Taekwondo

Taekwondo (also spelled Tae Kwon Do or Taekwon-Do) is the most popular of the Korean martial arts. It is also one of the world's most commonly practiced sports. The World Taekwondo Federation's form of Taekwondo is currently an Olympic sport.

Related Topics:
Korean martial arts - World Taekwondo Federation

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In the Korean language, Tae (태) means "to kick or destroy with the foot"; Kwon (권) means "punch or smash with the hand or fist"; and Do (도,) means "way," "path" or "art." Hence, Taekwondo is loosely translated as "the art of kicking and punching" or "the way of the foot and the fist."

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Taekwondo's popularity has resulted in the divergent evolution of the art. As with many other martial arts, Taekwondo is a combination of combat technique, sport, exercise, entertainment, and philosophy.

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Kicks are emphasized in Taekwondo, including jump kicks, spin kicks, shuffle/skip kicks, drop kicks, and combinations thereof. Although there are great doctrinal and technical differences among Taekwondo styles, the art in general is sometimes criticized for its emphasis on high kicks, which may be impractical against moving and defensive opponents. Taekwondo's proponents consider its emphasis on high, far-reaching kicks with a small, mobile stance to be an advantage in martial arts combat.

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