A basic translation of the word Taekwondo is read in reverse as "The way of the hand and foot."
The word taekwondo is made up of three words joined together.
'Tae' means to stomp or smash with the foot.
'Kwon' means to strike with the hand.
'Do' means way, the path, and the art. This is referring to taekwondo becoming a way of life in harmony with nature, and used in a moral and ethical manner. "Do" is an Asian philosophy that is based on the term "Tao" and described in the Tao Te Ching.
A more accurate meaning of the term as a whole is "The art of self defense using hands and feet. The full meaning of the name is much more in-depth and complex than a basic translation of the words.
In Korean, the term is íƒœê¶Œë„ .
The first syllable, Tae (태), is like saying the word "at" backwards. This is the part of the word that means to stomp or smash with the foot.
The second syllable, Kwon (권), means to strike with the hand or fist.
The third syllable, do (ë„) is pronounced like a female dear ("doe"). This word comes from the Chinese term "tao" and relates to the philosophy of the Tao Te Ching - - the art of appreciating life, the way of action that is in harmony with nature, and the path of right behavior.
In mathematics, the "whole is equal to the sum of its parts." However, if you define the term Taekwondo by breaking it down to its parts, then you miss the meaning of the whole picture when fully assembled. Instead, it is like the philosophical concept of "gestalt" where the "whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Therefore, the term Taekwondo should be understood as a concept, and interpreted as a compound word meaning "The way of training the mind, body, and spirit in harmony to produce the ideal response in any given situation." It is an art of self defense, but it is also an education of life, and a way of life for many.
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Tae is everything to do with the foot, kwon is everything to do with the hand, and do is the way of life. At my taekwondo school, we chant:
We learn Taekwondo
To develop spiritual strength
Strong Courage
To help the weak
And to be a wonderful person
at first I hated it, but now it's my favorite sport.
In taekwondo, the title of master is usually given at a specific rank. In the International Taekwondo Federation, the title of master is given to seventh-degree black belts. This rank represents approximately 25 years of studying taekwondo. The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) recognizes the black belts certified by the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarter in Seoul, South Korea). They confer the title of Master with the rank of four-degree black belt. this rank represents approximately 8 years of studying taekwondo.
The 태 ("Tae") of 태권도 ("Taekwondo") means to smash or stomp with the foot. It represents the aspect of Taekwondo where legs are used for kicking as a primary weapon of self defense. The Korean term for a kick as a noun is 차기 ("Chagi"), or as a verb 차다 ("Chada").
"Tae" means "foot," "leg," or "to step on"; "Kwon" means "fist," or "fight"; and "Do" means the "way" or "discipline."
Tae (in korean, i believe) means hand, kwon means foot, and do means sort of like an art or way of doing something. put it together and it means art of using your hands and feet.