This research was conducted in collaboration with Fight IQ. Article written by Aaron Blackie.
BASE Training Centre recently facilitated the first Athlete Performance and Aptitude Testing (APAT) day which was designed and administered through a combined effort from Fight IQ Professionals Aaron Blackie, Mitchell Robinson and Marcel Noronha as well as with the facility’s head coach and UFC veteran Damien Brown.
The APAT day aims to collect data that will be used in a series of research projects initially seeking to set physical benchmarks across gender, weight class and experience levels, to develop a diagnostic screening process for improving striking power as well as evaluating the effectiveness of various temperature based recovery procedures.
Data was collected ascertaining general force production capabilities in athletes differentiating between peak force production and rate of force production in the upper and lower body. These measurements will act as data points in which we will seek to identify correlations between various sport specific capabilities.
Engineering Punching Power is what we have titled the research project we are most excited about and is currently underway. In this research project initiative we are using accelerometers designed by the UFC to compare striking force in our athletes with peak force and rate of force upper and lower body scores. If we discover a correlation between striking force on the accelerometer and lower body rate of force production scores for example we will then be able prescribe training protocols that efficiently improve rate of force production resulting in direct improvements to punching power.
Additionally, this project also combines a mechanical component where movement analysis in our athletes strikes will be contrasted with that of 100 successful knockout strikes of UFC athletes. Specific positioning of the joints involved in the summation of the rear cross strike (ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow and wrist) have been analysed and evaluated to provide us with key performance indicators of technically desired punching mechanics.
Once the data has been collated and the general force requirements research combined with the mechanical indicators analysis we will be able to design the engineering punching power diagnostic screening and be capable of prescribing athletes with individualised training protocols based on their results that will improve their performance in the most effective means possible.
This is the beginning of a never ending line of work in which we hope will be able to elevate and contribute to the combat community through our ongoing development of best practice methods and application frameworks.
