• Tae: “To strike or break with foot”• Kwon: “To strike or break with hand”• Do: “Art”• Korean martial art and the national sport of

South Korea.• The ITF was founded in 1966 by Choi Hong Hi.

• Taekwondo is the world's most popular martial art in terms of the number of practitioners

• Taekwondo is also used by the South Korean military as part of its training

• Physically, taekwondo develops strength, speed, balance, flexibility, and stamina.

• A taekwondo student typically wears a uniform (dobok 도복 ) with a belt (tti 띠 ).

Ranks, belts, and promotion

• To advance from one rank to the next, students typically complete promotion tests in which they demonstrate their proficiency in the various aspects of the art before a panel of judges or their teacher

• The ITF, instructors holding 1st to 3rd dan are called Boosaonim (Assistant Instructor), those holding 4th to 6th dan are called Sabum (Instructor), those holding 7th to 8th dan are called Sahyun (Master), and those holding 9th dan are called Saseong (Grand Master).

Philosophy

• The tenets of the ITF is said to be summed up by the last two phrases in the ITF Student Oath: "I shall be a champion of justice and freedom" and "I shall build a better and peaceful world”.

International Taekwon-Do Federationsparring equipment

Rules

• The International Taekwon-Do Federation's sparring rules, hand attacks to the head are allowed; kicks to the body give two points and kicks to the head give three points; the competition area is 9 meters square. At the end 2 rounds of two minute each the competitor with more scoring techniques wins.

Korean commands

• Charyeot = Attention• Baro = Return or Stop• Junbi = Ready• Sijak = Begin (start)• Gyesok = Continue• Dwiro dora = Turn around (about turn)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDyZSg2E1T4&playnext_from=TL&videos=oyY5Byr9Zvw

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd1e8-NUGtk&playnext_from=TL&videos=oyY5Byr9Zvw

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8048hXhXKs4&playnext_from=TL&videos=oyY5Byr9Zvw

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxZq5QvVi2I&playnext_from=TL&videos=oyY5Byr9Zvw

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXHTk1xa0ko&feature=related