Taekwondo Kicks at the Center of Biomechanical Research: Systematic Review

Abstract

Taekwondo is an Olympic martial art that emphasizes complex kicking techniques that require meticulous biomechanical execution. This systematic review aims at combining the available literature on the kinematic and kinetic features of Taekwondo kicks to understand the biomechanics of the technique, and training implications of kicks. A comprehensive search was done in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and all the studies identified were evaluated against the PRISMA guidelines. The studies to be included in the review had to be experimental method and be published in scientific peer-reviewed articles, focusing on the biomechanics of Taekwondo kicks, and had to be from the post-1996 period. 294 articles were identified, and after a detailed screening process, 86 studies met the criteria. Dollyo Chagi had the highest rotational dynamics, which makes power and speed important, while the Yeop Chagi showed how mass can be efficiently utilized to produce force. Ap Chagi used a proximal-to-distal energy transfer mechanism to achieve the most efficient energy transfer. Additional factors that were effective in the performance were gender, fatigue, and training; joints and muscles also coordinated and activated differently. This review confirms the importance of biomechanics in the execution of Taekwondo kicking techniques. It determines energy transfer, joint coordination, and muscle activation as crucial factors that describe the performance and highlights the need for future studies on underinvested techniques and methodologies. These findings are useful for athletes and coaches who want to improve their technical performance and lower their risk of getting injured.