Taekwondo Terminology

Practicing a martial art, also means being exposed to the terminology or language of the art. Taekwondo is not an exception, and since Taekwondo originated in Korea, must of the terminology derives from the Korean tongue.

Taekwondo terms should be used during classes as much as possible. Think of them as you train, and the more you use the terminology, the more you will learn. If you are having difficulty with a certain word, ask an instructor.

One thing that you may notice, especially if you have visited other sites or read Taekwondo literature, is the fact that many of the words used in these pages, have several ways of spelling them. For example: The word used to describe the “battle cry” or “KEUP”, can be found spelled as “KEHUP”, “KIUP”,”KIAP”, etc.

There are many theories on why this happened. Some of these words have “evolved” through out generations, and some have been “assimilated” into the language of the Taekwondo practitioners with many variants, contributing to these differences. Taekwondo is one of the most practiced martial arts in the world, so “mixed in the pot”, are many languages, accents, territories and traditions.

Because Taekwondo is constantly changing, its terminology also changes. Some terms may become obsolete and may be replaced.

Basic Terms