Kinematic Differences between Traditional and Sport Version of Roundhouse Kick Executed by Male Taekwon-do Masters

Background: Different competitions require mastery in different forms of technique execution, which changes their kinematics. The aim of this study was to obtain knowledge about kinematic indicators that determine the effectiveness of two versions of taekwon-do roundhouse kicks: sport and traditional. Methods: The analysis included 180 kicks performed by 15 male Tackwon-do masters from the International Taekwon-do Federation. The study was performed using a stereo photogrammetry method with a set called Human Motion Lab, composed of 10 infrared NIR Vicon MX-T40 cameras. Results: Obtained results showed, that there are significant differences in the maximal velocity and time of execution for both lower limbs (p < 0.01) in terms of technique version. Sport version of roundhouse kicks had shorter execution time and higher maximal velocity (0.45-0.46 s, 12.26-12.44 m/s). There were no significant differences between the left and right lower limbs for each technique. There was no significant correlation between lower limb length and maximal velocity or execution time of the kicks. Conclusions: Modern competitions forced the evolution of sports versions from the traditional type of execution which was confirmed by better kinematic results. The lower limb length did not determine the speed of the roundhouse kick. Taekwon-do masters can perform roundhouse kicks without significant differences between their lower limbs, which means that the lateralization effect is not present.