2020 Armor: Descriptive Analysis Of Black Belt And Non-Black Belt Taekwondo Athletes

PURPOSE: Taekwondo athletes use protective body armor when competing in sparring matches. To judge sparring matches more objectively, manufacturers have integrated sensors into the protective body armor that measure strike force in real time. Electronic sensor systems were adopted by the World Taekwondo Federation as early as 2009, but there is a paucity of data characterizing performance variables for black and non-black belt athletes using electronic sensor systems. The purpose of this study is to describe 2020 Armor’s performance variables strike power (PWR), stamina (STA), and reaction time (RXT) for black and non-black belt athletes and to determine if variables are statistically different between black and non-black belt level athletes. METHODS: Taekwondo athletes use protective body armor when competing in sparring matches. To judge sparring matches more objectively, manufacturers have integrated sensors into the protective body armor that measure strike force in real time. Electronic sensor systems were adopted by the World Taekwondo Federation as early as 2009, but there is a paucity of data characterizing performance variables for black and non-black belt athletes using electronic sensor systems. The purpose of this study is to describe 2020 Armor’s performance variables strike power (PWR), stamina (STA), and reaction time (RXT) for black and non-black belt athletes and to determine if variables are statistically different between black and non-black belt level athletes. RESULTS: Black belts generated 9.1% greater average PWR (P > .05), 5.8% greater STA (P > .05), and 12.3% faster RXT (P = .044) than non-black belts. CONCLUSIONS: The 2020 Armor unit detected differences in PWR, STA, and RXT between black and non-black belts. Only RXT showed a significant difference per group. This information can be valuable for taekwondo instructors in tailoring individual training programs to address specific performance variables associated with sparring and the progression of taekwondo skills.