Taekwondo is a Korean martial art with a long and fascinating history. Translated from Korean "Tae" means kick or strike with the foot, "Kwon" means punch or strike with the hand, and "Do" means way of life. Taekwondo uses uniquely powerful kicking techniques, which set Taekwondo apart from other martial arts. It is also directed toward the moral development of its students.
The earliest records of Taekwondo were recorded at about 50 B.C. in what is now Korea. In ancient times it was used by secret military forces and was called Tae Kyon, Soobok and Tang Soo Do. Archeologists found pictures of people practicing taekwondo stances, blocks and punches on the ceiling of an ancient royal tomb in Korea called the Muyong-Chong.
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In ancient times, Korea was divided into three Kingdoms: Silla, Goguryo and Baekche. Taekwondo first began in the Goguryo kingdom, but was spread by members of a royal family (later called the "Hwarang") who lived in the Silla kingdom. Hwarang means "the way of spreading manhood". It was hard for people to practice Tae Kwon Do as the pirates were always attacking the country. King Gwanggaeto from the Goguryo Kingdom felt bad for the Silla people and sent about 50,000 soldiers who drove away all the pirates.
Tae Kyon was taught in conjunction with the Five Codes of Human Conduct. These codes are reflected in the 11 Commandments of modern Taekwondo. A student needs to learn and understand these commandments in order to master Taekwondo.
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On May 28, 1973, the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF) was formed to unify the art. The WTF hosted the first bi-annual World Tae Kwon Do Championships held in Seoul. In 1980, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized and admitted the WTF. In the year 2000, Taekwondo became a full medal sporting event in the Olympics held in Sydney, Australia. Today, taekwondo is practiced in over 120 countries with over 20 million practitioners and is the most practiced martial art style in the world.
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