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THE HISTORY OF TAE KWON-DO

Tae Kwon Do is a two thousand year old martial art form that originated in Korea. It is based on the premise that every person has the instinct to defend himself or herself against a sudden attack. As a result of this basic instinct, the origins of Tae Kwon Do date back to the earliest days of humanity on earth.

Evidence of Tae Kwon Do's past can be found in oral history and artifacts from Korea's three early kingdoms. These three kingdoms were called Kokooryo, Baekjae and Silla.

Tae Kwon Do is a modern martial art, characterized by it's fast,
high and spinning kicks. There are multiple interpretations
of the name 'Tae Kwon Do'. It is often translated as
'the way of hand and foot' or 'the way of kicking and punching'.
It is literally translated as:

Tae = 'To strike or block with the foot' or 'to kick', it also means 'jump'

Kwon = 'Fist', 'to strike or block with hand'

Do = 'The way of' or 'art'.

Put this together and Tae Kwon Do means: "The art of Kicking and Punching"
or "The art of unarmed combat".

The sport was founded in Korea and is one of the most popular and widely practiced modern martial arts in the world. Tae Kwon Do is also recognized as an Olympic sport.

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