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Taekwondo, also spelled Tae Kwon Do, is a Korean martial art with roots dating back some 2,000 years. It is known as Korea's national sport and is now an athletic event in the Olympics.

As a martial art, Taekwondo is characterized not only by its use of blocks, punches, and sweeps, but also by its emphasis on kicking. Taekwondo uses moves such as sidekicks, roundhouses, and skip kicks, sometimes in conjunction with spinning and jumping maneuvers.

The term Taekwondo is derived from three Korean words: Tae, meaning to kick or destroy using one's feet; Kwon, meaning to punch or strike with one's fists; and Do, which means a method, path, or way. Put together, the essence of Taekwondo can be taken to mean the "way of the hands and feet."

According to Taekwondo followers, the core philosophies of Taekwondo come from an ancient martial art form called Taek Kyon which goes back to 50 BC. Taek Kyon was thought to have been one of the martial arts practiced by the Hwa Rang Do, an elite team of young warrior-nobles who were instrumental in uniting the three kingdoms that once made up Korea: Koguryo, Paekje, and Silla. These kingdoms were unified under Silla around 660 CE. It is believed that the code of ethics which governed the Hwa Rang Do is the basis for Taekwondo's honor code today.