Typical errors and behavioral sequences in judo techniques: Knowledge of performance and the analysis of t-patterns in relation to teaching and learning the ouchi-gari throw

Abstract

The aim of the study was to detect the most frequent errors and their associated behavioral sequences in relation to the judo technique Ouchi-gari, the ultimate objective being to propose improvements to the way in which judo is taught. The novice participants (n = 31; 15 men and 16 women) were all students from the Faculty of Educational and Sports Science at the University of Vigo (Spain) and they were filmed while performing the technique in the context of a systematic observational study. The results, based on descriptive statistics and the sequential analysis of T-patterns obtained via the THEME v.5 software, revealed that students committed a series of typical technical errors when learning the Ouchi-gari technique that affected the whole throw sequence. These errors were primarily related to an initial failure to put the adversary off balance, the foot and trunk position, the reaping action, and the final action of the arms. As regards the teaching of judo these findings can be used to propose motor tasks and movement sequences for novices that would ensure successful learning of the technique, this process being based on a range of tasks and the use of corrective feedback.