Taekwondo is a martial art that originates from Korea. It combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, and in some cases meditation and philosophy. In 1989, taekwondo was the worlds most popular martial art in terms of number of practitioners. Gyeorugi , a type of sparring, has been an Olympic event since 2000.

There are two main branches of taekwondo development, which are not necessarily mutually exclusive:

  • Traditional taekwondo typically refers to the martial art as it was established in the 1950s and 1960s in the South Korean military, and in various civilian organisations, including schools and universities. In particular, the names and symbolism of the traditional patterns often refer to elements of Korean history, culture and religious philosophy. Traditional Taekwon-Do may refer to ITF Taekwon-Do as created by the founder of ITF Taekwon-Do General Choi Hong Hi on April 11 1953; or WTF Taekwondo, founded by Dr Kim Un Yong on May 25, 1973.


In Korean, tae means to strike or break with foot; kwon means to strike or break with fist; and do means way, method, or path. Thus, taekwondo may be loosely translated as the way of the hand and the foot.
