Wax on, wax off, or whatever works for you : on the role of pre-competition emotions in elite karateka

Abstract

The purpose of the current study aimed to examine the performance related experiences of elite karate athletes prior to a major international competition. The secondary aim was to explore the relationship between athlete and coach performance ratings.

Athletes selected emotional and non-emotional words to describe their experiences related to performance. Results indicated that best performance was characterized by high intensities of helpful emotion and non-emotion descriptors, while worst performance was characterized by high intensities of harmful descriptors. Moreover, intensities of emotions and non-emotions during actual good performance neared intensities recalled during best performance. Lastly, the coach reported athletes’ performance positively higher than the subjective rating from the athlete.

Participants included five members of the Canadian National Wado-Kai karate team (n = 5) competing in international championships. Performance related experiences were assessed using the PBS-20 and ESP-40 questionnaire while recalling best and worst performance, and prior to kata and kumite performance. The participants and the coach rated their performance following competition.

The Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF) model posits that each individual athlete exhibits a unique constellation of emotion, non-emotions and intensities when experiencing peak, or dysfunctional, performance (Hanin, 2000).

Practitioners are advised to provide interventions and tools that propel athletes to a pre-established zone of optimal functioning.