MAIN Recreation Sports Tae Kwon Do

Taekwondo or Tae Kwon Do (literally, "kick-punch art") has a long history that dates back to 50 B.C. when its precursor, Taek Kyon, was first practiced in Korea. Japanese occupation of Korea outlawed practice of martial arts and caused the destruction of many books that documented the ancient forms. Today's versions may be more influenced by Chinese and Japanese practices than the historical Korean martial arts. The debate is ongoing and without texts to document the development of Korean martial arts, your point of view probably determines which historical background you choose to believe.

Today, Tae Kwon Do or "TDK" has become the most popular and most practiced of martial arts - as fun to watch as it is hard to master. There are two modern forms. One taught by the WTF and one by the ITF. Although there are many similarities between the two, there are also substantial differences. In 2000, Tae Kwon Do was officially recognized as an Olympic event in which the WTF's classic tenets of Tae Kwon Do are key elements in competition.

As its name implies, Tae Kwon Do mixes self defense with grace & beauty, and in practice is completely devoid of supernatural flying kicks or extreme aggression as depicted in Hollywood or Asian cinema!

Elsewhere on the Web, find out more about TDK including more information on its history, practical resources for beginners, professional competition schedules, suggested reading, and inspirational quotes for milliions of adherents worldwide who have come to think of Tae Kwon Do as more than just a sport ...

World Taekwondo Federation - WTF is an international governing body with information on the sport's history & philosophy, official rules & regulations, events & competitions calendar, related news, photo galleries, online bulletin board.

International TaeKwon-Do Association - ITF is also a worldwide clearinghouse for facts, advice, tips & information with in-depth articles on Tae Kwon Do theory, practice, tenets & philosophy, suggested videos and books in the online shop, related links.

Tae Kwon Do Network - One-stop browsing for a complete overview, historical facts & timeline, an extensive link list of Taekwondo federations & associations worldwide, suggested reading, online shop.

Taekwondo - Good, general overview of moves & kicks featured in the sport with related pictures plus rules of Olympic competition and a great link list to more information, from Wikipedia. [The complete history of this martial art is a point of contention and has led to a sometimes interesting unending dispute between editors at Wikipedia.]

International Taekwon-Do Foundation of New Zealand - Excellent resource for beginners & professionals featuring essays & informational articles, action shots & photo galleries, competition videos viewable online, conditioning advice with related training brochures in PDF format, sport history, overview & history, current news.

TaeKwonDo Times - Online magazine featuring informative articles, latest news, daily blog.

Taekwondo Junkie - US black belt competitor with information on basic sparring techniques, proper breathing exercises, rules of competition, safety tips, how to's for spotting an excellent instructor, inspirational quotes, pictures.

also see -> Judo | Ultimate Fighting

also see in Movie Stars -> Tony Jaa