The Role of Virtual Reality in Optimizing Karate Performance: Scoping Review

Objectives. The objective of this study was to undertake a scoping review on the role of virtual reality (VR) in optimizing karate performance. The questions to be researched were: (1) how did VR support the training process, (2) what were the challenges of integrating VR, (3) how effective was VR in maximizing performance, and (4) what was the potential of VR in the development of karate training methods. Materials and methods. The scoping review was employed as a research method. The stages of research included (1) determining the title, (2) determining the study question, and (3) searching for the Scholar, Wiley, Scopus, and Springer database articles with the keywords used comprising Boolean “karate” and “virtual reality” or “VR”. This article search yielded data from Google Scholar 77, Wiley 27, Scopus 52, and Springer 47. (4) The initial screening yielded 150 articles. (5) The second screening yielded 25 articles, and (6) the final data was determined, yielding 9 articles in all. The data collection and analysis techniques included Publish or Perish, Mendeley, and narrative interpretation. Results. (1) VR is one of the successful applications to enhance karate training, providing a safe and adaptable approach. However, improvements to VR require further research to increase realism, content variation, clear instructions, and long-term testing to be more effective. (3) Combining conventional training and VR has emerged as the most effective method for enhancing karate performance. (4) While VR has positive potential, it is essential to refine the guidelines and standards of use before it can be extensively adopted. Conclusions. The findings indicate that VR becomes a complementing and efficient training application for improving karate performance.