The different martial arts all originated in different countries thousands of years ago, as forms of self-defense. Karate comes from Japan and Kung Fu from China. TaeKwonDo is native to Korea. In terms of techniques, TaeKwonDo is known as the kicking art and emphasizes kicks more than other martial arts. it is ideal for improving balance, flexibility, coordination and endurance. Besides the physical benefits many people practice TaeKwonDo to improve self-confidence and to gain valuable discipline. In addition, TaeKwonDo is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and is the only of these martial arts that is a sport in the Olympic Games. Currently more people study the art of TaeKwonDo than all other forms of martial arts combined.