Background and Study Aim: Since visual perception plays an important role in fencing, it might differ between left- and right-handed performers, and perhaps giving the former some advantage over the latter. The purpose of this work is the hypothesis that left- and right-handed foil fencers differ in terms of their perception strategies. Material and Methods: We base our verification of this hypothesis on to compare the strategies the two groups of foil fencers (left-handed and right-handed) they use to evaluate actions taken by their opponents. Perception strategies of 18 left- and 21 right-handed professional foil fencers were compared using an eye-tracker to analyse their eye movements during preliminary actions by the participants. The actions were performed over a minute in two variants: during a fight with a right- and left-handed opponent. We used an eye-tracker to monitor eye movements during duels. We also recorded and analysed visual fixations, that is, the maintaining of the gaze at particular visual targets (the range of gaze directions and locations, by comparing the pupil centre and the location of the corneal reflection, which is done against the background), while a static image recorded by the camera placed in the device - used as a reference image in data analysis. Results: Left- and right-handed foil fencers chose different strategies. When left-handed ones are fighting against right-handed opponents, they pay more attention to the guard, the armed hand, and the upper torso than to the lower torso. However, when they are opposing left-handed opponents, they pay more attention to the upper torso than to the foil. Opposing right-handed opponents, right-handed foil fencers focus more on the opponent's upper torso than on the foil; opposing left-handed fencers, however, they focus more on the armed hand than on the lower torso and the foil. Conclusions: From the study, it follows that left- and right-handed fencers choose different perception strategies. Therefore, to be effective, a fencer's strategy should take into account the opponent's handedness. Thus, fencing trainers should develop personalised fighting strategies for their trainees in order to help them effectively oppose right- and left-handed opponents.
© Copyright 2019 Archives of Budo. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. / Übersetzt mit https://www.DeepL.com/Translator