Taekwondo is more than a form of physical exercise. It is the Korean art for self-defense and combat. Developed during the 1940s and 1950s by various Korean martial artists, Taekwondo is considered as the most modern of all existing martial arts. Derived from Korean, “Tae” means foot or kick, “Kwon” means fist or punch, and “Do” means the way, and combining the three components together Tae Kwon Do means “Art of kick and punches”. All the necessary movements of self-defense are designed in a way to toughen and direct each part of the body, so that every hand and foot technique has amazing command and quickness.
Besides, Taekwondo also involves some other activities like poomsae, sparring, breaking, self-defense techniques etc. Another characteristic of Korean martial art practice is its insistence on testing the power of technique against brick and tile. Hence, Taekwondo is one of the most systematic and Scientific Korean traditional martial arts that teaches more than physical fighting skills.
It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life by improving health, fitness, weight-control, flexibility, balance, agility and poise .Anyone learning this art from a qualified instructor gains the peace of mind which all people seek.
The main international organizational bodies for taekwondo today are the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF), founded by General Choi Hong Hi in 1966, and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), founded in 1973 by the KTA. Gyeorugi, a type of full-contact sparring, has been an Olympic event since 1992. The body known for taekwondo in the Olympics is the World Taekwondo Federation.