A Comparative Exploration Of Psycho Motor Abilities: Reaction Time And Limb Movement Speed In Kalaripayattu And Taekwondo Practitioners

Abstract

The study sought to explore the psycho-motor abilities of individuals practicing Kalaripayattu and Taekwondo, specifically focusing on practitioners aged 13 to 19 years with a minimum of one and a half years of experience. The study included a total of 250 participants, evenly distributed between the two disciplines, with 125 individuals from each. This sample consisted of 75 males and 50 females. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of the total sample's age were 15.89 ± 2.05 for males and 15.29 ± 1.82 for females. The chosen participants underwent testing for reaction time using Allen's (2002) reaction time test and speed of limb movement through the plate tapping test. Statistical analysis, including mean, standard deviation, and two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), was conducted. The SPSS package was utilized for data analysis, with a significance level set at 0.05.The study's findings indicated no significant difference in selected psycho-motor abilities between the two martial arts disciplines. However, a significant difference was observed between genders in terms of reaction time and speed of limb movement.