Tae Kwon Do refers to a Korean fighting system which uses the hands and feet to deliver high energy impact techniques to the opponent. These techniques take the form of punches, strikes, kicks and blocks. Tae Kwon Do is rightly called a ‘martial art’ because it actually has been employed by the Korean military, to show their soldiers how to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat and has been proven effective. Tae Kwon Do is also an exciting combat sport in which skills are tested in a rigorously controlled competition. Contestants wear safety padding on fists and feet, and impacts are ‘pulled’ to avoid injury. One form of Tae Kwon Do has now been accepted into the Olympic Games. Tae Kwon Do is a healthy, fitness-promoting activity for persons of all ages, encouraging through its regular practice both self-respect and self-discipline.
