CONFIGURATION OF MOTOR FEATURESOF THE YOUTH PRACTISING FENCING

Abstract

Ability of trainees to perform correctly a motorial function, typical of the sports game being trained, can be assessed by various methods. One of them is the measurement of reaction delay, i.e. the characteristic being of prime importance with fencers. The work is aimed at psychomotoric tests and attention divisibility tests of male youths practising fencing. The reaction delay has been investigated as a function of a light spot position within the fencer’s field of view. The psychomotoric tests in question have been performed using a device, designed at the Wroclaw TU specifically for the purpose. The reaction delay measuring stand consisted of 6 circles of various diameters, situated concentrically to form a half-sphere area. A TV monitor is placed in the central point of the area. The tests have been made for 16 fencers of the Wroclaw Technical University’s AZS Club, being the members of the Polish national fencing team at the same time. As a reference group, men not practising sports have been tested. During the test, the fencers assumed the basic attacking fencing position in the distance of 150cm from the TV monitor. They were fencing dresses and masks. The task of the fencer, being disposed to attack, was to react as quickly as possible to a lamp going on by the action of a switch. As a distracting factor, continuous readout of numbers appearing on the monitor screen was used. A total of 27 points within the field of view has been measured for each person tested. Statistical analysis of the results obtained made it possible to specify the points within the field of view, characterized by the shortest reaction delay. Differences has been found in the reaction time for the fencers and the reference group. Sports practising has considerably improved the fencer’s reaction delay and attention divisibility. The difference grew as the field of view diameter grew. Application of the special – purpose equipment for reaction delay measurement within the field of view is especially useful to individual training in test.