2015 |VOLUME 11 | 359© ARCHIVES OF BUDO | SCIENCE OF MARTIAL ARTS
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Influence of two years study in Special Education
of Security Sections on the body posture
Ivan Struhár1ABCD
, Lenka Dovrtělová1AD
, Zdenko Reguli2AD
1
Faculty of Sport Studies, Department of Health Support, Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic
2
Faculty of Sport Studies, Department of Gymnastics and Combatives, Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic
Source of support: Departmental sources
Received: 31 May 2015; Accepted: 20 August 2015; Published online: 12 November 2015
ICID: 1187760
Abstract
	Background&StudyAim:	 The role of body posture is often underestimated in a sport performance.The sport training often focuses only
on achieving the highest level of performance. On the other hand, this type of condition can be connected
with serious health problems which can be one of the reasons of career-ending injury. One of them, which
can often occur during the athletes training are low and upper back pain. Back pain syndromes are often completely
preventable. The highest level of postural control and postural stability is required in sport when the
athletes have to maintain the position in static or dynamic position during single-leg stance.The main aim of
the study was the answer to question: whether is a significance difference between value of cervical lordosis
and lumbar lordosis value during 2 years of study in Special Education of Security Sections (in pre-test and posttest)?
The question is how the trainer can integrate the training with corrective exercises?
	 Material&Methods:		 Nineteen healthy students participated in this study (mean age = 20.2 ±1.32 years; mean height = 1.80 ±0.05 m;
mean mass = 76.93 ±7.90 kg).The participants practiced combat sports in average 5.8 ±2.52 years. Before study,
participants responded questions about personal information (age, sex, combat sport, length of sport practice
and regeneration in their sport practise). DTP-3 diagnostic system was used for measuring body posture.
The examination includes palpating and marking chosen points (the skin projection of the left and right lateral
parts of the acromion, bilateral posterior superior iliac spine and 22 processus spinosi C3–L5. The chosen
points were measured by touching the stylus of the sensor and then transmitted into the computer. The
participant´s free standing position was measured 3 times in pre-test and post-test.
	 Results:		 The results showed that field of study Special Education of Security Sections had positive impact of value cervical
and lumbar lordosis in a group of students (cervical lordosis: pre-test 3.57 ±0.99; post-test 2.84 ±0.89 and
lumbar lordosis: pre-test 4.82 ±0.73; post-test 3.89 ±0.89).The paired samples t-test was used for cervical lordosis
value and lumbar lordosis value (p = 0.000001; p = 0.000065; the significance level 95%).
	Conclusions: 		 According to the results, the field of study Special Education of Security Sections at Faculty of Sports Study improved
the value of cervical lordosis and lumbar lordosis and it was also observed a shift from asymmetry between
shoulders position.The design of the field of study includes also corrective exercises and theoretical lectures
about importance of body posture and postural stability.
	 Keywords: 		 back pain · education · lordosis · postural · spine· stability
	 Author’s address: 		 Ivan Struhár, Faculty of Sport Studies, Department of Health Support, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5,
625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; e-mail: struhar@mail.muni.cz
Authors’ Contribution:
A	 Study Design
B	 Data Collection
C	 Statistical Analysis
D	Manuscript Preparation
E Funds Collection
 ORIGINAL ARTICLE
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360 | VOLUME 11 | 2015 www.archbudo.com
Original Article
Introduction
Special Education of Security Sections is a unique field
of study offered by Masaryk University (Brno, Czech
Republic). The study is covered by university programme
Physical Education and Sport and it focuses
on preparing qualified, university educated specialists
in security services. Graduates can find employment
as university educated specialists in the practical
application through purpose-disciplinary regulations,
especially in security and special armed forces. The
labour market is also open to graduates in civil security
services, correctional facilities, airport and railway
protection, private martial arts and at position of
self-defence teacher and at the Police of the Czech
Republic. Masaryk University was awarded the ECTS
Label by the European Commission as proof of the
university’s high standards of excellence in 2010.
Learning outcomes are included in ECTS standards
for every single course as well as for field of study
Special Education of Security Section.They are defined
in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains.
Outcomes for psychomotor domain express the level of
expected physical performance with definition below:
Student with individual´s sex and age is able to present
practical skills in any kind of physical activity and repeat
new sport skills only by visual ability.
Student can naturally apply all practical skills in selfdefence
model situations.
Among all basic theoretical subjects in the sport sciences,
students are prepared also practically subjects
(compulsory courses in 2nd
, 3rd
, 4th
, and 5th
term).
Every term consists of thirteen weeks of teaching.
It is expected that students practised for 442 hour
in controlled lectures under supervision of teachers
between two exam periods (Tables 1 and 2).
Students attend practically compulsory sport courses
like swimming, gymnastics, track and fields, fitness,
and bouldering. Special education of security sections disposes
also by two groups of special combative courses.
One group consisted of four combat sports: boxing,
wrestling, judo, karate and aikido. Second group of
special course focused on personal self-defence, selfdefence
for specific groups and preparatory exercises
for self-defence (Table 2).
DTP 3 diagnostic system - a
somatographic method which
enables a graphic and numeric
analysis of selected points
from body.This system allows
assessing body posture.
Postural stability - is the
ability to sustain the body in
equilibrium. Postural stability
depends on sensory detection of
body movements and integration
of sensorimotor information
which are processed in the
central nervous system.
Special Education for Security
Sections – the field of study
at Faculty of Sports Study
(Masaryk University, Czech
Republic), which focuses on
preparing qualified, university
educated specialists in security
services.
Table 1. List of compulsory sports at the field of study (2nd
and 3rd
term)
Course Lectures per week Lectures in total Course Lectures per week
Lectures in to-
tal
2nd
term 9 117 3rd
term 11 143
swimming 1 13 gymnastics 1 13
boxing 2 26 karate 3 39
wrestling 3 39 judo 3 39
bouldering 2 26 boxing 2 26
track and fields 1 13 wrestling 2 26
Table 2. List of compulsory sports at the field of study (4th
and 5th
term)
Course Lectures per week Lectures in total Course Lectures per week Lectures in total
4th
term 10 130 5th
term 4 52
gymnastics 1 13 self-defence 3 39
preparatory exercises
in self-defence
1 13
self-defence for
specific groups
1 13
aikido 3 39
judo 2 26
karate 2 26
fitness exercises 1 13
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Struhár I et al. Influence of two years study...
© ARCHIVES OF BUDO | SCIENCE OF MARTIAL ARTS 2015 |VOLUME 11 | 361
In the colloquial meaning aikido is mentioned as
martial arts and even combat sport. Kalina and
Barczyński [1] in broad analysis of the milestones
of martial arts, combat sports, arts of self-defence,
in promoting neo-gladiator games qualify aikido to
the arts of self-defence. The authors of this analysis
underline that turn of 20th and 21st c. also revived
interests on the border of arts of self-defence and
dance: Indian kalaripayattu, Brazilian capoeira, and
also establishment of the arts of self-defence in 20th c.
which are not rooted in the traditional military training:
aikido based on gentle and relatively gentle counteractive
measures; hapkido, a combination of gentle,
relative gentle and heavy counteractive measures;
krav-maga, a combination of aggressive defence with
offensive techniques. Part of methods and combat
assets characteristic for of the ones arts of self-defence
are filling the contents of self-defence programs for
students of the Security Sections.
It is known, that martial arts can have positive influence
on many aspects as functional movements in
MMA neo-gladiators [2], or posture stability in karate
practitioners [3-4].
The authors, as signatories of the Czestochowa
Declarations 2015: HMA against MMA do not identify
with MMA as a sport [5]. However, it is an objective
fact that still the main candidates for the neo-gladiators
are recruiting among combat sports and martial
arts athletes.
Especially, internal martial arts are aimed to gain
better postural control [6]. There is no evidence that
sports activities mentioned above can have positive
impact on posture of students. It is expected that controlled
lectures under supervision of highly qualified
teachers can improve posture of students and prevent
painful disorders of locomotors apparatus. Students
of Special Education of Security Section are taught to
compensate postural overloading caused by repetitive
sports tasks and they are also educated to use their
body language properly. It is very important to hold
upright posture to show straight mind and self-confidence
martial arts and even more in self-defence [7].
It follows that human posture reflects not only the
state of musculoskeletal system but also internal –
psychological well-being of each individual.
The majority of pathologies of posture are connected
with painful disorders of locomotors apparatus which
can lead to involuntary termination sporting, working
career. The most common painful disorders are neck
pain and low back pain. The neck has a complicated
structure, containing several joints with capsules,
discs, ligaments, fasciae and muscles, which all of
them may become hypersensitive to loading in conditions
of pain. Pain may arise directly from painful
muscle during contraction, or forceful muscle contraction
may provoke pain from deep joint structures
due to increased mechanical stress [8]. Chiu, Ku and
Lee [9] explain a principle of this pathology together
with an increased cervical lordosis. In this condition
the pressure is concentrated on the posterior part of
the vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs of the
vertebral joints. In addition, there is evidence that
overloaded both right and left trapezius and levator
scapulae on the side of dominant arm together with
spine extensors can cause painful disorders in a region
of neck and shoulder [10].
In the lumbosacral region of the spine, the relations
between the angle of declivity of the sacrum
and radius and inclination of curvature of the lower
spine show correlation with the painful disorder and
pathology [11].
The main aim of the study was the answer to question:
whether is a significance difference between
value of cervical lordosis and lumbar lordosis value
during 2 years of study in Special Education of Security
Sections (pre-test and post-test)?
Material and methods
Participants
Nineteen healthy students (only men) participated
in this study (mean age = 20.2 ± 1.32 years; mean
height = 1.80 ± 0.05 m; mean mass = 76.93 ± 7.90 kg)
(Table 3). The athletes practiced combat sports in
average 5.8 ±2.52 years. Before study, participants
responded questions focused on personal information
(age, sex, combat sport, length of sport practice
and regeneration in their sport practise). All participants
signed the informed term of consent.The study
was approved by the local Ethical Committee.
Table 3. The mean age, height and weight of students
(n = 19)
Age (years) Height (m) Weight (kg)
Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD
20.2 1.32 1.8 0.05 76.93 7.9
Methods
The body posture was measured with using DTP-3
diagnostic system. It was not allowed to speak during
the measuring of body posture and there were only
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362 | VOLUME 11 | 2015 www.archbudo.com
Original Article
experimenter and the participant in the room in order
to ensuring a calm environment as much as possible.
The temperature was set up for 24° Celsius in the
room during the testing. The examination includes
palpating and marking chosen points (the skin projection
of the left and right lateral parts of the acromion,
bilateral posterior superior iliac spine and 22
processus spinosi C3–L5. The chosen points were
measured by touching the stylus of the sensor and
then transmitted into the computer.The participant´s
free standing position was measured 3 times in pretest
and post-test. The results are listed as a mean
value of these measurements.
Statistical analyses
Analyses were conducted using programme Statistica
12.0. Paired t-test for dependent samples was used
to analyse the data. The significance level was set at
p < 0.05 and results are given as the mean ± SD.
Results
A mean value of cervical lordosis and lumbar lordosis
in group decreased during 2 years of studying at the
Faculty of Sports Studies (cervical lordosis: pre-test
3.57 ±0.99; post-test 2.84 ± 0.89 and lumbar lordosis:
pre-test 4.82 ±0.73; post-test 3.89 ±0.89) (Tables
4 and 5).
Table 4. The mean value of cervical lordosis (expressed
in centimetres) of students (n = 19)
Cervical lordosis value
(pre-test)
Cervical lordosis value
(post-test)
Mean SD Mean SD
3.57 0.99 2.84 0.89
Table 5. The mean value of lumbar lordosis (expressed in
centimetres) of students (n = 19)
Lumbar lordosis value
(pre-test)
Lumbar lordosis value
(post-test)
Mean SD Mean SD
4.82 0.73 3.89 0.89
It was supposed any changes between the value of
cervical and lumbar lordosis.The alternative hypothesis
was contrary to the null hypothesis. The paired
t-test for dependent samples was used for cervical lordosis
value and lumbar lordosis value (p = 0.000001;
p  =  0.000065; the significance level 95%). We
accepted the alternative hypothesis (there is a significance
level between the values of cervical and lumbar
lordosis).
We calculated effect size by Cohen’s d in view of finding
the magnitude of differences (cervical lordosis: d
= 0.775; lumbar lordosis d = 1.142 which indicates a
large effect).
Secondly, it was reported a shift from asymmetry
between shoulder position and (pre-test 7.8 mm;
post-test 2.05 mm) (Table 6). Likewise, the paired
t-test for dependent samples was used for calculating
the statistical significance. According to the result, a
significant difference was found (p = 0.00043; the significance
level 95%).
Table 6. Mean values of acromial angle (expressed in
degrees) of students (n = 19)
Acromial angle: Acromial angle:
pre-test post-test
Mean SD Mean SD
1.56 0.54 0.41 0.25
1 degree means 5 mm difference between the symmetry
of shoulders
The significant difference were found between the
mean value of posterior superior spine angle in pretest
and post-test (p = 0.000001; the significance level
95%). It was observed shift from asymmetry between
sides (pre-test 3.48 mm; post-test 0.78 mm) (Table 7).
Table 7. Mean values of posterior superior spine angle
(expressed in degrees) of students (n = 19)
Posterior superior Posterior superior
spine angle (pre-test) spine angle (post-test)
Mean SD Mean SD
1.16 0.31 0.26 0.18
1 degree means 3 mm difference in the pelvic area
We calculated effect size by Cohen’s d in view of finding
the magnitude of differences (acromial angle:
d = 2.733 posterior superior spine angle d = 3.550
which indicates a large effect).
Discussion
The study sought to identify if the Special Education of
Security Sections (the field of study offered by Masaryk
University) would result changes in body postures.
The data gathered in the study suggest that design of
Special Education of Security Sections can have a positive
effect on body posture and preventing painful disorders.
We are convinced that this fact is connected
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Struhár I et al. Influence of two years study...
© ARCHIVES OF BUDO | SCIENCE OF MARTIAL ARTS 2015 |VOLUME 11 | 363
with design of the field of study (every lesson is under
the supervision of highly qualified teachers who present
the importance of including compensatory exercises
as an important part of sport participation).
Nowadays, the measurement of values of cervical and
lumbar lordosis is considered to the key component
of assessing postural pathologies. Based on research,
several factors affect mean values of these components
such as age, gender or sport. There is overwhelming
evidence corroborating these opinions that mean
value and angle of lumbar lordosis significantly correlate
with spondylolysis [12]. Then, measurement
of lordosis values is key component for prevention
in population. According to the results (expressed in
centimetres), it was found difference between pre-test
and post-test in mean values of cervical and lumbar
lordosis (cervical lordosis: pre-test 3.57 ±0.99, posttest
2.84 ±0.89; lumbar lordosis pre-test 4.82 ±0.73,
post-test 3.89 ±0.89).
Subsequently, asymmetry between shoulder positions
was evaluated. This imbalance is often responsible
for neck or back pain. Shoulders asymmetry is often
observed in group of people who suffered from scoliosis.
On the other hand, it has been already proved
that not only scoliosis is key factor. Furthermore, we
can find others factors which positively correlate with
shoulders asymmetry with no evidence based of scoliosis
[13]. One of them is lateral dominance which
is responsible for using only one side of the body.The
final result of using regular, repeated motions can be
factor of overloading of shoulder internal rotator muscles.Therefore,
a mean values of acromial and posterior
superior spine angle (expressed in degrees) were
assessed (acromion angle: pre-test 1.56 ±0.54; posttest
0.41 ±0.25 and posterior superior spine angle:
pre-test 0.99 ±0.66; post-test 0.26 ±0.18). We calculated
effect size by Cohen ́s d in view of finding the
magnitude of differences (acromial angle: d = 2.733;
posterior superior spine angle: d = 3.550; both indicate
a large effect size).
The results show improving body posture from the
view of anatomy.The current discussion is about how
upright body posture can have impact on self-confidence
which is essential in security forces. Keeping
the body in an upright position (posture) affects not
only what others think about the person, but also
it can reveal a person’s current state of mind. Then,
the relationship between body and mind is reciprocal
[14].The positive effects of therapeutic and rehabilitative
aikido exercises confirmed among other the
studies made by Mroczkowski and Jaskólski [15, 16].
Crime is the result of a dynamic set of visible and
progressively aggressive interactions between offender
and person who is targeted by offender [17].This process
also includes recognition of movement kinematics
of possible victim. We are convinced that body
posture, type of walking, coordination and self-confidence
are factors which influence decision- making
process of offender in terms of victim selection.
Some studies have already proved this assumption of
possible victim selection [18-20]. Self-defence exercises,
combat sports and martial arts are elementary
subjects in education of contemporary body guards
and detectives (in schools and courses) in many countries
[21-24].
This information is now adopted into the self-defence
classes or courses which are highly popular in society
with aim of prevention of crime. Self-defence
programmes include learning different physical
techniques of martial arts but also some parts of programme
are focused on using body language as a tool
of prevention or how to enhance self-confidence. It
was confirmed that even short self-defence course
has positive influence in reducing vulnerability to
physical attack [25]. Findings from the study are not
caused only by attained practically compulsory sport
courses.Theoretical subjects also provide the necessary
insight into anatomy, health physical education, corrective
exercises, sport psychology or biomechanics.
Subsequently, students are able to apply their knowledge
within their own experience.
Conclusions
According to the findings, the field of study Special
Education of Security Sections provided observed change
in values of lordosis which lead to better upright posture
and it was observed a shift from asymmetry
between shoulders position.Dozens of sports and recreational
activities are using nonverbal communications
without knowing their participants of doing it.
A closer look at nonverbal communications is often
underestimated, but athletes often refers that they are
able to predict next movements of their opponents.
A very similar principle of communication with using
body language can be found in relation to improving
posture.Next studies should include the assessment of
self-confidence with aim of define the role of psychological
well-being on postural assessment.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the students who participated
in this study.
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364 | VOLUME 11 | 2015 www.archbudo.com
Original Article
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing
interests.
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References
Cite this article as: Struhár I, Dovrtělová L, Reguli Z. Influence of two years study in Special Education of Security Sections on the body posture.
Arch Budo 2015; 11: 359-364
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