Abstract - Eastern martial arts in the Bielsko-Biala voivodeship between 1975 and 1998
The Background. Between 1975 and 1998 the Bielsko-Biala voivodeship existed in southern Poland with its capital in Bielsko-Biala. It was established on 1 June 1975 following the introduction of a new administrative division in Poland. The area of the voivodeship was 3704 km2. It was divided into 18 towns and 59 communes, and it consisted of the present-day districts of Wadowice and Zywiec entirely, parts of Bielsko-Biala, Cieszyn, Oswiecim and Sucha Beskidzka, and a small part of the district of Chrzanow.
Problem. The author’s intention was to discuss three sports disciplines as examples of the processes and to present the multifaceted activities that were reflected in the Bielsko-Biala voivodeship during the period under discussion.
Methods. The main method used in the paper was an analysis of sources obtained from the State Archive in Katowice, using information obtained from chronicles, magazines, newspapers and publications, as well as reports from and memories of inhabitants of the Podbeskidzie region. The problematic layout was adopted in the study.
Results. The study complements the existing knowledge of the history of physical activities in the period from 1975 to 1998, in particular concerning the activities of Far East Sports (judo, karate Kyokushin and kick-boxing) clubs and organizations in the Podbeskidzie area.
Conclusions. The main objective of those in charge of physical culture in Bielsko-Biala was to supplement the weak human resources and base facilities as quickly as possible. These objectives were to be met by plans to promote physical culture through the improvement of youth sport, the organization of instructor courses and the care of the so-called leading disciplines. In the case of the Bielsko-Biala voivodeship, these included football, Nordic skiing, biathlon, weightlifting, boxing, judo, Kyokushin karate, kick-boxing (slightly later: in 1993 – section in Jaworz), archery and chess. At the time, it was the headquarters of physical culture management – the Glowny Komitet Kultury Fizycznej i Turystyki [the Main Committee of Physical Culture and Tourism] (and its equivalents) – that decided which disciplines to include.