Kinetic and kinematic analysis of three kicks in Sanda Wushu

Soumaya Eltifi-Ghanmi; Samiha Amara; Bessem Mkaouer; Soumaya Eltifi-Ghanmi; Samiha Amara; Bessem Mkaouer

doi:10.3934/biophy.2025011

AIMS Biophysics

2025, Volume 12, Issue 2: 174-196. doi: 10.3934/biophy.2025011

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Research article Topical Sections

Kinetic and kinematic analysis of three kicks in Sanda Wushu

1.
Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, Sfax University, Sfax, Tunisia
2.
Department of Individual Sports, Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Said, Manouba University, Tunis, Tunisia
3.
Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman

Received: 13 October 2024 Revised: 16 March 2025 Accepted: 01 April 2025 Published: 11 April 2025

Sanda is a Chinese martial art derived from Wushu that incorporates various kicking techniques in combat, utilizing different training methods to enhance kicking skills. This study's goal was use kinetic and kinematic analysis to evaluate three Sanda kick techniques: the roundhouse kick, front kick, and side kick (referred to as Pian Tui, Dan Tui, and Ce Chuai Tui, respectively, in Wushu terminology). We examined the strength, speed, and effectiveness of these three kicks in our research. Nineteen volunteer Sanda players (i.e., 5 women and 14 men) from Tunisia's senior national squad participated in this study. Motion and performance analysis were conducted concurrently using 2D kinematic analysis with Kinovea freeware and kinetic analysis through inverse dynamics force computation. By using inverse dynamics to measure the three kicks, the results showed high absolute and relative reliability of kicking force. Additionally, repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) measurements indicated a significant difference between the techniques in kinetics (i.e., force, power, linear momentum, and inertia), linear kinematics (i.e., displacement, velocity, and acceleration), and angular kinematics (i.e., segment angles and angular velocity). We concluded that the front kick generated the optimal force and peak power, making it the most effective kick. In contrast, the roundhouse kick demonstrated the fastest execution, indicating that it is a high-velocity kick.
- Sanda,
- Wushu,
- kinetics,
- kinematics,
- Roundhouse kick,
- Front kick,
- Side kick
Citation: Soumaya Eltifi-Ghanmi, Samiha Amara, Bessem Mkaouer. Kinetic and kinematic analysis of three kicks in Sanda Wushu[J]. AIMS Biophysics, 2025, 12(2): 174-196. doi: 10.3934/biophy.2025011

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Abstract

Sanda is a Chinese martial art derived from Wushu that incorporates various kicking techniques in combat, utilizing different training methods to enhance kicking skills. This study's goal was use kinetic and kinematic analysis to evaluate three Sanda kick techniques: the roundhouse kick, front kick, and side kick (referred to as Pian Tui, Dan Tui, and Ce Chuai Tui, respectively, in Wushu terminology). We examined the strength, speed, and effectiveness of these three kicks in our research. Nineteen volunteer Sanda players (i.e., 5 women and 14 men) from Tunisia's senior national squad participated in this study. Motion and performance analysis were conducted concurrently using 2D kinematic analysis with Kinovea freeware and kinetic analysis through inverse dynamics force computation. By using inverse dynamics to measure the three kicks, the results showed high absolute and relative reliability of kicking force. Additionally, repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) measurements indicated a significant difference between the techniques in kinetics (i.e., force, power, linear momentum, and inertia), linear kinematics (i.e., displacement, velocity, and acceleration), and angular kinematics (i.e., segment angles and angular velocity). We concluded that the front kick generated the optimal force and peak power, making it the most effective kick. In contrast, the roundhouse kick demonstrated the fastest execution, indicating that it is a high-velocity kick.

Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to the athletes and the members of the technical direction of the Tunisian Federation of Wushu Kung Fu, whose participation made this work possible.

Conflict of interest

No conflicts of interest are disclosed by the authors.

Author contributions

Conceptualization, S.E. and B.M.; methodology, S.E. and B.M.; software, B.M.; validation, B.M.; formal analysis, B.M.; investigation, S.E. and B.M.; resources, S.E. and B.M.; data curation, B.M.; writing original draft preparation, S.A.; writing—review and editing, B.M. and S.A.; visualization, S.E., and S.A.; supervision, B.M. and S.A.; project administration, B.M. All authors have read and agreed with the published version of the manuscript.

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