Gen. Choi Hong Hi, widely acknowledged as the founder of tae kwon do, a martial art that began in Korea. 

Taekwondo or Tae Kwon Do is a form of sporting martial arts that originated from Korea. ‘’Tae’’ means- hands, ‘’Kwon’ means- legs and ‘’Do’’ means the art. 

When put together it means the art of hands and legs. 

We have 2 world’s governing bodies:- 

1. ITF – International Taekwondo Federation 
2. WTF – World Taekwondo Federation 

WTF is more popular as it is recognized by the OLYMPICS. 

Taekwondo is useful as it has several benefits health-wise and in instilling values to the learner. 

Health benefits:- 

1. Controls body weight 
2. Promotes body balance 
3. Stamina and endurance 

Values:- 

1. Instils discipline 
2. Focus 
3. Dedication 

Taekwondo as a sport has rules to promote safety during training and competition to name just a few:- 

1. No punch to the head, back or under the waist is allowed 
2. A punch to the chest is 1 point 
3. Any front kick to the head gear is 3 points 
4. Any turning kick to the chest is 3 points 
5. Any front kick to the chest is 2 points 
6. Any turning kick to the head gear is 5 points 

Both competitors must be in full protective gear during sparring. 

Taekwondo is different from karate! Taekwondo originated from Korea while Karate originated from Japan. 

Taekwondo comprises of more kicks, while karate comprises of more punches. 

As a sport taekwondo is very safe as rules are in place to protect the learner, for example during competition protective gear must be worn by competitors, some strikes are not allowed on some parts of the body. 

The most common kicks in taekwondo are: 

1. Snap kick 
2. Roundhouse kick 
3. Push kick 
4. Axe kick 
5. Back kick