Both Unopposed and Opposed Judo Tasks are Suitable for Analyzing Changes in Lateral Preference

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Motor Control
• Skill Acquisition

Background:

• Judo coaches aim to develop left-handed techniques in right-handed judoka for a strategic advantage.
• Tracking the lateral preference index (LPI) is crucial for monitoring this skill development.
• Easily administered tasks are needed to assess changes in LPI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the suitability of an unopposed repetition-based dynamic task (yakusoku geiko) for tracking changes in the lateral preference index.
• To compare the effectiveness of yakusoku geiko with an opposed-bouts task (randori) in detecting lateral preference changes.
• To assess the concordance between the two tasks.

Main Methods:

• Thirty right-handed judo novices participated in an eight-week training protocol.
• Participants were divided into control, bilateral, and nondominant training groups.
• Lateral preference index was measured using both yakusoku geiko and randori before and after training.

Main Results:

• The nondominant training group showed a significant reduction in the lateral preference index compared to control and bilateral groups.
• The unopposed repetition-based dynamic task (yakusoku geiko) effectively detected these changes.
• High concordance and significant correlations were found between yakusoku geiko and randori for LPI measurement.

Conclusions:

• An unopposed repetition-based dynamic task (yakusoku geiko) is suitable for monitoring the progression of left-handedness in judo trainees.
• This task can reliably track changes in the lateral preference index after a dedicated training period.
• Yakusoku geiko is a valuable tool for judo coaching to assess skill development and strategic adaptation.