In ancient times, Koreans practiced Taekwondo as a mandatory preparation for war. With the passage of time, Taekwondo gradually became a folk sport. In 1971, it was designated as Korea's national sport.

The objective of each competitor is to score points by landing blows and kicks on their opponent's torso or head or to win by knockout. Blows must be delivered through a straight punching technique using the knuckle part of a tightly clenched fist.