RED TIGER MARTIAL ARTS
4581 ASHTON ROAD
SARASOTA, FL 34233
941.922.2530
What is Tae Kwon Do?
Tae Kwon Do (also known as Taekwondo) is the martial art of self defense that came from Korea. It is one of the oldest martial arts in the world (over 2,000 years old). The meaning of the name Tae Kwon Do is an appropriate description of the key elements of this martial art: Tae (foot), Kwon (hand), Do (art).
In the 1950's a group of Korean master instructors travelled to America to spread the art. In the following decades Tae Kwon Do grew in popularity both as a martial art and as an international sport.
In 1973 Korea hosted the first Tae Kwon Do World Championships and the World Tae Kwon Do Federation was established as the international governing body. Today the WTF has 120 separate countries as its members, which includes over 20 million tae kwon doists, making Tae Kwon Do the most practiced martial art in the world.
Tae Kwon Do was introduced as an Olympic demonstration sport in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. It later became a full medal sport at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Taekwondo is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts, that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind. Today, it has become a global sport that has gained an international reputation, and stands among the official games in the Olympics.