Tae Kwon Do was developed in Korea.  The Korean word Tae Kwon Do means "art of kicking and punching." The name Tae Kwon Do was officially adopted for this martial art in 1959 after that name had been submitted by the South Korean general Choi Hong Hi, the principal founder of Tae Kwon Do.

Tae Kwon Do teaches the student how to use extensive high standing and jump kicks as well as punches to control an attacker.  Training in Tae Kwon Do is carried out by learning individual techniques of kicking, punching, and blocking.  Students also practice basic sparring combinations.   In sparring, blows are stopped just short of contact. Tae Kwon Do is practiced as a sport by awarding points to correctly executed techniques during free sparring.