The Effect of Plyometric Training on Dollyo Chagi Kick Performance in Taekwondo Athletes at the Kaur Octopus Taekwondo Dojang

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of plyometric training on the performance of the dollyo chagi kick among Taekwondo athletes at Dojang Taekwondo Kaur Octopus. The background of this study is based on the relatively low performance of the dollyo chagi kick, which is influenced by the athletes’ limited speed and lower-limb explosive power. Plyometric training was selected because it is an effective training method for improving speed, strength, and explosive power of the lower limbs, which are essential in executing the dollyo chagi kick. The research method used was an experimental method with a One Group Pretest-Posttest Design. The sample consisted of 12 male Taekwondo athletes from Dojang Kaur Octopus, selected using a total sampling technique. The research instrument was a 15-second dollyo chagi kick test. The treatment was conducted through a plyometric training program consisting of ladder drills, knee tuck jumps, lateral jumps, and jump-and-hip rotation exercises over 12 training sessions. Data analysis was performed using normality tests, homogeneity tests, and hypothesis testing with a Paired Sample t-Test using SPSS software. The results showed that the average pre-test score of 22.17 increased to 30.58 in the post-test. The hypothesis testing results indicated a significance value (Sig. 2-tailed) of < 0.001 < 0.05 with a t-value of 10.885, meaning that the alternative hypothesis (Ha) was accepted and the null hypothesis (H₀) was rejected. These results indicate that plyometric training has a significant effect on improving the performance of the dollyo chagi kick among Taekwondo athletes at Dojang Kaur Octopus. In addition, there was an improvement in athlete performance categories, where in the post-test 83.33% of athletes were classified in the “very good” category and 16.67% in the “good” category. Therefore, plyometric training can be recommended as an effective training method to improve the dollyo chagi kicking ability of Taekwondo athletes.