Taekwondo (TKD), a Korean striking martial art, has become one of the most popular martial arts since its inclusion in 2000 Olympic Games. Having practiced TKD as an athlete and provided care as a health professional for decades, I investigated a series of features of the Olympic TKD athlete including: profile, injury rate and distribution, weight cycling/cutting and each of their relationships to success in terms of gaining a medal. My studies (Kazemi et al. 2006; Kazemi, Perri and Casella, 2009; Kazemi et al. 2010; Kazemi et al. 2013; Kazemi et al. 2014; Kazemi et al. 2015; Kazemi and Pieter 2004; Pieter and Kazemi 2007; Kazemi, Chudolinski et al. 2009; Kazemi 2012; Kazemi et al. 2005; Kazemi and Shearer 2007; and Kazemi et al. 2011) have demonstrated that an athlete who avoids injury during competition (especially severe injury), practices systematic and gradual weight management and utilizes a more aggressive strategy with no fear of receiving Kyong-Gos, whilst avoiding receiving Gam-Jeoms is more likely to win. These investigations were published and presented at various seminars around the world. This portfolio depicts my contributions to these areas of knowledge as well as further critical analysis of my previous works giving birth to new concepts such as utilization of height categories instead of weight categories to eliminate the ill-effects of weight cutting; sparring Injury Report Form; and effect of rule changes on profile and injuries to name a few. Conducting this thesis has helped me to reflect on the shortcomings of my previous investigations and realize the future directions of research in these areas.

Orientador: Mauro Gonçalves / Banca: Adalgiso Coscrato Cardozo / Banca: Ulysses Fernandes Ervilha / Banca: Marco Antonio Cavalcanti Garcia / Banca: Luciano Luporini Manegaldo / Abstract: Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare kinematic and neuromuscular parameters of roundhouse (RK) kick in athletes of two different standards. 7 elite and 7 sub-elite black belt taekwondo athletes performed eighteen RK, directed to two randomized height (9 to the head and 9 to the chest), with their dominant lower limb, combining maximum impact and speed, in a selective reaction time design. Angular and linear velocities of dominant leg and pelvis were recorded through 3D kinemetry. Ground reaction force parameters (GRF) were evaluated by force platform and surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals were recorded through wireless system from the Vastus Lateralis (VL), Biceps Femoris (BF), Rectus Femoris (RF), Tensor Fasciae Lata (TFL), Adductor Magnum (AM), Gluteus Maximum (GM), Gluteus Medium (Gmed) and Gastrocnemius Lateralis (GL) muscles of the kicking leg. EMGs data were rectified, filtered and normalized to the maximal value obtained for each muscle over all trials; cocontraction (CI) indexes of antagonist vs. overall (agonist and antagonist) activity were computed for hip abduction and hip and knee in flexion and extension. Premotor time of each muscle, reaction time and kicking time was assessed as well. Timing parameters and sEMG cocontraction index were significantly lower in elite group, while peak of linear (toe, ankle and knee), angular velocities (knee and hip), and GRF were significantly higher in elite than in sub-elite group. We conclude that reaction time, cocontraction, duration and velocity of kick could be useful in selecting top level taekwondo athletes and monitoring their training status / Doutor

Thesis (M.S.)--Indiana University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-47).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 204-209). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 204-209).

Adherence to physical activity has received a great deal of attention in research literature due to the positive effects it has on many health problems and mood. Despite these benefits, adherence in physical activity programs is beset by high attrition rates. The present study focused on a tae kwon do sample in which attrition at the beginning level is high. The purpose of this study was to assess a relationship between selected variables and adherence of the beginning students. Forty-three subjects (27 male: 16 female) participated in the study. The average age was approximately 21, with a range from 18 to 47. The sample was collected from three university sites which were part of the American Moo Duk Kwan Society, a university based, tae kwon do club. Participants voluntarily completed a questionnaire packet that included the following: a demographics form, an assessment of level and strength of self-efficacy, an assessment of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, and a measure of time, effort, and obstacle barriers. Significant correlations were found between level of self-efficacy and both dependent variables (hours of attendance and participation in the promotional belt test). In addition, strength of self-efficacy was correlated with participation at the promotional belt test; and the time barrier measure was correlated with hours of attendance. These findings suggest that self-efficacy plays a significant part in adherence of participants in tae kwon do. Further research should be conducted to assess the possible causal relationship of these variables.

The purpose of this study was to identify the determinants of expertise and the contributory effect of domains to the Olympic style Taekwondo performance. Eighty-seven Taekwondo athletes with different levels of expertise, namely elite, sub-elite and practitioner were recruited. Subjects' performance in attributes within the physical domain was assessed by Queens College Step Test, running-based anaerobic sprint test, vertical jump test, side-stepping test, and sit-and-reach test. Subjects were also be surveyed with the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28) (Chinese version) to obtain a profile of their psychological and emotional attributes. Perceptual attributes of subjects was assessed by Stork balance test, Start Excursion Balance Test and Ruler Drop Reaction Time Test. Notational analysis of subjects' performance in the competition was conducted for determining their technical and tactical domain. Descriptive statistics were used to create a profile of attributes of Taekwondo athletes. Two-way ANOVA were used to identify the difference between female and male athletes, and athletes with different levels of expertise in different domains. Discriminant function analysis was used to determine the contributory effect of each domain to the expertise of Olympic style Taekwondo. Elite athletes obtained a significantly higher mean value than the sub-elite athletes and practitioners in the length of upper limbs (F=6.15, p=.00), the length of lower limbs (F=10.21, p=.00), and lateral agility (F=15.71, p=.00). Discriminant function analysis revealed that the contributory effect of physical domain was the highest among the five domains for determining the expertise in Olympic style Taekwondo with Wilk's Lambda as .70 (p<.05).

Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-05T18:30:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-10-02. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2016-02-05T18:33:59Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000857444.pdf: 2079715 bytes, checksum: 40ce0ce70baba1071330eeb4eb0637ed (MD5) / Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare kinematic and neuromuscular parameters of roundhouse (RK) kick in athletes of two different standards. 7 elite and 7 sub-elite black belt taekwondo athletes performed eighteen RK, directed to two randomized height (9 to the head and 9 to the chest), with their dominant lower limb, combining maximum impact and speed, in a selective reaction time design. Angular and linear velocities of dominant leg and pelvis were recorded through 3D kinemetry. Ground reaction force parameters (GRF) were evaluated by force platform and surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals were recorded through wireless system from the Vastus Lateralis (VL), Biceps Femoris (BF), Rectus Femoris (RF), Tensor Fasciae Lata (TFL), Adductor Magnum (AM), Gluteus Maximum (GM), Gluteus Medium (Gmed) and Gastrocnemius Lateralis (GL) muscles of the kicking leg. EMGs data were rectified, filtered and normalized to the maximal value obtained for each muscle over all trials; cocontraction (CI) indexes of antagonist vs. overall (agonist and antagonist) activity were computed for hip abduction and hip and knee in flexion and extension. Premotor time of each muscle, reaction time and kicking time was assessed as well. Timing parameters and sEMG cocontraction index were significantly lower in elite group, while peak of linear (toe, ankle and knee), angular velocities (knee and hip), and GRF were significantly higher in elite than in sub-elite group. We conclude that reaction time, cocontraction, duration and velocity of kick could be useful in selecting top level taekwondo athletes and monitoring their training status

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-05-31T10:31:10Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Ana Caruline de Souza Castro - 2017.pdf: 3360679 bytes, checksum: d4ab1dc47a501d77fbd80e03e0329cf5 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-05-31T10:31:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Ana Caruline de Souza Castro - 2017.pdf: 3360679 bytes, checksum: d4ab1dc47a501d77fbd80e03e0329cf5 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-31T10:31:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Ana Caruline de Souza Castro - 2017.pdf: 3360679 bytes, checksum: d4ab1dc47a501d77fbd80e03e0329cf5 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-19 / This thesis discusses the major changes of work in the capitalist world and its dynamics that generate insecurity for workers around the world. From there, some important configurations of the Brazilian labor market are presented, addressing questions about unemployment and the growth of the service sector. In this scenario, considering the State as a great employer, we discuss work in the public sector, the development of the Brazilian Public Administration and the peculiarities that involve working in the public university and, more specifically, the Federal University of Goiás (UFG). Considering the panorama of neoliberal influences that foment government policies, we assume that, from the adhesion of the UFG to the Program of Support to Restructuring and Expansion Plans of the Federal Universities (REUNI), the institution suffered profound impacts on its organizational dynamics. The structural expansion of personnel, students and services has had an impact on the organization of the work of its employees. Therefore, it is analyzed how REUNI impacted the administrative and personnel management in the UFG, which now has a more qualified staff of Technical-Administrative Servants in Education (TAE). In this context, we also analyze the dynamics of life at work and the reflexes of this work in the life of these servers. The research allowed us to identify that UFG's employees experienced moments of stress caused by the intensification of work and the difficulty of organizing it in a period of rapid change. In the same way, we observe that the organization of the work and the relations resulting from it impact the subjectivity of the employees and bring consequences to the working life of all university workers. / Esta tese discute as principais mudanças do trabalho no mundo capitalista e sua dinâmica que gera insegurança para os trabalhadores em todo o mundo. A partir daí, algumas configurações importantes do mercado de trabalho brasileiro são apontadas, abordando questões sobre o desemprego e o crescimento do setor de serviços. Neste panorama, considerando o Estado como grande empregador, discorremos sobre o trabalho no setor público, o desenvolvimento da Administração Pública brasileira e as peculiaridades que envolvem o trabalho na universidade pública e, mais especificamente, na Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG). Considerando o panorama de influências neoliberais que fomentam políticas de governo, partimos do pressuposto de que, a partir da adesão da UFG ao Programa de Apoio a Planos de Reestruturação e Expansão das Universidades Federais (REUNI) a instituição sofreu profundos impactos em sua dinâmica organizacional. A expansão estrutural, de pessoal, alunos e serviços têm repercutido na organização do trabalho de seus servidores. Por isso, analisa-se como o REUNI impactou a gestão administrativa e de pessoal na UFG, que passou a contar com um quadro mais qualificado de servidores Técnico-Administrativos em Educação (TAE). Neste contexto, analisa-se também a dinâmica da vida no trabalho e os reflexos desse trabalho na vida desses servidores. A pesquisa permitiu identificar que os servidores da UFG vivenciaram momentos de estresse causados pela intensificação do trabalho e pela dificuldade de organizá-lo num período de mudanças rápidas. Da mesma forma, observamos que a organização do trabalho e as relações decorrentes dele impactam a subjetividade dos servidores e trazem consequências para a vida laboral de todos os trabalhadores da universidade.

The thesis analyses the expedition (TAE) led by Dr.Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary from three vantage points: 1)the years from 1948 to 1955 leading up to the expedition 2) the interaction between the IGY and the TAE projects and 3) the role of the US Navy as the expedition unfolded. The thesis also investigates key events including the purchase of the ship Endeavour from Britain, the competition for leadership of the UK and NZ parties, the 'dash to the Pole' by Hillary, and the search for base sites and routes to the Polar Plateau. The thesis contains an overview historical introduction, a comprehensive literature review as well as a broad-based set of conclusions.