The influence a 10-week Zulu stick fighting intervention programme has on motor proficiency and health-related physical fitness of prepubescent Zulu males
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Date
2010
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University of Zululand
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a 10-week stick fighting
intervention programme on anthropometrical measures, motor proficiency and healthrelated
physical fitness parameters such as body composition, cardiovascular fitness,
flexibility, muscular endurance and muscular strength.
Twenty two prepubescent Zulu males (mean age = 9.80 ± 0.64 years, range 8.60-11.10)
formed the experimental group and twenty three other Zulu males (mean age = 10.09 ±
0.73, range 8.43-11.70) formed the control group. The experimental group underwent a
10 week stick fighting intervention programme facilitated by two professional stick
fighters whilst for the same period, the control group did not receive any intervention
programme rather continued with their daily activities.
For motor proficiency, data was collected at three intervals: pre, post and post-post
intervention. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP) was used to
assess motor proficiency: fine and gross motor skills. For anthropometrical measures and
health-related physical fitness, data was collected at two intervals: pre- and postintervention.
The five health-related components of physical fitness were measured by
the following: body composition, flexibility, muscular endurance, muscular strength and
cardiovascular fitness.
The experimental group showed significant improvements (p < 0.05) in the postintervention
motor proficiency composite mean scores for balance and upper limb
dexterity subtests whereas the control group did not exhibit significant improvements in
any of their post-intervention composite mean scores. The experimental group also
experienced an 11.62% significant improvement (p < 0.05) in their motor proficiency
mean scores relative to the control group when the pre-intervention and the post-post
intervention scores were compared. The low internal consistency and inter-item
correlation of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency suggests that there are
challenges with the reliability of the results. Thus, the results should be interpreted with
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caution. The experimental group also recorded significant improvements (p < 0.05) in the
body composition, cardiovascular fitness and flexibility after a 10-week Zulu stick
fighting intervention programme when post-intervention mean scores are compared
adjusted for pre-intervention mean scores whereas no significant improvement in the
post-intervention mean scores was recorded for the control group.
It appears that the levels of motor proficiency and health-related physical fitness can be
positively influenced through participating in traditional Zulu games such as Zulu stick
fighting. It would seem the benefits derived from engaging in Zulu stick fighting may be
the same as the one derived from doing any king of physical activity. It must be said
though that the results of the motor proficiency in the current study can not be declared as
useful data.
Description
Submitted in the fulfilment of the academic requirements for the degree
Master of Science (Human Movement Science) in the Faculty Of Science and Agriculture (Department of Biokinetics and Sport Science) at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2010.