Virtual reality (VR) training has become valuable in sports to improve motor behavior and train specific situations under standardized conditions. However, studies comparing conventional training with VR training are rare, especially for advanced athletes. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether the performance improvement achieved through VR training can be transferred to the real world (RW). Therefore, we present a study analyzing sports-specific response training using a head-mounted display (HMD) combined with conventional training and its transfer to RW. In ten training sessions over 6 weeks, a VR training group (VRG, n = 15) performed virtual karate training (10 min) combined with a conventional training (80 min), while a conventional training group (CG, n = 12) conducted only conventional training (90 min) at the same time. The VR training consisted of the athlete responding to various karate attacks performed by a virtual opponent in a karate-specific manner. The study design included a pretest, an intermediate test (after 5 training sessions), and a posttest. We analyzed sports-specific response behavior concerning the competition-relevant karate attacks Gyaku-Zuki jodan (GZj) and Kizami-Zuki (KZ) using the parameters ‘response time’, and the “response quality” when the athletes had to react to attacks of a virtual opponent in VR and a real opponent in RW. For the parameter “response time,” improvements were detected only for the VRG in VR concerning GZj and KZ. For the parameter “response quality” for both groups, no improvements could be found. Furthermore, athletes provided positive feedback regarding the integration of VR training into conventional training.

Virtual reality is increasingly applied to support physical training and improve athletes’ performance in sports. Nevertheless, there is a research deficit in that, especially in martial arts, it has not yet been shown to what extent the response behavior of athletes in virtual reality is the same as in the real world. If this can be confirmed, a transfer of VR-adapted skills to RW can be expected and sports training in a virtual environment can be applied to improve sports performance. Since the response behavior is essential for many sports, this study compares it in karate kumite to the competition-important attack (Kizami-Zuki) of a real and a virtual opponent. Experienced karate athletes wore a head-mounted display and were asked to respond quickly and efficiently to 22 karate attacks, of which eight were Kizami Zuki’s attacks. Using a video-based movement assessment, karate experts quantified the response behavior with the parameters ‘time for response’, ‘response quality’ and ‘kind of response’. Results show no significant differences in ‘time for response’ and ‘kind of response’ between both conditions (virtual reality vs. real world). Only the ‘response quality’ was rated better in real world than in virtual reality. It is concluded that the ‘time of response’ and ‘kind of response’ for karate kumite athletes in virtual reality are similar to that in the real world.

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