Revista de Artes Marciales Asiáticas

What would the Marshal do?: Historical heroes as role models in contemporary martial arts

George Jennings — 2024-07-15

Many martial arts systems have their own revered heroes, such as mythical founders and leaders of notable schools. The paper draws on ethnographic research conducted on The Blade Academy, an expanding historical European martial arts (HEMA) school in the United Kingdom. Among pedagogic strategies used by the lead instructors and their core followers are narratives about historic figures whose heroic beliefs and deeds should be respected and even emulated by practitioners. This article explores the case study of 12-13^th century Norman-English knight William Marshal, who is used as a principal model for leadership, martial valour, economic success and moral activity by the lead instructor. We examine idealised models of chivalry that such modern martial artists aspire to follow despite them living within very different societies and value systems. We conclude by considering the merits of revisiting historical figures who might act as role models for modern teachers and their students.

The penalties and scores by events, to predict victory and defeat according to when the contest ends in elite judo contests

Xurxo Dopico-Calvo — 2024-07-27

The main aim of this study was to ascertain whether the victory and defeat in the different types of the judo contest, in the elite male and female divisions, are associated to the occurrence of the penalties and scores of the first three events (changes in the scoreboard -either penalty or score-) of them. 2340 contests of the 2018, 2019 and 2021 World Judo Championships were analysed. The Pearson’s chi-squared test expressed that [1] shido-1 in the first event (EV1) of the contests that end before the regular time (BRT) and of those without considering when they end (OC) is associated to defeat for both sexes and, that [2] wazari-1 in the EV1 of the BRT and in the EV2 and EV3 of the BRT, of the contests with the duration extended beyond the regular time (EXT) and of OC is associated to victory for both sexes except in the EV2 of the EXT (only for male athletes in this case). Thus, it is suggested that the victory and defeat in the different types of the judo elite contests are associated with the occurrence of the penalties and scores of the first three events of them.

Effects of applying sports liniment with massage on muscular relative strength of hip flexion and knee extension among male Muay Thai athletes: a randomised control trial

Lee David Johnson — 2024-09-14

Background: Muay Thai, Thailand’s national sport, widely practiced globally, is known for using sports liniment before training and fights. A popular product is ‘Namman Muay’, an iconic symbol of Thailand, though its direct impact on performance lacks research. Objectives: Investigate the impact of Namman Muay on the rectus femoris of the dominant leg. Focus on muscular strength exercises – seated hip flexion and supine knee extension – with relative strength as the primary outcome. Material and Methods: A randomised control trial with 24 male Muay Thai fighters, divided into 12 in the Baby Oil (BO) and 12 in the Namman Muay (NM) group. Both groups received effleurage massage on the dominant kicking legs, followed by a RAMP warm-up. Performance measurements using Lafayette Handheld Dynamometer evaluated two isometric strength tests. Results: NM intervention showed significant increases in hip flexion and knee extension strength. Within groups, a 3% decrease was seen in the BO and an 11.6% increase in NM for hip flexion strength, and 1% decrease in BO and 6.9% increase in NM for knee extension strength. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insight to Muay Thai fighters and trainers, showing that 5 ml NM boosts relative muscular strength of hip flexion and knee extension. This could improve male Muay Thai fighters’ performance particularly when using kicking techniques.

Anthropometric profile and dietary intake of amateurs and professional mixed martial arts athletes

João Carlos Alves Bueno — 2024-11-02

Nutritional habits and anthropometric profiles are directly linked to competitive performance; however, there is a great lack of information on amateur or professional mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes outside the competitive period. The aim of this study was to compare food consumption and anthropometric profile of amateur and professional MMA fighters. The sample was composed of 24 male MMA athletes, middleweight category (age: 27.5 ± 5.0 years; body mass: 79.0 ± 12.1 kg; height: 173.5 ± 0.1 cm; %BF: 19.5 ± 4.0 %, BMI: 26.0 ± 2.8 kg/m²). Food consumption was evaluated based on three 24-hour food diaries using the Multi-Step method in a non-competitive period and analyzed using the Dietbox v2.92 software. The professional group was younger (p = 0.001) than the amateur group. Total energy expenditure was similar between amateur (4364 ± 469 kcal) and professional (4312 ± 381 kcal). Amateur and professional reported an energy deficit between the estimated energy requirement and energy intake. Carbohydrate consumption was below the suggested minimum limits (amateur: 3.3 ± 1.6g/kg/day and professional: 3.3 ± 1.4g/kg/day). Protein intake was within the suggested limits (amateur: 1.4 ± 0.9g/kg/day and professional: 1.8 ± 0.8g/kg/day) and lipids presented borderline values about to with concerning the recommendations in the literature (amateur: 0.9 ± 0.6 / g/kg/day and professional: 1.8 ± 0.9 g/kg/day). Amateur and professional athletes did not differ in terms of food consumption and anthropometric profile. Both groups, amateur and professional, demonstrated negative energy balance and inability to reach the suggested levels of macronutrient intake according to the classification. Thus, it is recommended that both MMA groups receive attention regarding nutritional strategies.

A A critical update to earlier research findings about the historical roots of gonosen-no-kata – “Forms of post-attack initiative counter throws”

Carl De Crée — 2024-11-03

The purpose of the present paper is to provide a critical update to previously published findings about the historical background of gonosen-no-kata (“Forms of Post-Attack Initiative Counter Throws”), a non-officially accepted kata of Kodokan judo that achieved some popularity in select European countries. We applied historical methods and source criticism to newly acquired evidence in this way offering a careful critical analysis of this kata’s origin, history and background. Expanding our earlier finding, i.e. the kata’s first verifiable European appearance in London, 1926, from 1927 onward it was spread throughout Europe by a number of judo teachers of Japanese origin. However, the results of this paper now also lead us to firmly refute the caution we had expressed earlier that gonosen-no-kata might well not be of Japanese origin. Indeed, the kata shows up for the first time in November 1915 when it is on display as part of the program surrounding the 20^th Waseda University Judo Tournament in Tokyo where it was shown by a pair of judoka, named Nagae and Endo. From then on, the kata was regularly publically demonstrated in Japan at judo contests during the Taisho era (1912-1926) whenever a team from Waseda University participated. Among its most significant early proponents in Japan were Waseda students Endo Moriya, Ninomiya Sotaro, and Yasuoka Toraki. Waseda University’s former chief-instructors Miyakawa Ikkan (1885-1944) and Takahashi Kazuyoshi (1885-1942), and dedicated student(s), such as Endo Moriya (1896-1950) remain the most likely candidates involved in the creation and development of gonosen-no-kata.

Events and event records (scoring and penalties) across temporal units in elite judo contests: implications for tactical preparation

Xurxo Dopico-Calvo — 2024-11-03

Introduction: This study examines the distribution of events and event records (EVRs) in elite judo competitions, encompassing both male and female categories. Sample: By analyzing data from the 2018, 2019, and 2021 World Championships, the study incorporates 6487 events (EVs) and 2340 contests classified by their last event (cEV). Results: The predominant occurrence of EV2 and EV3 in male (23.2% and 36.6%) and female (26.8% and 31.7%) contests suggests consistent patterns. Statistical analyses reveal non-uniform distributions of events within temporal units (TUs). Small associations were found between EVRs and TUs for EV1, EV2 and EV3 (Cramer’s V = 0.103 to 0.171; p<0.001), while moderate associations were observed for EV4 (Cramer’s V = 0.260 to 0.271; p<0.001) with no associations detected for EV5 and EV6, in both sexes. Female contests generally feature fewer events, concentrated within the same TU, indicating shorter durations compared to males. The study emphasizes the association between the occurrence of EVRs and the moment they occur, demonstrating similar patterns across sexes. Waza-ari was significantly overrepresented in the TU1 for both males and females (SR = 2.1 and 2.2, respectively). In contrast, Ippon was overrepresented in the Golden Score (TU-GS) period (SR = 3.3) for males. Notably, cEV1, cEV2, and cEV3 exhibit timing variations between male and female categories, while cEV4 share equivalent timing. Conclusion: This research provides comprehensive insights into the dynamics of elite judo contests, informing professionals on the nuanced strategies needed for male and female judo athletes. The observed tendency of athletes to adopt an offensive approach at the beginning of contests, focusing on throws or body controls in groundwork over penalizations, adds a valuable layer to understanding the competitive dynamics in judo.