Ryotaka Morii

The values toward the elements and techniques of gymnastics are not permanent. Various influences cause these values to change over time. To better understand the elements and techniques of today, it is necessary to comprehend how such values have changed over time, and such comprehension is possible only through deep insight into the history of the development of the elements and techniques. <BR>    However, there is a lack of research on the historical changes of gymnastic elements and techniques. Research on some apparatuses and periods has not even begun. For this reason, much of the history of the recognition of skills and the development of techniques is yet to be organized and elucidated. <BR>    Morii and Watanabe (2019) focused on the technical development of the salto in male floor exercises from the 1970s to the 1980s. Therefore, to cover a portion of the history of technical development in gymnastics that has yet to be sufficiently studied, this study examined the development tendency of the salto and their factors in menʼs floor exercise taking place since the 1990s. <BR>    The conclusions were as follows: <BR>    1. This study was able to sort the previously unorganized history of the development of the salto since the 1990s. <BR>    2. The study clarified that a wide variety of skill combinations have emerged since the 1990s. The trends of such emergences have been significantly influenced by the code of points in each period. <BR>    3. This study confirmed that the introduction of the spring floor expanded the possibilities of technical development, leading to significant progress in the development of salto. <BR>    The results of this study will inform the appropriate evaluation of current elements and techniques of floor exercise. These results will also enlighten the future development of gymnastic elements and techniques while providing practical guidance for efficient coaching.

The exercise elements included in the sport of artistic gymnastics never remain constant, and continue to transform with the times. For an adequate understanding of today’s exercise elements and techniques, it is essential to recognize the historical and sociocultural premises that have affected their evolution. However, research on the historical development of gymnastic techniques has received little attention over the last 40 years. As a result, we are facing a situation where the historical link between exercise elements and the background factors affecting their evolution has become poorly defined.<br> The present research focused on the evolution of the salto in the men’s floor exercise during the 1970s to 1980s, in order to achieve a basic understanding of today’s exercise elements and techniques, and to anticipate future developments by studying the factors determining the development of the exercise elements in accordance with the changes made to the code of points and apparatuses.<br> This study clarified the following points.<br> 1. It was possible to systematically organize the history of salto development, which had hitherto remained unclear.<br> 2. From the 1970s to 1980s, notable developments primarily in the double backward salto were seen, and it became clear that these developments had been significantly impacted by the effects of awarding “bonus points for risk and originality”, together with improvements in the elasticity of the gymnastics floor.<br> 3. Accordingly, it became clear that changes to the “techniques of exercise elements” such as cross-techniques for the double backward salto and the acceleration speed from round off to the back handspring were also affected by the above factors.<br> 4. It became clear that a problem was emerging with the systematic positioning of the backward jump with the 3/2 salto tucked and 3/2 twist, an element developed from the forward salto using the “twist” technique.<br> This research will aid the proper evaluation of today’s floor exercise elements and techniques and the retention of exercise elements and techniques that will be developed in the future, serving as a guideline for efficient coaching at actual training sites.