What is Taekwon-Do?

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea.

In Korean, tae (태, 跆) means "to strike or break with foot"
kwon (권, 拳) means "to strike or break with fist"
and do (도, 道) means "way," "method," or "art".

Thus, taekwondo may be loosely translated as "the way of the foot and fist" or "the way of kicking and punching."

Taekwondo is the world's most popular martial art in terms of the number of practitioners Its popularity has resulted in the varied development of the martial art into several domains: as with many other arts, it combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, meditation, and philosophy. Taekwondo is also used by the South Korean military as part of its training.

Formally, there are two main styles of taekwondo. One comes from the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF). The other comes from the World Taekwon-Do Federation (WTF).

International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) is a taekwondo organization founded on March 22, 1966, by General Choi Hong Hi (최홍희) in Seoul, South Korea. The ITF exists to promote and encourage the growth of the Korean martial art of taekwondo. Its main functions are to coordinate and approve tournaments and seminars, set standards for teaching (patterns, sparring, destruction), collaborate with affiliated member organizations, and service members in regards to rank and certifications.