Motor skills
- Concept, division, the conditional and coordination skills, the types of joint flexibility
- Motor skills
- Motor skills could be understood as the conditions for performing a motion (performance) and they can be traced back to two components: genetically determined ones and the ones acquired via learning, during development. Built upon innate abilities, they can be developed and improved via learning and exercises, and through performing various activities.
- The groups of motor skills:
- conditional skills,
- coordination skills,
- joint flexibility.
The conditional and coordination skills, and the joint flexibility – although on different levels – are all present during the performance of movements.
- The groups of motor skills:
They are connected by tight interaction, which means that this has to be taken into consideration when planning the processes of body development.
They might also be built upon each other. For example, a certain level of coordination skills is a prerequisite of the development of the optimal joint flexibility.
- Conditional skills
A sportteljesítmény feltételeként szereplő testi képességek azon csoportja, amelyekbe az erő, a gyorsaság és az állóképesség tartozik.
A motoros képességek azon csoportja, amelyet főként energetikai tényezők határoznak meg. A motoros képességek más alkotóelemeivel összefüggésben meghatározzák a mozgásos teljesítmények színvonalát.
- Conditional skills
Constituents of the personality which are partly genetically given, but at the same time can be changed and formed with practice, training, custom-tailored loading.
In order to be successful, the individual’s cooperation (performance ability), active participation and motivation are needed.
- Interaction among conditional skills
- Muscle strength
The ability to defeat external forces and forces, resistances born during movement, with the help of the active exertion of muscles (shortening and increase in tension).
According to muscle contraction, it can be isotonic (when the muscle contracts), isometric (when the muscle is tense), and auxotonic (when the degree of contraction changes).
- The types of force from the point of view of instruction and development of the body.
Maximum force is the muscle force, which a person is capable of exerting by simultaneously activating the maximum number of operational units.
Speed force is the skill of the nerve-muscle (neuro-muscularis) system, which makes it possible to defeat relatively big resistances with high contraction (muscle-contraction) speed.
Force-endurance manifests itself in the resistance of the body (muscle) to exhaustion during movements requiring sustained effort.
- Speed
Speed means the quick performance of movements under given circumstances. It is the skill which makes progress possible with the greatest speed, and also the performance of various movements in the shortest time possible – in accordance with technical requirements and the conditions of the successful performance.
The types of speed are movement speed (locomotor speed), speed force, speed endurance, reaction speed and position speed.
- Movement speed (locomotor speed), speed force
Movement speed (locomotor speed) is the skill which enables us to proceed with the highest speed possible in cyclical movements. To achieve maximum speed, maximum acceleration is needed previously.
Speed force is strong acceleration starting from a state of rest. Acceleration skill is not the same with speed skill.
- Speed endurance, reaction speed
Speed endurance enables the person to achieve relatively sustained, repetitive muscle exertion at a maximum, or almost maximum speed.
Reaction speed can be divided up into two types: the simple and the complex form. Starts and reactions to familiar signals require a simple reaction speed, while a complex reaction speed manifests itself in competitions involving an opponent (fencing, tennis, etc.), when the defence reaction signals of the opponent carry attack information.
- Position speed
Position speed manifests itself in the speed of reaction, a characteristic of creatively thinking sportsmen. It brings about immediate, quick action and the most appropriate decision and choice in the given situation, from the point of view of success.
- Endurance
In the case of sustained effort in sports, the resistance of the body to exhaustion is called endurance. An individual with stamina is capable of working with relatively high intensity and for a long time. The standard of stamina depends above all on the functioning of the circulatory and respiratory organs, the metabolism and the nerve system. The coordinated functioning of the organs and organ systems is an essential condition of it.
- Long and middle-term endurance
Long-term endurance manifests itself in efforts lasting for more than 15-30 minutes. Its defining factor is the magnitude of the oxygen intake per unit of time, that is, the aerobic capacity.
Middle-term endurance manifests itself in efforts lasting for more than 2-9 minutes. In this basic endurance type, a “surface steady state” manifests itself, which brings about a moderate oxygen debt, that is, during the movements, partly anaerobic (without oxygen) processes take place within the body.
- Short-term endurance
Short-term endurance is a skill needed for efforts lasting for 45 seconds to 2 minutes. It is characterized by high level aerobic and maximum anaerobic capacity.
- Coordination skills
A category of motor skills, which can be considered the condition of certain movements (sport performance). They manifest themselves in the quality of performing the movement, in the movement resulting in economic energy expenditure, and in the successful learning of actions.
Skills corresponding to the function of movement coordination. As a matter of fact, they constitute a special system of condition, which has an important role in the establishment of movement control, according to the given conditions.
- Movement coordination
Movement coordination means the coordination of the phases of movements, the totality and sequence of the movement parts, and their linking together according to the special requirements of the exercise or given sport.
During the establishment of movement coordination the body collects signals from information sources, so it is essential to know which receptors, sense organs and analysts have a role in the process.
- Basic coordination skills
movement control skill,
movement adaptation and movement changing skill,
skill for learning movements.
The three basic skills can be divided into the skills which result in coordination, owing to the information gathered from the various analysts enhancing movement coordination.
- Balance skill
Balance skill is the coordination skill which is the prerequisite of the practical and quick performance of movement exercises where the supporting surface is very small (upturned bench) or the balance circumstances are very unsteady (turning, spinning). This manifests itself in the sense of balance.
- Sense of direction
The sense of direction enables a person to coordinate his/her tasks occurring in space and time, according to requirements. Visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic analysts participate in its establishment. Their complex manifestation establishes this skill.
- Rhythm ability, reaction skill
Rhythm ability is the ability to perceive the temporal, dynamic order of movement processes, to perceive the hidden rhythm in movements or a given rhythm, and the ability to recreate it during the performance of the movement. It can be found in the performance of all exercises and sports.
Reaction skill is the ability to react to the stimulus and information arriving from the surroundings with appropriate speed and practical action. Its simple and complex forms are present both in life and sport activity: from the stimulus triggering immediate reaction (for example, starts), to the reactions requiring decision, which necessitate perception.
- Kinesthesis
- Kinesthesis is the type of coordination skills which manifests itself in a kinesthetic differential ability by perceiving information regarding the muscles’ levels of tension and relaxation. This skill enables the individual to perform the movements economically and accurately, plus, with the elimination of unnecessary and superfluous efforts, it creates the pleasant feeling of movement born out of gracefulness.
- Speed and endurance coordination skills
The speed and endurance coordination skills are coordination skills which determine performance. These have an important role in the case of complex movements performed under pressure of time, and in the case of sustained efforts.
- Joint flexibility
Joint flexibility is the motor skill which, through effort, enables people to perform the various movements – within the borders of anatomy –, across an enormous range of movements. Its synonym is suppleness, which makes the movements of the joints possible within a wide range and also the elasticity and flexibility of the muscles and the connective tissues.
- The types of joint flexibility
- Active, passive flexibility
When the individual uses his or her own muscle force to cause the movement in the joints (for example, lifting the arm or the leg), this is called active flexibility. If s/he uses his or her weight, for example, to increase the extent of leg spreading (cf. split), or avails her/himself of outside help (the partner pushes him or her downwards), this is called passive flexibility.
- Active, passive flexibility
Active and passive joint flexibility both depend upon the elasticity and flexibility of the articular ligaments. However, this is not sufficient in itself. The development of the relaxation skill is needed, too, which manifests itself in the relaxation and loosening of the muscles.