Tae Kwon Do is a Korean Martial Art and Combat Sport. Tae Kwon Do is the national sport of South Korea and is an Olympic sporting event. In Korean, Tae means feet or kicking; Kwon means hands or striking; and Do means art, path, way, or method. Hence, Tae Kwon Do is loosely translated as the way of the foot and fist.
As with many other martial arts, Tae Kwon Do is a combination of combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, and philosophy. Tae Kwon Do is famed for its use of kicking techniques, especially which distinguishes it from martial arts such as karate or southern styles of kung fu. The rationale is that the leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has, and kicks thus have the greatest potential to execute powerful strikes without successful retaliation.
Tae Kwon Do as a sport and exercise is popular with people of both sexes and of many ages. Physically, Tae Kwon Do develops strength, speed, balance, flexibility, and stamina. An example of the union of mental and physical discipline is the breaking of boards, which requires both physical mastery of the technique and the concentration to focus one's strength.