A FENCING KINEMATIC ANALYSIS BASED ON COACH’S CRITERIA

The purpose of this study was to identify, based on coach's criteria, upper body and center of mass kinematic variables that lead to a good performance in epee fencing. We used an Optitrack motion capture system to evaluate one skilled amateur fencing athlete performing a lunge in the presence or not of a static opponent. In the presence of a static opponent (target), the individual developed a lower centre of mass forward velocity, a higher epee’s tip forward velocity and improved synchronization between the upper and the lower limbs. The best-performed trials according to coach criteria showed differences in the elbow movement in both the armed and unarmed arm compared to the other trials. Our results highlights the importance of the unarmed arm to lunge performance and corroborate the idea that training with and without the use of a target improve different motor abilities