Taekwondo is a Korean martial art which, loosely translated into English, means "the way of the foot and fist". In terms of popularity Taekwondo has the largest number of practitioners of any martial art in the world. It is the national sport of South Korea and has been an Olympic sport since 1988. Although there are various styles of Taekwondo taught throughout the world, the art is generally characterized by an emphasis on powerful kicking techniques utilizing the greater reach of the leg over the arm.

Despite any ideological differences in style between schools, a Taekwondo student should expect to receive instruction in several general areas. One area will be forms (poomse in Korean) demonstrating basic blocking, kicking and striking motions in predetermined patterns. A student should also learn practical self-defense by being able utilize blocking, striking, and in some cases grappling to defend oneself against personal attack. Most schools will also incorporate an element of sport sparring (gyeorugi in Korean) into the curriculum. At the Greensboro Black Belt Academy we follow the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation) rules for sparring which are the same seen in the Olympic games.