Biomechanics for Landing Instruction of a Box Horse Exercise

Abstract

Generally, it seems that almost all children prefer physical education class in elementary school stage. For children it is said that physical exercise itself is play as well as training is essential to their normal growth and normal development. For example Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-78), a French philosopher, wrote in his book Emile ou de I'Education (1762) that by returning to natural state, man is both good and happy, and that physical exercise has stimulating effect both in mind and body of children. Taking into consideration that physical education utilizes a basic physical exercise including such as working about, running around and jumping up and down, physical education class will have some function to provide a lot of opportunities meeting to satisfy their physical needs in instinct. A box horse exercise is one of the suitable exercises, which develops their organ and motor ability. And also, as one of educational materials in physical education class of elementary school, a box horse exercise makes up a challenging spirit to get over some obstacles. Especially in Japan, it is usual that a box horse exercise is compulsory for all children from elementary school to junior high school. In spite of the fact that children vault a box horse with joy, serious accidents have occured in landing phase as usual. However so far, little has been reported pertaining to scientific analysis of safety landing in a box horse exercise. Therefore scientific data of safety instruction, especially focused to landing skill for a box horse exercise are needed to be analyzed with biomechanical techniques in order to prevent children from getting some serious Injuries at a box horse exercise in physical education class of elementary school. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of instruction in a box horse exercise on landing impulse absorbing ability and landing motion for elementary school children attending physical education class.