Antropomotoryka nr 51 - Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego w ...

Zbigniew Borysiuk, Wacław Petryński, Wojciech J. Cynarskirence; the latter to its time. In combat sports these twotypes of cannot be separated. A karate fighter, whilecommencing a series of hits and kicks, simultaneouslyanticipates the precise timing of the opponent’s attackand prepares a block to immediately proceed tocounterattack. A fencer who anticipates the intentionsof his opponent who is performing a feinted lunge attackon the torso, increases the distance making a stepbackward, takes an appropriate parry and ripostes witha thrust to an uncovered part of the target area. In thecase of simultaneous, spatial and temporal anticipation,the motor response is primarily affected by the latter,which has been confirmed by a number of experts insuch sports as taekwondo, karate or fencing [17, 18].When an attacking fencer uses a wide variety of offensivetechniques, it is very difficult for the defendingfencer to recognize a specific attack correctly. However,the latter can in all likelihood predict the timing of theattack. Combat sports are based on a kind of play or exchangeof anticipatory actions and counteractions. It iscommonly assessed that proper anticipation can shortenthe response time for 40 to 150 ms. This is enoughtime for a karate fighter to execute two hits, or a saberfencer to make two cuts [19]. The effectiveness of anticipatoryreactions can derive from versatile training andperfecting of time and spatial anticipation skills.In the present study the following research questionswere formulated:1. To what extent does anticipatory information reducethe reaction time (RT) and movement time (MT) ina sensorimotor response?2. Which of the two types of anticipation is characterizedby faster information processing?3. Does the anticipation type affect the EMG signalvalue?The research hypothesis assumed that the reactionand movement times of sensorimotor responseswere seriously reduced in anticipatory reaction tests,and that the EMG signal was significantly altered.Moreover, it was assumed that anticipation had a moresignificant influence on the temporal rather than spatialpara meters of a specific movement.MaterialTwelve advanced and active epee fencers (averageage of 22.1 years) took part in the experiment. Theiraverage training experience was 8.3 years, and theywere at their specialist training stage.The study was carried out in 2005/2006 and it waspreceded with numerous pilot trials aimed at selectionof the most appropriate assessment tools. All measurementswere taken in the Chair of Physical Educationand Sport of the Technical University of Opole. Therange and methodology of the study were approvedby the Research Bioethics Committee of the OpolePhysicians’ Chamber.The testing station with peripheral devicesThe testing station consisted of a PC and an electromyographconnected to two pairs of electrodes and thereference electrode through binary outlets (Picture 1).Picture 1. A subject awaiting a visual signal (red light) is anticipatinga movement – pressing the red button on the control panelThe electrodes were attached to the subject’s skinon the flexor carpi radialis. The electromyograph wasconnected to the control panel, constituting a complexinformation processing testing system.MethodsFigure 3 shows the registered EMG curve with the valuesof muscle bioelectrical activity (µV) on the y-axis.MRT (motor reaction time) and MT (movement time)values for each trial are presented. The red rectangleson the x-axis correspond to the random emission of redlights by the computer. The gaps between them are irregular:the figure illustrates the results of the spatialanticipation test and regular gaps, e.g. every 2 seconds,would distort the effect of temporal anticipation.Spatial and temporal anticipation. Two simple reactiontests were used in the experiment: temporal an-– 18 –