Empirical basis for predicting success in combat sports and self-defence

Abstract

The aim of the study was to find out whether being superior to the opponent with respect to physical fitness would be a prerequisite for success in a hand-to-hand struggle, and whether it would apply to those who had no experience in such contests, as well as to those who had been trained for at least a year. The so-called International Fitness Test was used to assess the level of fitness, and the combat performance was determined by using two types of contests: according to a modified sumo formula (in a vertical position) or according to the judo formula (in a horizontal position). All contests were conducted in the round-robin system. It was found that physical fitness superiority over an opponent was no prerequisite for success in a hand-to-hand struggle. Owing to the methodological and organisational simplicity of the test contests in sumo, as well as to a very high correlation between the results of sumo and judo (ne waza, in a horizontal position) contests (r = 0.892), the sumo contests may serve as a specific tool for measuring competence in hand-to-hand struggles.