Abstract The Peking Opera hat-wing technique is an intangible cultural heritage. This study adopted a single-subject case study design to characterize the movements of this technique, facilitating its intergenerational preservation and transmission. Biomechanical analysis was conducted to investigate the left-wing toss movement in the hat-wing technique, aiming to reveal the intrinsic biomechanical mechanism of the movement and provide a basis for its inheritance and training. An infrared motion capture system was used to collect kinematic parameters of the markers, and a three-dimensional force platform was employed to gather force data from the actor’s left and right feet. Three sets of data—including Center of Pressure (COP) position, head movement parameters, and knee joint angles—were analyzed to elucidate the operating mechanism of the left-wing toss movement. Based on the results, the left-wing toss movement was theoretically segmented, and the initiation principle of the movement was determined. Additionally, factors influencing the sustained movement of the left-wing toss and those required to achieve a relatively static state at the end of the movement were identified. The primary hypothesis was that the phase relationship between the L3 Z-axis displacement–time (L3 Z-T) curve and the head tilt angle–time (α-T) curve can effectively distinguish the initiation, maintenance, and termination stages of the left-wing toss movement. Quantitative analysis of five repeated trials showed high movement repeatability, with a coefficient of variation (CV) < 15% for all key kinematic metrics. Among them, the phase difference (CV = 6.0%) and peak angular velocity (CV = 10.6%) exhibited excellent repeatability (CV < 11%), and other indicators also met the repeatability requirements for single-subject case studies (CV < 15%). During the initiation stage, the peak head tilt angle reached 6° ± 0.8°, and the peak angular velocity was 29.3°/s ± 3.1°/s. Throughout the movement, the COP excursion in the anterior-posterior direction was 4.2 ± 0.5 cm, and the medial-lateral excursion was 2.1 ± 0.3 cm. These findings provide a scientific foundation for the standardized training and intergenerational preservation of the Peking Opera hat-wing technique, highlighting the value of biomechanical analysis in traditional performing arts heritage.
Wang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.