Definition of physical-dynamic parameters in circular kick in Muay Thai through latest generation inertial sensors with a critical review of the literature

Abstract

In recent years, the study of movement analysis with the application of dedicated advanced technologies, such as inertial technologies, has also become essential in scientific research of sports disciplines such as martial arts and combat sports, to better define the real dynamics of technical components in order to adapt the training design. A great number of studies in the literature have focused on the kinematics of circular kick in combat sport and martial arts but a relatively small number have focused on the kinetic and kinematic analysis of Muay Thai and especially its circular kick technique. This study aims to highlight instrumentally the quality of circular kick gesture and through which segmental motor dynamics it achieves its greatest effectiveness, evaluating the accelerations and execution times of the different body segments involved in technical execution itself obviously in a performative sense. It is important to note that the inertial data shows that both knee and ankle have an increasing linear velocity greater than the hip in the preparation and execution phase, while for the angular velocity in the execution phase it is the hip that has higher acceleration than the knee and ankle. These results, therefore, highlight the basic importance of intra-articular and intramuscular coordination processes that allow or not linearity and fluidity of movements that are the basis to obtain maximum intersegmental performance in order to deliver maximum acceleration in the apical point of the shot and thus have the maximum effectiveness of hit and therefore the optimal performance.