Tae Kwon Do Information

Taekwondo (also, Tae Kwon Do, Taekwon-Do, or Tae Kwon-Do) is a martial art and combat sport originating in Korea. Taekwondo is the national sport of South Korea and sparring, kyeorugi, is an Olympic sporting event.

In Korean, derived from hanja, tae means to destroy with the feet; kwon means to strike or smash with the hand; and do means "path", "way" or "method". Hence, taekwondo is loosely translated as "the way of the feet and fist". Taekwondo's popularity has resulted in the divergent evolution of the martial art. As with many other martial arts, taekwondo is a combination of combat technique, self-defense, sport, exercise, entertainment, and philosophy.

• Front Kick (ap chagi): This is a very linear kick. The practitioner raises the knee to the waist, pulls the toes back and quickly extends the foot at the target. It is also known as the snap kick. The front kick is one of the first kicks learned in TKD; if mastered it can become one of the most powerful.
  
• Side Kick (yeop chagi): A very powerful kick, first the practitioner simultaneously raises the knee and rotates the body 90 degrees, and then quickly extends the leg, striking with the heel or the side of the foot.
  
• Roundhouse Kick or Turning Kick (dollyeo chagi): The practitioner raises the knee, turns the hips, pivots on the non-kicking foot, and snaps the kick horizontally into the target at a 90-degree angle, either with the instep or with the ball of the foot (in the latter case, with the toes pulled back out of the way as in a front kick).
  
• Back Kick (dwi chagi): Here the practitioner turns the body away from the target and pushes the back leg straight toward the target, hitting it with the heel while watching over the shoulder. The turning motion helps to give this kick a lot of power.
• Reverse Side Kick (bandae yeop chagi): Similar to the back kick, here the body turns further, allowing the heel to hit the target with the foot pointing to the side as in a regular side kick, instead of more downward as in a true back kick.
  
• Hook Kick (huryeo chagi): A less popular kick traditionally, it has found increasing favor in modern competitions. The practitioner raises the knee in a fashion similar to the roundhouse kick, then extends the foot outward then snaps it around in a dorsal arc, with the heel as the intended striking weapon.
  
• Axe Kick (naeryeo chagi): Another kick that has increased in popularity due to sparring competitions. The leg is raised in front of the body. The leg remains straight or close to straight as it rises, then the leg is pulled down with the heel pointed downward. It is typically targeted toward the head or shoulders and requires significant flexibility to employ effectively.
  
• Crescent Kick (bandal chagi): There are two variations of this kick: the outer crescent and the inner crescent. In the outer, the practitioner raises the extended leg as high as possible, and slightly up across the body, (a bit across the centerline of the body), then sweeping outward to the side, in a circular movement. In the inner, the motions are the same but the direction of the kick changes, this time originating from the outside of the body, heading towards the inside, or centerline of the body. These kicks are also called "Inside Kick" and "Outside Kick" at some taekwondo schools, and "Inside-Outside" and "Outside-Inside" at others.
  
• Spin Kicks (bandae dollyeo chagi): There are several spinning kicks that involve the rotation of the entire body and head before the kick is released. Spinning kicks include the back pivot kick (dweel chagi), spinning hook kick (dweel huryeo chagi), spinning axe kick, returning kick, 360 turning kick, and a number of other kicks of varying popularity.
• Jump Kicks (ttwieo chagi): There are also many kicks that involve jumping before their execution. These include jumping front kick (ee dan ap chagi), jumping side kick (idan yeop chagi), flying side kick, jumping axe kick, jumping roundhouse (ee dan dollyeo chagi), jumping spinning hook kick, jumping spinning roundhouse kick, butterfly kick or "shuffle jump kick," jumping (or counter) back kick, and jump spinning side kick. Normally, jumping kicks involve pulling up the back leg to help gain height during the jump and then performing the kick itself with the front leg.
  
• Advanced Kicks : There is a variety of kicks that can be used in combination or stem out from a simple kick to create more difficult ones. Some of these include 540 Kick (One spins 1 1/2 times in mid-air and does a kick, usually a back spinning hook kick) and Triple Aero Kicks (One does round house kick, back spinning hook kick, and another round house kick in mid-air). More of these Advanced Kicks can be seen here
  
• Fast Kicks: Also, many kicks can be employed using a fast kick style. The practitioner shuffles the back leg forward to the front leg, and the front leg comes up and kicks closer to the enemy than the practitioner had been before execution. This can be used with side kick, roundhouse kick, front kick, hook kick, and axe kick. They are called Fast "insert kick name".