Disabled versus able-bodied jiujitsu elite: competitive fitness elements rating analysis

ˑ: 

PhD, Professor V.A. Vishnevsky
Surgut State University, Surgut

Keywords: jiujitsu, jiujitsu training systems, able-bodied jiujitsu, adaptive jiujitsu, mobility/ visual disorders

Background. Increasingly popular for the last few decades in Russia have been a few martial arts with their specific trainings systems including the ancient Japanese martial art of jiujitsu with its traditional training and competitive culture that prioritizes the opponent’s pressure employment against him rather than a direct power struggle; albeit it should be noted that some aspects of the sport-specific trainings systems are still underexplored [2, 4]. Lately these issues have become even more relevant with the inflow of people with different health impairments in some jiujitsu styles. The sport community is developing special rehabilitation and training systems and tools for the disabled athletes to make them fit even for competitions with able-bodied peers in some cases.
Objective of the study was to analyze the key competive skills in the national elite mainstream jiujitsu versus disabled (mobility and visually impaired) jiujitsu sports.
Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study were highly skilled able-bodied and disabled (with mobility and visual impairments) jiujitsu competitors, with their competitive performance in the major international competitive events being subject to a fitness rating analysis.
We used an adapted version of the S.V. Pavlov [3] method for the competitive performance rating purposes to rate the physical, technical, tactical and mental fitness elements using video records of the competitive bouts. To exclude influences of the fitness elements rating scales, the readings were normalized to the maximum values. The resultant data analysis used both the traditional analytical toolkit and provisions of the chaos and synergy theory [1] with the volumes of attractors; distances between the statistical and geometric centers indicative for the differences between stochastic and chaotic inputs; and the major (degree-specific) variables.
Results and discussion. Given in Table 1 hereunder is the competitive performance analysis of the mainstream jiujitsu versus disabled (mobility and visually impaired) jiujitsu groups.

Table 1. Competitive performance analysis of the mainstream jiujitsu versus disabled (mobility/ visually impaired) jiujitsu groups

Test rates

M±σ

Mainstream group, n = 20

Mobility impaired group, n = 20

Visually impaired group, n = 15

Total fitness

1558,8±41,1

1206,1±84,0**

1046,1±43,8**ʺʺ

Average fitness

70,9±1,9

54,835±3,8**

49,8±2,1**ʺ

General asymmetry rX

270.4574

198.4653

203.7646

General V value vX

5.12928214E0028

7.38923243E0029

4.1774531E0026

Ch

 

81.9239

127.6735

Cg

 

29.2233

17.3710

 

Note: *significant difference of the disabled versus mainstream group, p < 0.05;
** significant difference of the disabled versus mainstream group, p < 0.01;
ʺ significant difference of the mainstream versus disabled group, p < 0.05;
ʺʺ significant difference of the mainstream versus disabled group, p < 0.01

The analysis found the disabled group lagging behind the mainstream group both in the total and average competitive fitness rates; whilst the visually impaired subgroup’s competitive fitness rates were lower than those in the mobility impaired subgroup. The mainstream group was rated higher than the disabled group on the chaos and synergy (i.e. the competitive fitness versatility) scale – that generally means that the disabled fighters tend to be more conservative in the bouts. The greatest gaps between the mainstream and disabled group were found in the competitive skill set versatility, complex movement coordination and tactical efficiency rates.
In terms of the specific competitive skills, the situation was found rather specific – thus the visually impaired subgroup was rated lower than the mainstream group in the total physical fitness, special flexibility and movement coordination rates; and virtually the same in the special strength and special endurance test rates: see Table 2. Both disabled subgroups were tested much lower than their healthy peers on the complex movement coordination and flexibility rating scales.

Table 2. Specific fitness tests rates of the mainstream jiujitsu versus disabled (mobility/ visually impaired) jiujitsu groups

Test rates

M±σ

Mainstream group, n = 20

Mobility impaired group, n = 20

Visually impaired group, n = 15

Total physical fitness

71,8±3,9

47,1±10,3**

37,3±2,0**ʺʺ

Special strength

73,4±8,7

58,5±9,2**

73,6±5,3ʺʺ

Special endurance

69,9±13,3

51,2±13,4**

46,1±6,9**

Special flexibility

76,5±8,1

45,7±16,5**

20,1±3,2**ʺʺ

Complex movement coordination

65,3±9,4

32,9±11,6**

9,3±4,2**ʺʺ

Total technical fitness

65±9,4

62,5±11,8

31,1±9,1**ʺʺ

Attacks

63,9±9,5

60,7±17,0

41,6±8,9**ʺʺ

Defenses

66,3±7,9

51,9±15,2*

42,6±8,6**ʺ

Technical effectiveness

73,9±6,4

65,6±9,7*

69,5±6,4

Technical efficiency

68,1±4,7

59,4±6,7*

51,2±5,8**ʺ

Total tactical fitness

66,3±4,6

49,6±4,4**

45,3±3,2**ʺ

Tactical skill set

68,5±11,2

47,1±9,4**

34,3±7,9**ʺʺ

Tactical diversity

71,1±10,7

49,4±8,9**

52,2±8,7**

Preparatory tactics

61±7,9

46,1±9,4**

30,1±6,8**ʺʺ

Situation-specific tactics

58,6±8,2

61,9±9,9

59,6±7,6

Tactical efficiency

67,9±7,8

30,4±6,2**

23,2±4,8**ʺʺ

Preferred tactics

70,7±6,5

62,8±4,7**

72,1±6,2ʺʺ

Mental fitness

82,6±3,5

69,7±3,3**

76,7±4,0**ʺʺ

Emotional controls

80,4±6,1

69,6±6,1**

80,5±6,1ʺʺ

Competitive determination

84,8±6,2

68,9±5,4**

82,5±7,2ʺʺ

Competitive courage

82,7±7,8

70,5±8,6**

67,1±4,6**

 

In terms of the technical fitness, the disabled group on the whole (and the mobility impaired subgroup in particular) was tested very close to the mainstream group. Thus the mobility impaired group was rated virtually the same as the mainstream group in the total technical fitness and attacks; and the visually impaired group in the technical effectiveness; albeit the latter group was rated much lower than the mainstream in the total technical fitness, attacks and defenses.
In terms of the tactical fitness elements, the situation was more different in many aspects despite the generally lower fitness of the disabled groups. Thus the situation-specific tactics (plus the preferred tactics in the visually impaired group) were rated virtually the same in every group: see Table 2; with the highest gaps found in the tactical skill sets, preparatory tactics; tactical efficiency; and the tactical diversity rates. On the whole, the disabled groups were found more conservative and prone to the fight control stereotypes.
In terms of the mental fitness analysis, the visually impaired group was rated higher than the mobility impaired group and virtually the same as the mainstream group in the emotional control and competitive determination tests (see Table 2); albeit generally the disabled athletes were found more standard in their fight controls i.e. demonstrating the lower competitive courage.
Correlation analysis of the mobility impaired group ranked contributions of the competitive fitness elements as follows: average physical fitness (r = 0.728, p <0.01); movement coordination (r = 0.721, p <0.01); average tactical fitness (r = 0.658, p <0.01); special flexibility (r = 0.632, p <0.01); preparatory tactics (r = 0.628, p <0.01); special strength (r = 0.612, p <0.01); technical skill set (r = 0.539, p <0.01); technical efficiency (r = 0.526, p <0.01); and technical effectiveness (r = 0.525, p <0.01).
Correlation analysis of the visually impaired group ranked contributions of the competitive fitness elements as follows: competitive determination (r = 0.771, p <0.01); technical efficiency (r = 0.669, p <0.01); total mental fitness (r = 0.669, p <0.01); attacks (r = 0.571, p <0.01); total tactical fitness (r = 0.497, p <0.01); and tactical diversity (r = 0.487, p <0.01).
Conclusion. The study data and analyses found the competitive fitness elements being disability class specific. This finding and the relevant issues are recommended being taken into consideration by the training systems. The competitive performance analysis described herein is recommended for application by the sport analysts, coaches and athletes.

References
1. Eskov V.M., Braginskiy M.Ya., Rusak S.N. Program for identification of parameters of attractors of behaviour of biosystem state vector in m-dimensional space. Certificate of official registration of the computer program No. 2006613212. ROSPATENT. Moscow, 2006.
2. Kalmykov E.V. Individualization of training of martial artists in context of cultural traditions of East and West. M.: Akademiya publ., 2006. 592 p.
3. Pavlov S.V. Integrated monitoring of fitness state in competitive process of martial artists (case study of taekwondo). Doct. diss. abstr. (Hab.) Tyumen, 2004. 48 p.
4. Romanov R.V. Training of skilled jiu-jitsu wrestlers based on modeling and forecasting of training activity. PhD diss. abstr. Khabarovsk, 2012. 24 p.

Corresponding author: apokin_vv@mail.ru

Abstract
The authors conducted a comparative analysis of different aspects of jiujitsu training under competitive conditions in individuals with musculoskeletal disorders and visual impairments as opposed to healthy athletes. It was found that health impaired athletes lag behind their healthy peers in terms of the amount of training parties involved in the bouts. In turn, combat athletes with visual impairments are inferior to those with musculoskeletal disorders. It is shown that, during a bout, combatants with musculoskeletal disorders actively use a significant number of technical, attacking, and situational tactical actions. At the same time, they are distinguished by insufficient coordination, flexibility, defensive actions, volume and versatility of tactical actions, emotional stability, competitive persistence and courage. Individuals with visual impairments are characterized by considerable competitive strength, effectiveness of technical actions, situational tactical actions, chosen tactics, emotional stability and competitive courage. Among the weakly pronounced aspects of training are: competitive coordination, flexibility, endurance, number of technical actions, attacking and defensive actions, technical efficiency, volume, versatility, restructuring of fighting tactics, preparatory tactical actions, and competitive courage.