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Two phenomena determine that the editing of publications in the Archives of Budo, but also in Archives of Budo Science of Martial Arts and Extreme Sports, is particularly responsible.
Firstly, this is the 19th edition of Arch Budo launched back in 2005 (and the 11th edition of Arch Budo Sci Martial Art Extreme Sport launched in 2013), and the 8 outstanding members of Editorial Boards have left it forever. Five of them are holders of black belts in judo and high dan degrees: Prof. Ewaryst Jaskólski, Poland (2007); Gen. Josef Herzog, Austria (2016, also karate black belt); Prof. Stanislaw Sterkowicz, Poland (2018, also hapkido black belt); Dr Serhiy Petrovych Novikov an Olympics champion in judo, Russia (2021, also founder of UNIFIGHT); Dr Waldemar Sikorski, Poland (2022), outstanding judo trainer and scientist. The three other professors are distinguished experts in disciplines other than the science of martial arts and with sports experience that does not qualify for martial arts. Prof. Kazimierz Obodyński, Poland (2015, sports sociologist, rugby expert) died in a car accident. Prof. Josef Bergier, Poland (2019), sports science and soccer expert, politician; Prof. Vladimir Hrychorovych Tkachuk, Ukrainian (2020) scientist in the field of human physiology, biocybernetics, physical education and sport, the gymnast.
Secondly, one of the consequences of the media promotion of neo gladiatorship, camouflaged especially under the name of mixed martial arts (MMA), is the increased risk that in increasingly wider social circles (not excluding children and young people) it is unacceptable to argue that the vast majority of martial arts fit into the health and humanistic dimension of human physical activity. This risk is compounded by the fact that modern media can hardly be expected to ensure at least symmetry of argument.
Thus, from the perspective of fulfilling the social mission of science in circumstances when, for 19 years, the new sub-discipline 'science of martial arts' has gained recognition in the global science space, it is necessary to promote a scientific language with a higher level of generality. The idea is to avoid the name 'martial arts' in communicating the distinctive specific science of struggle, as it will be associated with pathological neo gladiatorship in ever wider circles. All of the deceased members of the Editorial Boards were aware of both phenomena – the appropriation of the name ‘martial arts’ by the promoters of bloody spectacles and the need to prudently but decisively counteract this pathology on the ground of science.
This expected criterion of prudent counteraction is fulfilled by 'innovative agonology'. ‘Agonology’ is a synonym for the general theory of struggle (1938) created by Tadeusz Kotarbinski, an eminent Polish scholar and humanist, which gave rise to four specific theories (published between 1970 and 2000 in Poland). By contrast, ‘innovative agonology’ (IA) is an applied science dedicated to promotion, prevention and therapy related to all dimensions of health and regarding the optimization of activities that increase the ability to survive (from micro to macro scales). The basic method of innovative agonology in the research and application sphere is a complementary approach in the broadest possible cognitive-behavioural perspective.
The specific mission of the Archives of Budo 2023 is to strive for a breakthrough in public perception of a broad class of combat sports and martial arts as specific means of innovative agonology. It is precisely these still underestimated means from the perspective of possible global education, if used competently, that make three equal operational goals a reality: a) strengthen all dimensions of health, b) increase the ability to survive, c) develop respect for the dignity of other people.
Roman Maciej Kalina
Editor-in-Chief