Kickboxing rehab is difficult to track with traditional, manual methods, and common tools do not capture punch and kick performance in a sport-specific way.
Using the Xsens Link suit and pressure sensors on pads, Saxion records full-body movement and strike output during structured sessions to generate objective recovery metrics like left-right symmetry.
Built for real training environments: Inertial motion capture requires no studio, making consistent weekly measurements practical.
Movement plus output: Xsens provides full-body context while pressure sensors quantify strike impact, connecting technique to results.
Clear progress signals: Metrics like symmetry and repeatable best-effort punch analysis help physiotherapists track improvement over time and guide return-to-sport decisions.
Kickboxing is an unsurprisingly dangerous sport. While exciting to watch, throwing uppercuts, jabs, and roundhouse kicks can easily lead to injuries for athletes. To better understand and improve rehabilitation in this demanding field, researchers at Saxion University of Applied Sciences are exploring new methods of monitoring recovery.
“There isn’t much research around kickboxing rehab, especially concerning the use of technology for monitoring rehabilitation,” says Katrien Fischer, researcher and human movement scientist. “Traditional analysis methods are quite manual, making them difficult to quantify and analyze, as these challenges aren’t sport-specific.”
Athletes are typically assessed with ground reaction force plates, which are highly effective in sports like running, football, or long jump. However, these tools fall short when applied to combat sports, where punches and kicks are crucial. This gap highlights the need for more specialized approaches tailored to the unique demands of kickboxing.
“It’s also important to consider the culture of rehab in boxing and kickboxing,” adds researcher and physiotherapist Remco Kuipers. “Often, not much is done. Fighters tend to push through pain and focus on getting ready for their next match.” This combination of minimal rehabilitation and limited technology has historically made it difficult to measure recovery in combat sports – something the Saxion team aims to change.
To tackle this challenge, the researchers turned to Xsens motion capture technology. “We knew Xsens was the right choice because we’ve worked with the system in the past,” explains Katrien. “We opted for the Link suit because of its low latency and ability to pick up on every nuance. Now, we’re using it every week.”
The Xsens Link suit is a full-body system with inbuilt sensors that track joint rotation, angles, and velocity. Unlike camera-based setups, it requires no dedicated studio space, making it easy to use anywhere. For athletes with busy training schedules, this convenience makes rehab sessions more accessible and less time-consuming.
Inertial motion capture also allows rehabilitation to take place in flexible locations, without the need for specialized labs. Researchers and physiotherapists can bring the technology directly to the athlete, enabling efficient and high-quality analysis on the spot.
“We’ve developed a detailed, structured motion capture process to keep data collection consistent,” says Remco. “It involves a warm-up of shadowboxing and pads with a professional trainer. Then we measured eight sessions of kickboxing with a one-minute break between each one. We asked the subject to hit with maximum voluntary contraction, then take the five strongest jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts for analysis.”
By combining motion capture data with pressure sensor measurements, researchers can generate quantifiable insights into performance. One approach they are exploring is the limb symmetry index (LSI), which compares the performance of one arm or punch against the other. Using pressure sensors embedded on pads, this method provides a precise way to measure strength and coordination in combat-specific movements.
This kind of objective data has the potential to transform rehabilitation in combat sports. Instead of relying primarily on subjective feelings, physiotherapists could base recovery programs on measurable progress, leading to better outcomes for athletes.
“Using Xsens for this project will bring new findings to both us at Saxion and the physiotherapy sector as a whole,” concludes Remco. “We look forward to gathering data that shows improvements in speed, force output, grip strength, and endurance – all essential elements in combat sports performance.”
Take a look at Xsens motion capture for sports science.