Taekwondo is commonly translated as "the art (Do) of foot (Tae) and fist (Kwon)." In the Korean language, "Do" refers to a philosophical approach to a way of life, a form of road to enlightenment. "Taekwondo" is thus an equivalent translation of the word "Korean martial arts." So basically, Taekwondo is the philosophy of martial arts coupled with physical training. It's not just about fighting - it's about self-defense and exercise too. The do element also means "way". So literally, Taekwondo is the way of foot and fist. Although this may seem obvious, it is important to understand that Korea has its own version of karate so they often change the definition of terms to fit their culture. For example, in Korean martial arts, kicking is considered vital so they call it "taekkyeon" instead of karate. Now you might be wondering what the purpose of doing is. Do is one of the four main principles in Taekwondo. It defines the goal of the sport and can be used as a command. When you tell your student to "do a back kick", for example, they will know exactly what action to take. Another use for do is when forming alliances or making requests.