TAEKWONDO

From the Korean words "tae" means to strike or break with foot, "kwon" means to strike or break with fists, and "do" means method, way, or art. Taekwondo may literally mean the art of kicking and punching. Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea.

It combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, meditation, and philosophy. It became an Olympic event since 2000.

There are two (2) branches of Taekwondo development:

• "Traditional taekwondo" typically refers to the martial art as it was established in the 1950s and 1960s in the South Korean military;in particular, the names and symbolism of the traditional patterns often refer to elements of Korean history.
• "Sport taekwondo" has evolved in the decades since then and has a somewhat different focus, especially in terms of its emphasis on speed and competition (as in Olympic sparring). Sport taekwondo is in turn subdivided into two main styles; One derives from Kukkiwon, the source of the sparring system sihap gyeorugi which is now an event at the summer Olympic Games and which is governed by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). The other comes from the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF).

In taekwondo, Korean language commands are often used. Korean numerals may be used as prompts or commands. Often, students count in Korean during their class, and during tests they are usually asked what certain Korean words (used in class) mean. These words are fairly common amongst taekwondo schools, but pronunciation can vary greatly.

Romanization	Hangeul	Meaning
Cha-ryeot	차렷	Attention
Gyeong-nye	경례	Bow
Pa-ro	바로	Return
Shwi-eo	쉬어	At ease (relax)
Hyu-shik	휴식	rest period
Ki-hap	기합	Yell (shout)
Jun-bi	준비	Ready
Shi-jak	시작	Begin (start)
Gal-lyeo	갈려	Break (separate)
Gye-sok	계속	Continue
Geu-man	그만	Finish (stop)
Dwiro-dora	뒤로 돌아	Turn 180 degrees
Hae-san	해산	Dismiss