Analysis of Successful Behaviors Leading to Groundwork Scoring Skills in Elite Judo Athletes

Variability Analysis in Judo Para Athletes With Visual Impairments: Match-Outcome Performance in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games With Evidence From the New Classification System

Match-related performance analysis in judo Para athletes with visual impairments is important to coaches and staff to identify technical-tactical profiles of their athletes and opponents but also to identify whether there are similar characteristics in each visual class. Thus, this study explores the match-related performance in judo Para athletes and verifies the relationship between performance using the old and new classification systems. The match-derived variables were analyzed using different statistical methods considering a total of 182 matches from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The results indicated that performance was affected by sex and degree of impairment. The new classification system seems suitable for grouping Para judo athletes, as it differentiates performance between the two proposed classes (J1 and J2), since athletes from each group compete separately. Furthermore, different variability index measures were correlated with competitive performance, demonstrating a specific performance profile for each sport class in judo.

Effects of weight divisions in time-motion of female high-level Brazilian Jiu-jitsu combat behaviors

Coaches and psychologists can use time-motion analysis to elaborate specific interventions for female BJJ athletes, increasing specific training context and reducing unnecessary psychological and physical demands and injuries. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze high-level BJJ female athletes in the 2020 Pan-American Games by comparing the weight categories on the time-motion analysis. The time-motion analysis (i.e., approach, gripping, attack, defensive actions, transition, mounting, guard, side control, and submissions) of 422 high-level female BJJ combats was divided and compared by weight category as follows: Rooster (n = 8), Light Feather (n = 18), Feather (n = 122), Light (n = 84), Middle (n = 74), Medium Heavy (n = 44), Heavy (n = 36), Super Heavy (n = 36), using p ≤ 0.05. The main results indicated that the Super heavyweight category [3.1 (5.8;119.9) s] had a shorter gripping time than other weight categories, p ≤ 0.05. In contrast, roosters [7.2 (3.5;64.6) s] had longer gripping, transition [14.0 (4.8;29.6) s], and attack time [76.2 (27.7, 93.2)] than the light feather, middlers, and heavier weight categories, p ≤ 0.05. These findings should be considered for the psychological interventions and training prescription.

Which Performance Tests Best Define the Special Judo Fitness Test Classification in Elite Judo Athletes?

The normative values of the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT) are used to evaluate judo athletes, and the question arises of which performance tests from crucial motor abilities best define the SJFT classification in elite judo athletes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between elite judo athletes’ physical performance and the evaluation using SJFT index norms. Nineteen judo athletes (11 females) (22.8 ± 2.5 years old) from the senior judo national team voluntarily participated in this study. Body composition, reaction time, balance, flexibility, agility, hand grip strength, 20 m sprint, vertical jump, SJFT, and Wingate tests were performed by athletes on four separate days at one-day intervals. Athletes were classified as regular and above (≥regular) or poor and below (≤poor) according to their SJFT index scores. Simple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate this classification’s consistency with performance test results. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals related to each possible factor and Wald test statistics were calculated. The SJFT index classification was associated with Wingate peak and mean power, vertical jump, and sprint performance results (p < 0.05), whereas it was not associated with body fat percentage, agility, reaction time, hand grip strength, flexibility, and balance performances (p > 0.05). SJFT index classificatory norms are mainly related to athletes’ anaerobic power. Higher anaerobic power increases athletes’ possibility of being classified as ≥regular.

Comparison of Individual Penalties According to Gender and Weight Categories of Elite Judo Athletes from Four World Championships

Background: This research aimed to compare individual penalties by gender and weight categories in judo from the Judo World Championships (WC): Budapest—2017, Baku—2018, Tokyo—2019 and Budapest—2021 in all individual weight categories for females and males. Methods: Data were collected by notational analysis of 2041 penalty videos for females and 3473 penalty videos for males (total n = 5514). All individual penalties—Shido 1, 2, 3 and Hansoku Make (direct disqualification) were analysed by the Pearson chi-square test at the level of statistical significance of 5%. Results: Significant differences were noted in the assigned individual penalties between individual categories (p < 0.001) in both genders. The significant difference was contributed mainly by the weight category +78 kg with penalties Non-combativity (5.3) and Avoid Grip (−3.4) in females, while in males it impacted by the +100 kg weight category and the Non-combativity (4.2) and Avoid Grip (−4.0) penalties. For females, the most dominant individual penalties were Non-combativity (41.6%), Avoid Grip (16.2%) and False Attack (15.0%), and were Non-combativity (40.3%), Avoid Grip (19.5%) and False Attack (16.4%) for males. The largest number of penalties in females were in −52 kg (16.7%), −57 kg (15.9%) and +78 kg (15.2%) categories, while in males, they were −66 kg (17.2%), −73 kg (16.1%) and −90 kg (15.6%). Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the leading penalties in all weight categories for both genders on WC to be Non-combativity, Avoid Grip and False Attack. Additionally, a new trend in heavyweight athletes with a lower number of penalties is noted. The obtained results indicate the need to pay more attention to working with competitors of all ages and genders on education to implement tactical variants, forms and means to use penalties to athletes’ advantage, especially after a possible rule change and to lower the occurrence of injuries.