The effectiveness of taekwondo-specific single and multiple frequency speed of kick tests in distinguishing the experienced and novice taekwondo players

Objective: In the literature, the number of performance tests specific to combat sports is limited. Since it includes the dynamics of taekwondo sport, the Frequency Speed of Kick Test (FSKT) is a rare test specific to this sport. This study aimed to show the effectiveness of single (FSKT10s) and multiple (FSKT5x10s) forms of the test in distinguishing experienced and novice taekwondo players. Material and Methods: Twenty-two male taekwondo players voluntarily participated in this study. The participants were divided into two groups as experienced (EG, n=11, age: 16.1±0.9 years, height: 171.4±3.7 cm, body mass: 58.0±3.0 kg, body mass index (BMI): 19.7±0.7 kg·m-2, training experience: 7.7±1.7 years) and novice (NG, n=11, age: 15.9±0.8 years, height: 169.5±3.2 cm, body mass: 57.5±5.7 kg, BMI: 19.9±1.3 kg·m-2, training experience: 2.2±0.6 years). During the FSKT10s, participants attempted to reach the maximum number of kicks to the training dummy for 10 s. During FSKT5x10s, they performed five sets of FSKT10s with 10 s rest intervals. Statistical analyzes were performed with the SPSS 21 software and significance level was accepted as p<0.05. Results: Height, body mass and BMI and Kick Decrement Index (KDI) did not significantly differ between the groups (p>0.05), while FSKT10s, FSKT5x10s, and all single sets of the latter yielded significantly higher kick scores in the EG than NG (p<0.05). In addition, discriminant function analyzes revealed that FSKT5x10s correctly classified the groups by 95.5%, while FSKT10s correctly classified them by 81.8%. Furthermore, there were strong and significant correlations between training experience and both FSKT10s (r=0.871, p<0.001 for EG; r=0.924, p