Relationship level of the competition and the difference between countermovement jump and squat jump in university kendo players

The striking action in kendo must be performed in such a way that the opponent does not detect the strike, and requires a ballistic muscular exertion, without the motion of recoil.Recently, difference between countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) (CMJSJDiff), which indicates the difference between CMJ and SJ, has been attracting attention as a measure of jumping ability; a smaller CMJSJDiff indicates a greater ability to quickly take up muscle-tendon relaxation, and therefore, a more rapid jump, which may be related to kendo competition level.This may be related to the level of competition in kendo.The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among competitive level of kendo and the difference between CMJ and SJ.Twenty-five male kendo players from universities participating in national tournaments were participated in this study and were separated into regular and non-regular groups.All tests were performed on the same day, with players performing two CMJ and SJ on a mat-switch.Performance index was also calculated the CMJ to SJ difference.The major finding of this study was that no difference was observed in the CMJ, but significant differences were seen in the SJ and in the CMJSJDiff between regular and non-regular groups.These results suggest that jumping ability in kendo players is associated with competition level, with ballistic jumping ability such as the SJ, compared to plyometric jumping ability with recoil movements such as the CMJ.