Taekwondo is a korean martial art known for its emphasis on powerful high kicks ( 차기 chagi ), explosive hand techniques, and fast footwork ( 딛기 ditgi ) to overcome an adversary. It combines combat and self-defense ( 호신술 hosinsool ) techniques with sport and exercise in mind which is popular with people of both genders and of many ages. Physically, taekwondo develops strength, speed, balance, flexibility, and stamina.
One of the most systematic and scientific korean traditional martial arts, taekwondo teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind. An example of the union of mental and physical discipline is the breaking ( 격파 gyeokpa ) of wooden boards, bricks or tiles, which requires both physical mastery of the technique and the concentration to focus one's power.
In korean, tae (태) means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon (권) means "to strike or break with fist"; and do (도) means "way", "method", or "path". Thus, taekwondo may be loosely translated as "the way of the foot and the hand". The name taekwondo is also written as taekwon-do, tae kwon-do or tae kwon do by various organizations. Two of the most popular systems of taekwondo are named solely after their respective organizations: the World Taekwondo (WT) and the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF).
