Zeitschrift für Yoga und Physiotherapie
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Traditional Martial Arts Training Enhances Balance and Neuromuscular Control in Female Modern Martial Artists

Martyn J Matthews, Helen Matthews, Mohamed Yusuf and Caron Doyle

To investigate the effects of Traditional Martial Arts training on markers of balance and neuromuscular control in modern martial artists, twenty-three female modern martial arts practitioners (mean age 37.17 ± 11.5), were divided into two matched groups: Intervention (n = 11) and Control (n = 12). The Intervention group participated in a 30 min Traditional Martial Arts training session, twice a week for four weeks. Reach measurements from the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) were analysed to determine whether improvements had occurred. Pair-wise comparisons revealed significant (p = 0.00) improvements in SEBT reach for the intervention group with mean scores improving for both dominant and non-dominant legs (517 ± 18 to 592 ± 21 and 487 ± 18 to 565 ± 20). No significant differences were noted in the control group. The results from the SEBT tests in this study suggest that the modern martial artist can show improvements in balance performance after an intervention of four weeks traditional martial arts training. This presents the possibility that traditional martial art training methods could be incorporated into sport specific injury prevention training programmes for Modern Martial Arts.