Kinetic and kinematic analysis of three kicks in Sanda Wushu

Sanda is a Chinese martial art derived from Wushu that incorporates various kicking techniques in combat, utilizing different training methods to enhance kicking skills. This study's goal was use kinetic and kinematic analysis to evaluate three Sanda kick techniques: the roundhouse kick, front kick, and side kick (referred to as Pian Tui, Dan Tui, and Ce Chuai Tui, respectively, in Wushu terminology). We examined the strength, speed, and effectiveness of these three kicks in our research. Nineteen volunteer Sanda players (i.e., 5 women and 14 men) from Tunisia's senior national squad participated in this study. Motion and performance analysis were conducted concurrently using 2D kinematic analysis with Kinovea freeware and kinetic analysis through inverse dynamics force computation. By using inverse dynamics to measure the three kicks, the results showed high absolute and relative reliability of kicking force. Additionally, repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) measurements indicated a significant difference between the techniques in kinetics (i.e., force, power, linear momentum, and inertia), linear kinematics (i.e., displacement, velocity, and acceleration), and angular kinematics (i.e., segment angles and angular velocity). We concluded that the front kick generated the optimal force and peak power, making it the most effective kick. In contrast, the roundhouse kick demonstrated the fastest execution, indicating that it is a high-velocity kick.