As a Korean sport, taekwondo has gotten very popular over the years and has expanded to different countries from its origin in Korea.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art that emphasizes jumping and spinning kicks, head-height kicks and fast kicking techniques. It was developed during the 1940’s and 1950’s by incorporating parts of karate and Chinese martial arts.  It started in South Korea and has quickly spread to the rest of the world.

 Sophomore Brian Phan takes taekwondo classes and loves the sport.

“It’s a great experience; you get the experience of being able to take someone down using moves you learned in class. I would recommend it to anybody who wants to learn “karate” or just be a part of a group because we all bond together,” Phan said.

Sophomore Elizabeth Bechtle is aware of what the sport is, but has only seen it in movies.

“I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never actually met anyone who can do it. I’ve seen it in movies and such but it seems pretty interesting,” Bechtle said.

Although taekwondo is an Olympic sport, it remains relatively unknown to many. Some are confused about what it is or just don’t know it exists.

 “I didn’t actually think it was a real sport. I thought it’s something people do in gyms like L.A Fitness, but I think it’s a cool thing to learn because you get to learn how to defend yourself,” sophomore Josiah Shin said.