"Taekwondo is a Korean martial art, characterized by punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques. The literal translation for tae kwon do is ""kicking,"" ""punching,"" and ""the art or way of."" It is a martial art that attacks or defends with hands and feet anytime, anywhere without any weapons.

It is a combat sport and was developed during the 1940s and 1950s by Korean martial artists with experience in martial arts such as karate, Chinese martial arts, and indigenous Korean martial arts traditions such as Taekkyon, Subak, and Gwonbeop. The main international organisational bodies for Taekwondo today are the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF)."