Motor Determinants of Fighting Efficacy in Croatian Youth Karateka

The aim of this paper was to identify basic and motor structures which determine the achievement of top results in karate among younger cadets. For this purpose, a set of 10 basic motor tests and a set of 5 situational motor karate tests were applied on a sample of 60 male and 51 female Croatian karateka aged 13 to 15. Different motor and specific motor structures according to gender were isolated by factor analysis. In male karateka, in the space of basic motor tests: Factor of explosive strength and/or force regulator, and Factor integrating muscle endurance, agility and speed of movement, and in female karateka: Factor integrating movement speed, leg explosiveness and agility and/or speed regulator, and Regulator of basic core strength and sprinting. In male karateka in the space of specific motor tests: Specific agility and Specific speed of kicks performance; and in female karateka: Factor integrating agility-mobility and speed of technique performance. Latent structure of fighting efficacy in karate differs according to gender. Thus, in male karateka, determination of efficacy is significantly contributed by two motor factors: specific speed of kicks performance as a specific factor and force regulator as a basic factor; and in female karateka: the first factor which integrates regulators of speed, force and agility, accompanied by the muscle tone regulator, as a basic factor, and the second factor which is responsible for specific agility and speed of technique performance as a specific factor