A comparative study of motor fitness between Okinawan and Japanese school children

An attempt was made in order to make a comparison of motor fitness between Okinawan and Japanese school children by synchronizing a survey in Okinawa to the one in Japan. The procedures adopted in both surveys are those of the Association of American Health, Physical Education and Recreation (AAHPER), and they include the measurements of the following seven motor abilities: chin-up, sit·up, shuttle race, standing broad jump, 50-yard dush, soft-ball throw, and 600-yard run/walk. Following samples were drawn from the respective school populations: 1, 185 elementary school children, 1,276 junior high school students, and 1, 140 senior high school students. The motor abilities were measured simultaneously both in Okinawa and Japan between May and June, 1959. The main findings of the present study are as follows: 1. Chin.up Okinawan boys are superior to their Japanese counterparts, but no differences were found in the case of girls. 2. Standing brood jump Japanese boys are superior to Okinawan boys, but practically no differences were found in the case of girls. 3. Soft-ball throw Japanese children are slightly superior to Okinawan children. 4. Shutile race Japanese boys are slightly superior to Okinawan boys, but practically no differences were found in the case of girls. 5. Sit-up, 50-yard dush, and 600-yard run/walk In abilities in these areas Japanese children are clearly superior to Okinawan children. The above findings were discussed in terms of differences in physical development and various educational variables which are believed to be related to the motor development