Development of morphofunctional criteria for achieving high athletic qualification in various martial arts disciplines

Aim. This paper aims to establish morphological and functional criteria predictive of exceptional athletic performance in Oriental and Classical martial arts using multivariate statistical analysis, including homogeneity testing and CHAID. Materials and methods. Seventy-three athletes of different skill levels (from beginners to Master of sports) across different martial arts were assessed. Over 20 anthropometric measurements were performed, including body length and body mass; trunk and limb lengths; shoulder and pelvic width; elbow, wrist, knee, and ankle breadths; trunk and limb circumference; and skinfolds. Data analysis involved identifying morphological and functional characteristics with significant variance, followed by CHAID to group athletes based on their skill level. Results. Athletes in Oriental and Classical martial arts demonstrated statistically significant differences in morphological and functional characteristics, necessitating separate analysis for each discipline. These characteristics included skeletal muscle mass, diameter of the tibial epiphyses, handgrip strength, shoulder width, and skinfolds on the front of the shoulder and on the forearm. CHAID analysis generated separate binary classification trees for each martial arts group, identifying homogeneous clusters. Four groups of highly skilled athletes were delineated, and the morphological and functional characteristics of these groups were analyzed. Conclusion. The study established morphological and functional criteria that are associated with increased athletic qualification and performance. Three criteria were identified for Oriental martial arts and one for Classical martial arts.