Taekwondo, << ty kwon DOH or teh gwon DOH, >> is a Korean martial art that resembles the Japanese technique called karate. Taekwondo is famous for its wide range of kicks. In Korean, tae means kick, kwon means fist, and do means art or way. Taekwondo also emphasizes breaking power, such as splitting wood, smashing bricks, or destroying tiles with the bare hands and feet. Training consists of a variety of punching, kicking, dodging, jumping, parrying, and blocking techniques. It also includes sparring and learning a formalized pattern of movements called hyung.
The beginnings of taekwondo are obscure. Historians believe it originated in a martial arts form called t’aekyon more than 1,500 years ago. Beginning about 1910, Chinese and Japanese techniques were introduced, transforming the older art into its current form. Like most martial arts, taekwondo underwent changes in the late 1900’s, when it was practiced increasingly as a combat sport.
