What is Taekwondo?


A Household Name

What is taekwondo? No one will ever need to ask that question now. Taekwondo has become so popular that it has become a household name in almost all the nations around the world. For some it has even become a way of life.

Apart from its ability to develop one’s physical prowess, Taekwondo also emphasizes on one’s mental and character development and therefore the total well being of the person. A well-trained taekwondo exponent is often found to be more self-confident than his counterpart. That is why taekwondo now has a large following which is estimated to be more than 60 million people in over 184 nations.

The Meaning of Taekwondo

When each syllable of the word ‘Taekwondo’ is taken separately,

TAE means to smash or destroy with the foot
KWON means to strike with the hands or fists
DO means the system or method.Hence, taekwondo means the art to subdue or immobilize an adversary by means of the skilful use of the hands and feet.

An International Martial Sport

Although taekwondo was developed as a martial art in the beginning, it has now become a popular international sport. Since its first acceptance as a demonstration sport in the 1988 Olympics held in Seoul, Korea, it has proven itself worthy to be considered as a world sport. In 1994, the International Olympic Committee accepted taekwondo as an official event for the recent 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
 
A Way of Life
 
A taekwondo exponent is expected not only to achieve his best in his fighting skills but also to strive for perfection in the other areas of his life as well.  Taekwondo transforms one’s character into a strong, resilient spirit so that one can develop leadership qualities to guide and lead in every walk of life. Leadership and a strong fighting spirit provide confidence in confronting any task or problems that arises so that one can maintain composure and feel secure, which will in turn build patience and modesty.
 
An Effective Self-defence System
 
Now, what exactly is taekwondo? Taekwondo is a form of martial arts developed through the centuries in Korea using bare hands and feet to repel an opponent. In fact, in taekwondo, almost every part of the body is used as a weapon to defend or beat off an aggressor. The more common ones being the fists, feet, knees and elbows. Even the forehead and fingers can be used as ‘hammers’ and ‘spearheads’ respectively.
 
Instill Confidence
 
It has been our belief that taekwondo trained men are often more self-confident, not only in the physical aspects but also in the mental discipline. Self-confidence makes people generous in their attitude toward weaker people. They can stand equally against any opponent, but their code forbids unfair assaults or unnecessary use of force. The practice of taekwondo gives an individual the mental attitude of modesty. The virtues of modesty and generosity are fundamentally based on self-confidence.  And this will be one’s reward after all the years of his hard training.