SELECTED ISSUES FROM HEALTH EDUCATION IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MARTIAL ARTS DURING A PANDEMIC

Abstract

It has long been known that physical activity is very necessary in the life of every human being. It helps to maintain proper physical and mental health. There are many forms of activity. However, research shows that about 40% of Poles do not practice any physical activity. In terms of physical activity, Poland is below the average for the European Union countries. It is important that in recent years the sport has become very popular. Health identified with physical condition, which is based on physical development, improvement of the body’s fitness and efficiency, is becoming more and more important. Depending on age, human physical activity manifests itself in various forms. By pursuing physical interests, we choose which forms of activity we consider the most appropriate for us. However, personal preferences are also modified by the influence of the social environment, which in specific situations forces choices related to the possibilities and social needs in a given area. Physical activity shapes fitness and endurance, which has a positive effect on the efficiency of mental and physical work and on the daily functioning of the body. It allows young people to relieve emotional tension in a natural way and protects against stress. Budo (Japanese martial ways) is a collection of traditions of various martial ways – methods, variations, styles and schools of martial arts. It is a path of "effort, sacrifice and perseverance". This term is sometimes understood (mainly in the area of mass culture) as a set of various Asian martial arts. The Budo Card is a record of the general ethical canon, analogous to fair play in the Western world. Young people, out of the need for identification, are usually open to patterns shaped by the media. Young generations eagerly consume content transmitted by cinema, television or the Internet. Thanks to the development of the Internet and the unlimited availability of films from the borderline of martial arts and samurai culture (including training productions), there has been a significant increase in knowledge about martial arts among Western societies in recent years. According to Cynarski, people’s interest in martial arts in Europe stems from the fact that «people want to do something special, a bit exotic. Many are into Chinese philosophy or the Japanese samurai tradition, Zen». Therefore, exotics and fashion attract people to practice martial arts, as well as the aspect of self-defense with the myth of a miraculous technique.