“Although TaeKwon-Do is viewed as a sport by some, to my way of thinking it falls into the category of art. Its main attraction is not the competition but the emphasis on the development of personal character traits such as courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. Students, particularly children, gravitate toward the growing feeling of personal power that can’t be seen but comes from within and affects all areas of their lives, especially social interactions.”

As with many other arts, TaeKwon-Do combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, meditation and philosophy. It is now one of only two Asian martial arts that are included in the Olympic Games; it became a demonstration event starting with the 1988 games in Seoul, and became an official medal event starting with the 2000 games in Sydney.