What is taekwondo?
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and Olympic sport known for its fast, high and spinning kicks. Its name means the way of the foot and fist.
Taekwondo was developed in South Korea in the 1940s and 1950s, combining Korean martial traditions with influences from karate and Chinese martial arts. The name was officially adopted in 1955. Students train in forms called poomsae, sparring and breaking techniques, and progress through colored belts.
In Olympic taekwondo, competitors wear protective gear with electronic sensors that detect scoring kicks and punches to the body. Kicks to the head and spinning kicks score more points. Matches are played in rounds, and fighters must stay within a marked area.
An Olympic sport
Taekwondo was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and became an official medal sport at the 2000 Sydney Games. South Korea has won the most Olympic medals in the sport. World Taekwondo, based in Seoul, governs the Olympic version.
Did You Know?
Taekwondo is one of the most practiced martial arts in the world, with tens of millions of people training in more than 200 countries.