Disclaimer: The information on this website is used for educational purposes with all rights reserved to the original researchers, for further reading read their original paper and do your own research & comparisons on each subject, the name of the original author of each paper will be hyperlinked and will be referenced/cited. Any information I have taken out of each paper will have quotation marks at the start & the end of the information. In no way shape or form is the information on this website intended to be misleading. It’s about sharing as much information as possible so that comparisons can be made on each subject highlighting key points. All information gathered will be taken from a mixture of sources such as open access journals & papers, features, editorials, opinions, news, video and others.
Kata Rules For Competition
What Are The Differences Between Athletes ?
To be able to compare athletes I’ve put each athlete into three different levels, Level 1: Performed Without Distinction , Level 2: Expected Level For International competition & Level 3: High Level For International Competition. This is based on the rules from the World Karate Federation.
To work out these scores I have added up each score then took the average score, without deducting points this allows for a moving average to be created and a standard to meet. To compete internationally and/or to compete for your countries national team you would need to score on average a 7.0+ per round to even be considered for that team hypothetically.
For the Cadet athlete in Figure 1 to reach the standard or beat the athlete in their category from Slovakia for example a difference of 0.12+ is needed, Slovakia averaging a 7.10 where the Cadet athlete averaging a 6.98, to work out the difference the highest score took away the lowest score, 7.10 – 6.98 = 0.12. In real time for that match the cadet Athlete Scored 21.00 and Slovakia Scored 21.30.
In Figure 2 the U14 athlete is sitting at a Level 2, this is due to averaging above a 7.0 per round, round one averaged a 7.38 and round two averaged 7.14. If we compare this athlete and the athlete from Italy we get a difference of 0.44 as shown above even though in real time would equal 1.1 as 23.40 – 22.30 = 1.1, by using the average it shows a smaller gap which is more realistic. To reach a higher standard a long term plan should be in place as seen above with small targets to meet, for example Target 1 is to add 0.44 to all scores to reach the same standard as the Italian, by doing so it will allow this athlete improve their overall ranking for the long term, Target 2 would to average a 7.5 per round to reach round 3 to be in the top 10 in their category, Targets 3 to 6 is adding in small numbers to meet until they get 8.0+ as that would put this athlete in Level 3 and at a really good place to start medalling at a high standard.
To know if an athlete is improving or if standards are being met, average scores should be recorded for that year, this gives direct & realistic feedback to the athlete without words being spoken. Scores should only be taken from the same level of competition i.e K1 Youth League and International competitions with high level of athletes and referees to keep scores consistent as it can vary dramatically at different level of competition.
Succesful Characteristics
When comparing athletes from U14s, Cadets, Junior & U21 categories similar characteristics were evident in all succesful athletes. These athletes focused on speed of each individual technique, the techniques were short and sharp, they showed the difference between fast and slow, good depth of stances with some being roughly 90 degrees with good ankle flexibility, successful athletes took a great amount of risk compared to unsuccessful athletes, techniques were light & fluid which was achieved from deflation of breath with balance and muscular control which allowed for great weight transfer. Timing between section was slower with direct and minimalistic movements, kicks showed recoil, the athletes had short and sharp pullbacks to the hip/side. Athletes didn’t seem to focus on power but speed, precision and had great sprint mechanics.
Phases of Training Using Competition Conditions
When training for competition your training should be split into phases so all aspects can be trained and so you can peak for the next event. Above in Figure above shows 3 separate phases with different work to rest ratios, for example in phase 1 the work to rest ratio is 3:3, 3 minutes of work with 3 minutes of rest with a heart rate between 65-75% of your maximum heart rate. Phase 1 is focused on improving technique, flexibility, mobility, allowing your body to relax, depth of stances, allowing your body to deflate using control of your breathing, posture, muscle engagement etc. Phase 3 is focused on generating as much speed as possible with very little rest to mimic competition conditions with a work to rest ratio of 3:1, 3 minutes of work with 1 minute of rest with a heart rate between 90-100% of your maximum heart rate.
This is just an example but it can be adjusted to suit your needs and adjusted to how many rounds you would have in a specific competition. For kata you would on average have between 3 to 5 rounds, when training a general approach is taken from most clubs as the athlete is training in a group of different levels and age groups. A class could be 1 to 2 hours long which in the long term the standard goes down as fatigue tends to kick in reducing the standard of that athlete as you can’t maintain speed and power for a long time. I would recommend training in short bursts with longer rest periods within that class to maintain a high standard, for example 15 to 20 minutes should be the minimum amount needed to focus on speed and power so quality can be kept with the rest of the time focused on the technical aspect. By focusing on the 15 – 20 minutes it allows the athlete to train in competition conditions.
In this article we looked at general observations regarding athletes competing at a high level and how we would categorise each athlete, by doing so it allows coaches to set standards and goals to meet to improve the athletes overall and current standard. To be eligible for a national team an average score of 7.0+ is needed at an International level.
Create a 52 week plan with all competitions for that year added in so you can train in phases to cover all modalities of training and so comparisons can be made, without this the athlete will plateau and will not progress to a higher standard. Figure 4 splits training into 4 different areas, this allows you to simplify and reverse engineer your training sessions, this helps give some structure and meaning to training. It’s about training SMART not hard.
References
World Karate Federation. (2024). STATUTES & RULES. [Online]. World Karate Federation. Last Updated: 01/01/2024. Available at: https://www.wkf.net/structure-statutes-rules [Accessed 18 January 2024].
World Karate Federation. (2023). KARATE1 YOUTH LEAGUE – VENICE 2023. [Online]. Sportdata. Last Updated: 2023.12.07 – 2023.12. Available at: https://www.sportdata.org/wkf/set-online/veranstaltung_info_main.php?active_menu=calendar&vernr=771& [Accessed 18 January 2024].
Adam Jess Performance 