Taekwondo (Tae-Kwon-Do, Fist-Foot-Way) is a martial art from Korea (sometimes also spelled Taegwondo).
It is a blend of
Shotokan Karate with other
Chinese and Korean martial arts. Taekwondo places great emphasis on fast, spectacular
kicking techniques with very few hand strikes. Competition rules in Taekwondo
prohibit the use of throws, holding or grappling. Protective gear is usually worn to allow contact with the body.
Taekwondo tends to place more emphasis on the sport aspect of martial arts.
Taekwondo is more of a long range fighting style, due to its use of more kicking
than striking. Board breaking is used in belt grading in Taekwondo, to show the
power of the techniques being taught (
Kyokushin Kai is another martial art that
also adheres to this practice).
Taekwondo is popular the world over and is probably the most widely practiced of
the martial arts. Taekwondo is now recognised as an Olympic sport, which is sure
to popularise it even more.
Origin of Taekwondo: Korea
Founder of Taekwondo: General Choi Hong Hi 1950's (Who earned a 2nd dan in Shotokan Karate while a student in Japan)
All rights reserved.
Martial Arts Glossary
Karate Quiz