Study of motor qualities that determine the effectiveness of competitive activity in Thai boxing

Abstract. Today, Muay Thai still enjoys great popularity in the world and Ukraine. Despite the fact that Thai boxing is not an Olympic sport, regional, national and international competitions are held in it. As a result of the analysis of the few data in scientific and methodological literature, it was revealed that the issue of developing the physical fitness of athletes in Thai boxing is poorly understood and requires further research. Thus, the current issue is the search for ways to improve the level of physical fitness of athletes in Thai boxing. To determine the views of coaches and athletes on the importance of motor qualities in the structure of physical fitness of Thai boxers and, accordingly, their influence on the effectiveness of competitive activity, a survey was conducted. The survey involved 15 coaches and 40 athletes specializing in Thai boxing. Comparing the results obtained, the following conclusion can be made: coaches and athletes believe that the main physical qualities in Thai boxing are speed, strength and agility. At the same time, answering the control question, the overwhelming majority of respondents note that the result in Thai boxing also depends on the level of development of coordination abilities. The obtained data confirm the results of studies conducted by other specialists in single-event sports and boxing to determine the priority of the leading motor qualities. As a result of our study, it was found that speed-strength qualities and endurance are leading in Thai boxing. Thus, at the current stage of development of Thai boxing, for further growth of sports results, it is more promising to improve the methodology of sports training taking into account the specifics of competitive activity.