Taekwondo, also spelled tae kwon do or taekwon-do, is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving punching and kicking techniques. The literal translation for taekwondo is "kicking", "punching", and "the art or way of". It sometimes involves the use of weapons.
Sikaran is a Filipino Martial Art that involves hand and mostly foot fighting. As Sikaran is a general term for kicking which is also used as the name of the kicking aspects of other Filipino Martial arts, this article discusses the distinct art which is specifically practiced in the Rizal province that focuses almost exclusively in kicking.
Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art based on karate and may include fighting principles from taekkyeon, subak, as well as northern Chinese martial arts. From its beginnings in 1944 to today, Tang Soo Do is used by some Kwans to identify the traditional Korean fusion of martial arts styles. In the mid 1950s, Tang Soo Do became the basis for the martial art Taekwondo when the Korean Nine Kwans united.
Taekwondo was introduced to the Philippines through the efforts of Kim Bok Man and Young Man Park. Grand Master Kim Bok Man arrived in 1970 to continue Park's legacy of propagating Taekwondo upon the invitation of President Marcos. Kim continued to pioneer Taekwondo worldwide and left the Philippines in 1971. In 1975, Grand Master Hong Sung-chon came to the Philippines to promote Taekwondo, eventually establishing the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA). The current central headquarters of the PTA is at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. The PTA is a member of the Kukkiwon, World Taekwondo Federation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Asian Taekwondo Union.
The 1999 South Asian Games were held in Kathmandu, Nepal from 25 September to 4 October 1999. King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev declared the games open amidst a grand ceremony.
The event of Taekwondo competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing. It was held between August 20th and August 23rd at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium. The event consisted of various athletes, there were 128 Taekwondo practitioners, consisting of 64 men and 64 women. These athletes competed in 8 events, where for the first time ever, two bronze medals were awarded per event.
Ángel Valodia Matos Fuentes is a former Cuban taekwondo athlete. He received a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and added another at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.
India has a history of sports dating back thousands of years. Cricket is the most popular spectator sport; it generates the highest television viewership, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) being the most-followed league in the country. Football has also gained popularity, with the Indian Super League (ISL) being the highest level of domestic football, and the national team winning multiple gold medals at the Asian and South Asian Games. Additional football accomplishments include India having reached the semifinal of the 1960 Olympics, qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and won the SAFF Championship. Other sports include kabaddi, badminton, tennis, and athletics, with kho-kho becoming the fourth-most viewed sport. India has also had success in field hockey, winning the World Cup and multiple medals in the Olympic Games. Sports such as golf, rugby, boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, motorsport, wrestling, and basketball are featured throughout the country.
Mitchell Bobrow is a former martial arts fighter who was trained by Ki Whang Kim in the early 1960s. Bobrow was known for his continuous attacks using a unique combination of kicks, punches, and sweeps including his Trademark Jump Back Kick that scored on his opponents with either leg.
George Ashiru is a Nigerian Taekwondo grandmaster and sports leader, political leader, and an entrepreneur.
Prachi Tehlan is an Indian former netball and basketball player, and an actress. Prachi is the former captain of the India national netball team which represented India in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and in other major Asian Championships in 2010-11. Under her captaincy, the Indian team won its first medal in 2011 South Asian Beach Games. She has been given the title of “Queen of The Court” by The Times of India & “Lass of The Rings” by The Indian Express. She is the brand ambassador of Netball Development Trust India for 2011-2017.
Jimmy R. Jagtiani is the founder of the Taekwondo Federation of India.
Satriyo Rahadhani is an Indonesian taekwondo practitioner, who competed in the men's flyweight category. He claimed a silver medal in the 58-kg division, as a 17-year-old teen, at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, and became the first Indonesian male taekwondo fighter to mark an Olympic debut in the sport at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Macau, China participated at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, from 18 August to 2 September 2018. The territory have prepared more than 120 athletes to compete in 16 event at the Games. Macau announced its team of 110 athletes and 56 officials, medical staff, team leaders, coaches, that will take part in 16 competitions: swimming, diving, artistic swimming, athletics, badminton, bowling, boxing, canoeing, cycling, fencing, golf, judo, karate, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, and wushu.
East Timor participated at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, from 18 August to 2 September 2018. The country is planned to send 64 athletes who compete in 12 different sports.
Defia Rosmaniar is an Indonesian taekwondo practitioner. She won medals at several multi-sport events, including Asian Games, Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, SEA Games and Islamic Solidarity Games. She won Indonesia's first gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, held in Indonesia.
Puran Andrew Gurung is an Indian Taekwondo practitioner and coach. He is a 9th dan Taekwondo professional and is known for establishing Taekwondo in India. Gurung founded his first Taekwondo gymnasium at Kalimpong in 1974 and by 1982 had become the most popular Taekwondo instructor in India. He established a vast chain of academies across the nation, and for his efforts towards promoting Taekwondo in India he was acknowledged by the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was requested to train Indian National Congress' Seva Dal cadets. In 1983, Mrs. Gandhi asked him to join INC, which he readily accepted, where he is still serves as the General Secretary (Organiser) of the Seva Dal.
Samer Kamal is a Jordanian taekwondo practitioner, competing in the featherweight category.
Afreen Hyder is an Indian taekwondo practitioner from Srinagar, Kashmir, India. Hyder has been an All India Rank 1 holder and has previously been ranked among the top 100 female Taekwondo athletes in the world. As of December 30, 2023, she is ranked 200th in the senior division women's 62 kg World Kyorugi rankings. Hyder is the first female taekwondo athlete from Kashmir.
