Key differences in combat tactics, action triggers and self-commands in taekwondo and boxing

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PhD, Associate Professor O.B. Malkov1
PhD, Associate Professor A.A. Romashov1
1Russian State University of Justice (RPUJ), Moscow

 

Keywords: timing, tactics, response time, self-command, trigger signal perception, trigger moment anticipation, setup, fight goals, ideomotor response, volitional action trigger, punches in boxing, kicks in taekwondo.

 

Background. Success of speed qualities and skills in martial arts largely depends on how precise the opponent’s attack anticipation, detection and counteraction skills are and how efficient the mental processes and control in particular and the fighter’s behavioral patterns on the whole are. The latter may be basically classified into decision making; intended actions; and responses to the action precursors.

As far as the process timing is concerned, it is important to differentiate between the intended and spontaneous actions with their respective slow and fast response patterns. This differentiation is underlined by the simple and didactically beneficial classification by V.S. Keller and D.A. Tyshler that groups the fight actions into intended, spontaneous and intentionally spontaneous – as provided, for instance, in the following statement: “Intended, spontaneous and intentionally spontaneous offensive and defensive actions dictated by multiple situations in a fencing bout are largely limited by the individual response rates” [1, p. 23].

Objective of the study was to analyze the fight techniques in modern boxing and taekwondo with a special emphasis on the performance timing and control skills.

Results and discussion. Timing skills may be classified into self-command as a starter for an intended action; and triggered response as a basis for a spontaneous action [2. 3]. The ways to speed up the response qualities and skills by the modern training tools are of special interest for us.

The longest response patterns are typical for unusual fight situations when a fighter acts as follows:

  • Perceives the action precursor/ trigger signal;

  • Analyzes/ apprehends the signal;

  • Makes decision;

  • Selects a technical response pattern/ program i.e. models action by ideomotor tools;

  • Takes volitional action/ self-commands as soon as the action is modeled;

  • Sets up for action;

  • Starts up the move; and

  • Controls the offensive action i.e. the leg/ arm movement.

The above response pattern including eight components is typical mostly for unskilled fighters. The higher are the individual skills and fitness, the faster is the response.

A high priority in a fighter training system shall be given to the anticipative response development aspects in a variety of fight situations, with a special emphasis on the perceptive anticipation that may be described as the mental toolkit to speed up the situation perception/ detection skills. When the fighter perceives the opponent’s action precursor, it is what may be called anticipation. Athletes develop anticipation qualities and skills to effectively control the opponent’s mental processes so as to actively and effectively respond to a variety of fight situations.

Perceiving the action precursor/ trigger implies that in the response modeling process the athlete detects the trigger/ action precursor in the flow of signals and situation markers to perceive and analyze the signal.

Decision making phase implies the following. Unless an athlete skips or cuts down the response selection phase upon the trigger is detected, the decision making and response modeling phases take too much time. It is quite common in modern martial arts to model the shot-term actions in advance i.e. form a fight plan that implies the fighter being largely driven by intentions in the bout i.e. probabilistic scenario of own actions. When the scenario/ fight plan proves successful enough, the fighter would stick to it and continue acting as planned. If not, he would switch over to the situation-driven response pattern with the decision-making phase being as short as possible.

Action programming/ modeling means the ideomotor shaping of the response i.e. the counter movement sequence by the skilled fighter that may also be referred to as the right mindset for the technical action – as opposed to the unskilled fighter’s response which is often loose and uncontrolled.

Self-command or the volitional action taking phase may also be improved by a training system. In modern martial arts it implies the ideomotor response with the volitional action modeling phase. In the action release moment waiting phase prior to the opponent’s action trigger/ precursor is detected, the athlete should concentrate as if ‘drawing the bow string’ or ‘raising the cock’ to get ready for an instant action and, as soon as the precursor is detected, release the pre-modeled motor sequence in response.

Setting up for action means, among other things, that the higher is the power of a kick/ punch, the more evident is the setup/ preparations for the offence like the back move or swing of the arm for a straight punch or a hook, slight squatting for high kick etc.; although the setup for a spontaneous fast action may be limited by ideomotor/ mental virtually invisible move(s).

Startup move means, for example, the take-off phase of a kick.

Punch/ kick process control specifics may differ depending on the pace and power of the action and the setup quality.

It should be mentioned that self-commands in the critical situations in need of fast responses may slow down the actions and, hence, result in defeats. A fighter may be highly successful in spontaneous actions in response to anticipated action triggers/ precursors when the spontaneous action qualities and skills are well developed by the relevant training tools. The above three response types are quite common in bouts, and every timing skills training system should be designed to master and excel all of them.

Intended actions driven by self-command and their tactics are largely dictated by defensive actions of the opponent, with the offense geared to bypass the defense. The intended action is designed to find an advantageous position for attack by capitalizing on positional inaccuracies, imbalances and inertial aspects of opponent’s actions. The intended actions triggered by certain precursors/ signals may be qualified as intentionally spontaneous.

Intentionally spontaneous actions may be described as follows. In case of a top-fast response in an intentionally spontaneous pattern, an athlete would take a starting position in response to the anticipated action of the opponent and set up for the action. When the situation is standard, the action starts up as soon as the opponents’ action precursor is perceived, with the actual response rate being close to the reflective response one. In a choice situation, the response may be slowed down by the detection/ clarification phase. The response may be speeded up by special training tools to develop the optional anticipations geared to detect the likely options by secondary precursors. When some choice of limited options is anticipated, it gives the means to speed up the individual response to the first or second action precursor. In case of variable situation, a trained switchover capacity should be activated to facilitate response in the switchover phase. However complicated the situation is, the well-developed anticipation gives the means to respond as fast as possible under the optional response model with the choice and switchover phases.

Spontaneous actions: Perceptions and anticipations driven responses are only possible when a fighter is perfectly trained to act as soon as the trigger signal/ precursor is detected. The pre-action sensations and perceptions may be referred to as the semi-instinctive situational response patterns that give the means to respond to standard triggers by standard responses. On the whole, the frame responses imply two options: detection of the action trigger followed by the setup and response; and the setup integration with the signal activating the optional frame response.

The key timing errors, in the context of the above, may be listed as follows:

– When the fighter intentionally feints the opponent to distract him by the offense startup mimicking moves, micro-pauses etc. geared to detect and analyze the opponent’s latent responses, the offense should be dictated by the calculated opponent’s response time rather than waiting for failures in the opponent’s attacks;

– A fighter shall never be within the range off-guard i.e. off the setup phase with the only exception for the opponent’s action provoking tactics. Excessive maneuvers within the range shall be avoided, with the fighter recommended to move from one setup position to the other; and

– Double startup or late startup moves shall be avoided, otherwise the opponent may respond by preventive offence or counter attacks.

Conclusion. The study analyzes one of the timing components that is personal response control and improvement tools need to be addressed by a multiannual training system. Conscientious trainings to excel timing qualities and skills comprise one of the key components of the sport excellence phase in the modern martial arts and team sports.

 

References

  1. Keller V.S., Tyshler D.A. Trenirovka fekhtovalshchikov [Fencer training]. Moscow: Fizkultura i sport publ., 1972, 182 p.

  2. Malkov O.B., Kalashnikov M.Yu. Takticheskie kharakteristiki alternativnogo vypolneniya starta pri nanesenii udara i zakryitiya ataki v edinoborstvakh [Tactical characteristics of alternative start when striking a blow and finishing attack in martial arts]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2015, no. 9, pp.75-77.

  3. Malkov O.B. Upravlenie sensomotornymi reagirovaniyami protivnika v konfliktnykh vzaimodeystviyakh edinobortsev [Control of sensorimotor responses of opponent in conflict interactions of martial artists]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2008, no. 8, pp. 48-51.

 

Corresponding author: malkoffoleg@list.ru

 

Abstract

Success of tactical actions in combat sports largely depends on the individual offence timing qualities and skills. The timing skills may be classified as follows: the trigger moment detection and initiation components; willpower release form i.e. self-command or counteraction. The article analyzes the mental control mechanisms in charge of the action triggers and self-commands depending on the mental processes associated with the actions. The relevant psychomotor responses may be classified versus the athletes’ fitness rates, with the key role played by the anticipation qualities and skills and their harmony with the other mental qualities for success of the intended and spontaneous actions on self-commands upon the opponent’s action precursor is perceived in the bout. Good understanding of own response control logics in the bouts enables an athlete to mobilize the relevant self-commanding, trigger signal anticipation and response mechanisms as dictated by the fight situation. The timing skill analysis and logics may be beneficial for the training and educational process design and management in the modern martial arts.