The purpose of this study was to clarify the tactical awareness of university karate kumite competitors for the purpose of winning, and to obtain knowledge that is effective in coaching tactics. Eighty students were analyzed, and divided into two groups. The top group consisting of those who had participated in All Japan Student Tournaments and the lower group consisting of those who had not participated in All Japan Student Tournaments. A questionnaire survey on the tactics of kumite competitions was administered to the subjects, consisting of 29 questions (26 multiple-choice questions and 3 free-answer questions).The selected answers were subjected to the Chi-Squared Test and the Fisher’s direct probability test to test for differences between groups. The open-ended responses were subjected to quantitative text mining analysis using KH Coder 3. Significant differences were found in 5 out of 26 multiple-choice questions (p<0.05).
In a match, earning the first point was considered to be a highly important score regardless of the competition results. The top group was characterized by having a tactical awareness of moves other than those aimed at scoring points. The results of the quantitative text mining analysis showed that both the top and lower groups were aiming for the first point in the early phase of the game, while the top group was also looking at the opponent’s moves and then aiming to score a point. In the final stages of the match, the top group was considered to have an awareness of scoring along with defensive tactics. The results showed that the top group clearly expressed tactical awareness depending on the match situation and circumstances. It can be inferred that instructors can confirm the discrepancy between the performance and tactical content during a match, and that this will provide new information for practicing tactical coaching.
