The maneuvers principal in shorinji kempo are positive and passive systems. The positive system is similar to karate techniques, employing kicks, punches, strikes and blocks. The passive system is similar to aikido, employing throws and joint locks.
Unlike many other Eastern martial arts, a sparring competition has been banned in shorinji kempo. Instead, a pre-established order of defensive and offensive techniques in the positive and passive systems, called embu, is used for competition. Embu is performed by either 2 players (kumiembu) or many players (dantaiembu).
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the physique and cardio-pulmonary functions of vocational high school students.
Seventeen healthy male students at Kyoto Shorinji Vocational High School volunteered in this study. The subjects were divided into 2 groups. Group A consisted of 6 subjects taking the same classes as those in group B and belonging to the shorinji kempo club at the school. Group B consisted of 11 subjects taking shorinji kempo classes at the school (80 minutes per class,4 classes per week).
There were no significant differences between the groups in height, weight, chest girth, Rohrer's index, fat weight, and fat free body weight. The values in weight and chest girth in both groups were slightly higher than for normal 17-year-old male students.
Vital capacity (V. C. ), maximum oxygen uptake (MaxVO
2), maximum VO
2 per kg body weight (MaxVO
2/kg·min. ), maximum ventilation (MaxVE), maximum oxygen pulse (MaxO
2 pulse) and exhaustion time for group A were significantly higher than for group B. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in maximum respiratory rate (Max R. R. ), maximum heart rate (Max H. R. )and respiratory quatient (R. Q. ).
MaxVO
2/kg min for group B was 5.5 ml/kg·min lower than for normal 17-year-old male students. /kgmin for group A was 5.5 ml/kg·min higher than for normal 17-year-old male students and was 21.1 ml/kg min lower than for elite middle distance runners.
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