Physical Abilities and Body Composition of Recreational Practitioners of Tang Soo Do and Karate: A Systematic Review

Tang Soo Do is a versatile martial art that stands out for the use of the hip for its technical gestures. Karate is one of the most attractive martial arts around the world. Both karate and Tang Soo Do share a firm style in their techniques and combat. However, some of the forms in Tang Soo Do possess a gentle style similar to Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Therefore, it is interesting to describe and compare the physical abilities and body composition of recreational Tang Soo Do and karate practitioners. A search was carried out in Medline (R) and Web of Science (R) during January 2021. Following the search 10 studies were chosen, organizing their data according to body composition, muscular strength, muscular resistance, flexibility and VO2max. Two studies were found on recreational Tang Soo Do practitioners and eight on karate worldwide, hence, there are not enough studies to adequately describe and compare physical abilities and body composition among recreational practitioners; However, the results found, indicate that it is important to conduct further research to measures these variables, in order to consider Tang Soo Do as an important option for the physical and mental well-being of its practitioners. Future research can evaluate these data can be evaluated in different age groups, location, training time or types of competitions according to forms, combat or mixed. In addition, comparative studies can be carried out on Tang Soo Do practitioners that allow this martial art to become an important option for practice in schools and universities, as well as a lifestyle for its practitioners.