The Problem and Its Setting

THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF FITNESS PERFORMANCE OF KARATEDO
ATHLETES AND TAEKWONDO ATHLETES
CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Introduction
Martial art is considered to be a system of codes and traditions of
combat practices which was developed in the battlefields in ancient times. It
is commonly associated with self-defense. Besides being a form of selfdefense, the martial arts disciplines bring its users the physical fitness.
According to Joe Hyams, Technical knowledge alone is not enough. A martial
artist must simultaneously transcend technique and develop intuitive action
so that the art becomes an artless art, a way to physical excellence, a way to
spiritual enlightenment. (Hyams, 1979). Wealth, power, fame and the
blessing of physical beauty are all relatively unimportant if one does not
possess good health. An individual owes it to himself and his family to
constantly maintain and improve his health. Confucius said: "Being in good
health is a way of showing great devotion to the parents, as child's health is
their utmost concern."
Two of the most popular martial arts nowadays are Taekwondo and
Karate-Do. Taekwondo, famous for its swift, high kicks, is a form of Korean
martial art believed to be a modification and integration of the Japanese arts

of Karate, Aikido, Judo and Kendo. (Fong, 2014) Meanwhile, Karate-do is a
physical art and the physical body is the key to experiencing this traditional
martial way originating from Japan. (Seller & Seller, 2006) The former mainly
uses kicking techniques that are both strong yet graceful. Punching and
blocking with parries and; takedowns are taught as well. Kicking techniques
are emphasized more however. The latter is primarily a striking art, with
punching, kicking, knee/elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques. The
movements are crisp linear. And also has various blocking techniques like
parries are taught as well.
Enlisted in the study of Shirley SM Fong and Shamay SM Ng of The
University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
respectively are the potential benefits for the fitness of the practitioners. The
training routine places a great deal of emphasis on developing flexibility.
Possessing muscular strength is important for the execution of explosive
kicks, jumping and balancing movements during training. Additionally,
governed by the competition rules set by the World Taekwondo Federation
and the International Taekwondo-Do Federation, modern Taekwondo-do
competitions consist of very short periods of intermittent, high-intensity
movements that require energy supplied by anaerobic energy (phosphogen
and lactic acid) systems. Many studies have revealed that practitioners
blood lactate concentration does increase significantly after Taekwondo
tournaments. Therefore, repeated Taekwondo free-sparring practice may
strengthen he anaerobic power of practitioners. Furthermore, present in the

list are aerobic fitness, fat loss, reaction time, postural control, bone mineral
density and psychological well-being.
On the other hand, Krassimir Doynov, Ph.D. of the University of
Houston enlisted the health benefits of practicing Karate-Do.
The obvious
benefit from learning karate is the improvement of physical health. The

student learns to exercise regularly several times a week, which is one of the
most useful lifetime habits. This results in balancing blood pressure
circulation, lowering the cholesterol level, and reducing the number of visits
to the doctor and all medical expenses. Moreover, the student gets flexible
muscles and joints, which increases the chances for surviving car accidents
with fewer injuries when compared to a person who does not train karate.
Other benefits include improvement of mental health, building self-esteem
and strengthening self-confidence, improvement of academic performance
by raising the level of energy, focus and concentration, and learning and
mastering self-defense techniques.
With the health benefits that martial arts bring, constituents of General
Santos City are engaging in this art. Schools from the said city are also
taking advantage of these benefits to incorporate not only Taekwondo and
Karate-do in education but also other forms of sports. This can be clearly
seen in the form of various sports scholarships the schools give.
Physical Fitness has two components: Health-related and Skill-related.

The former is concerned to the factors that are related to how well the
systems of your body work. This includes cardiovascular fitness, body
composition,
flexibility,
muscular
strength
and
muscular
endurance.
Meanwhile, the latter is mainly concerned with the aspects of fitness which
form the basis for successful sports activity participation. These are speed,
agility, balance, coordination, reaction time and power.
Given the researches regarding the individual benefits of the two
martial arts disciplines, it is worthwhile for the researcher to study the
comparison in the skill-related fitness performance between Taekwondo and
Karate-do as observed in the Holy Trinity College athletes.
Statement of the Problem
The study aimed to compare the physical fitness performance of the
athletes in Taekwondo and Karate-Do of Holy Trinity College.
Specifically, the study attempted to answer the following questions:
1. What are the differences and similarities Taekwondo and Karate-Do in
terms of physical fitness performance?
2. How are the athletes responding to each individual tests which
measures physical fitness capacity?
3. Which group is better in the over-all performance?
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The study will determine the physical fitness performance of the

Taekwondo and Karate-Do athletes of Holy Trinity College.
The study is narrowed down to the comparison of the physical fitness
performance in terms of skill-related.
The respondents of this study will be
Significance of the Study
The researcher believes that the study benefits for the following
reasons:
Martial art is a form of a self-defense. More than this, it allows the
practitioner to gain health benefits. It is therefore important for them to gain
knowledge regarding this especially in the field of Taekwondo and Karate-Do.
The study is all about comparison, but the researcher does not convey to the
readers that one discipline is superior to the other. The researcher would just
like to impart the performance in the physical fitness of these disciplines
through comparison.
Definition of Terms
To give the reader understanding of the terms used in the study, the
following terms are operationally and conceptually defined:
Agility - is the ability to change the body's position efficiently, and requires
the integration of isolated movement skills using a combination of balance,
coordination, speed, reflexes, strength, and endurance.
Anaerobic - strengthening muscles by forcing them to work very hard for a

brief time
Balance - strengthening muscles by forcing them to work very hard for a
brief time
Body Composition - percentages of fat, bone, water and muscle in human
bodies
Cardiovascular fitness also called Aerobic fitness, is the ability of the
heart, blood cells and lungs to supply oxygen-rich blood to the working
muscle tissues and the ability of the muscles to use oxygen to produce
energy for movement.
Coordination
Flexibility
Health
Muscular Strength
Muscular Endurance
Physical fitness
Postural Control
Power
Practitioner
Psychological Well-being
Reaction Time
Self-defense

The Problem and Its Setting

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Problem and Its Setting

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Problem and Its Setting

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF FITNESS PERFORMANCE OF KARATEDO

ATHLETES AND TAEKWONDO ATHLETES

martial art believed to be a modification and integration of the Japanese arts

strengthen he anaerobic power of practitioners. Furthermore, present in the

benefit from learning karate is the improvement of physical health. The

Physical Fitness has two components: Health-related and Skill-related.

The study will determine the physical fitness performance of the

Anaerobic - strengthening muscles by forcing them to work very hard for a

You might also like