular technique in order to achieve the maximum dynamics of the strike.

Keywords

• taekwon-do
• power test
• analysis of movement
• kinetics of punch