Methodology for Assessing Spatial Perception in Martial Arts

The study of the mechanisms underlying the perception of visual information, as well as the speed and adequacy of its processing, is of practical interest to martial artists. This study aims to develop and validate a methodology for assessing spatial perception in martial arts. It involved 57 participants practicing taekwondo, representing various age groups and skill levels (age: 18.6 years, SD = 3.52; qualifications: 8th Gup to 1st Dan). At the first stage of the research, the newly developed “Spatial Perception” application was preliminarily tested to determine its reliability and validity. In the second stage, the specific features of spatial perception among martial artists of different ages and qualifications were examined. The findings indicate that the rotation of objects provides additional information for object recognition, which reduces reaction time and the number of errors in response selection. The speed of processing dynamic visual cues reflects athletes’ psychophysiological capabilities, which are crucial during competitive bouts. Adult, qualified martial artists with relevant competitive experience possess a greater volume of visual images, which reduces the time of their spatial perception, thus confirming the hypothesis proposed in this study. Athletes at this level can maintain focus on objects and are less affected by distracting visual stimuli. The results obtained may assist martial arts coaches in improving the monitoring of athletes’ functional states and optimizing training processes.