2019, Volume 15, Issue 1
Martial arts science expert’s career path shown on the example of Professor Stanisław Sterkowicz (1951-2018)
Roman Maciej Kalina1, Bartłomiej Jan Barczyński2
1State University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Sącz, Nowy Sącz, Poland
2Archives of Budo, Warsaw, Poland
Author for correspondence: Bartłomiej Jan Barczyński; Archives of Budo, Warsaw, Poland; email: barczynski@wp.pl
Full text
Abstract
Professor Stanisław Sterkowicz’s career of is an example of balanced academic development (regarding his scientific, didactic and administrative-organizational achievements) and the consistent combining creative passions with practical activity having high health-related, utilitarian and social significance. Professor Sterkowicz belonged to few experts in the world with high and unique competence in such branches as methodology and motor activity involving martial arts and combat sports, equal to the highest scientific qualifications. His highest organizational achievement, beyond his academic activity, was promotion of the Korean martial art, hapkido.
As a master of martial arts and a researcher, whose approaches to research were based on interdisciplinary knowledge, Professor Sterkowicz also dealt with problems of martial arts training from the point of view of philosophy, ethics, psychology, pedagogy and, to some extent, praxeology. His several important papers focus on self-defense training, based mainly on the Korean hapkido martial art and implementation of hapkido training and other martial arts for security and military personnel. Professor Sterkowicz successfully divided his professional life into his family life and work for his Alma Mater, which was the University of Physical Education in Cracow (from student to professor) – dedicated to theory and practice of martial arts. His last passion was enhanced by the contribution to the development and promotion of the Archives of Budo and the science of martial arts on a global scale. Professor Sterkowicz’s most remarkable scientific success involved the frequently applied by researchers worldwide original Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT), adapted to physical exercise typical for judo fight. His scientific achievements include 6 books and over 350 research and methodological papers, dedicated mainly to combat sport and martial arts.
Key words: hapkido, judo, ju-jitsu, karate, sport science
