Tae kwon do Tae kwon do , also known as Foot and Fist , was a martial art developed in the land of Koryo in Kara - Tur . Reputation . This martial art was widely practiced in Koryo in the 14th century DR . Indeed , all men and boys in this battle - ready society were trained in some form of tae kwon do to some degree . It was considered an honorable martial art , that is , unlike dishonorable ninja techniques . Training . There were ten " " in Koryo that taught honorable martial arts such as tae kwon do . One of the most prestigious was the Do Jang of Won Kwang in Pyong Do . Here , students spent their afternoons being instructed and supervised in tae kwon do and weapons use by school masters . At this time , students underwent testing to achieve new grades . As was common for practitioners of tae kwon do , students of the " do jang " wore training uniforms , or " " , consisting of white pants and a short white robe , tied with a belt whose color and tips denoted their grade , or " " . Beginners , known as neophytes , started at 10th " gup " and achieved lower " gup " s with higher grades , denoted as follows : These colors each bore special significance . White represented innocence . Yellow represented the earth , in which the seeds of tae kwon do were planted ; this plant sprouted and took root here . Green represented the plant growing and unfurling ; new skills were acquired like leaves were grown . Blue represented the sky and Heaven ; as the plant matured with training , it reached to the sky and heavens . Red warned of danger to would - be foes , and indicated agility , balance , and knowledge of all combat techniques taught in the " do jang " . At this point , the student was expected to train only to perfect their physical and spiritual nature . After this point , a student achieved the rank of master and a black belt . Black represented an imperviousness to darkness and fear , and indicated maturity and proficiency . As they advanced , black belts could special techniques and maneuvers . However , as none could be truly perfect , there were different degrees of black belt , or " " , ascending through 1st " dan " , 2nd " dan " , and so on . Each " do jang " marked these degrees in different and even secret ways . Description . As its name suggested , Foot and Fist focused on kicking and punching , though its primary means of attack was the foot . It was considered a " hard " form , with a number of hard techniques , but also a few " soft " techniques . It was an offensive style , inflicting more injury with less personal protection than other martial arts , and with few attacks . There were various styles and forms of tae kwon do . Techniques . The martial art comprised a number of kicking , blocking , and punching techniques . It focused on skills in leaping and tumbling , cultivating strength , and attacking with power . There were a number of hard and soft special maneuvers a practitioner could learn , as follows . The Circle Kick ( hard ) was a potent and flashy spinning kick . The practitioner span in a full circle , increasing force and momentum , before kicking the body or head from the side . However , failure left them unbalanced . The Roundabout Kick was very similar , but was made as a quick follow - up after already dealing a serious impact . The Flying Kick ( hard ) was the most remarkable kick , allowing a practitioner to leap into combat . With a run - up of at least 5 feet ( 1 . 5 meters ) , the practitioner jumped high and through the air , delivering an overwhelming kick to the head ( assuming a foe of comparable height ) . However , if they failed , they fell to the ground . The Backward Kicks ( hard and soft ) allowed a practitioner to attack a foe behind them , either simply kicking directly backwards or even throwing a foot over and behind their own head , without turning around . It was unimpressive but very hard to master . The Iron Fist ( hard ) , also called Fists of Iron , was a technique for punching with additional force . In training , the practitioner performed a number of special exercises designed to toughen and strengthen their hands , until they were as hard as steel . Thereafter , they could make more damaging strikes , though they might be limited in how often they could do this . Great Throw ( soft ) was a throw that put a foe to the ground some distance away . The practitioner used leverage and an attacker ' s momentum to grab and hurl them some feet away , more if the attacker was charging , even in a chosen direction . The downed foe could be hurt by the impact . However , if the practitioner failed , the attacker could counter and knock them over in process . The Leap ( soft ) was a preternatural feat of jumping . The practitioner channeled their internal energy ( such as ki ) and with the power of their mind made their body very light , even as a light as a feather . They could then spring greater distances , whether up or forward , and much further if they had a running start . They could even perform flips in mid - air and turn themselves around . This ability could be used to leap over a foe and attack from a surprise direction . When one attained mastery of Foot and Fist , they possessed enormous expertise in jumping , tumbling , and ability to maintain their balance . Noted Practitioners . King Wanang Sun was a 3rd - " dan " black belt master of tae kwon do . He exercised in it every morning to demonstrate his readiness to the people . In Kozakura , the wu jen Ito Toshiro and his apprentice Bando Typhoo knew both tae kwon do and karate . In Wa , the itinerant monk Nan - kuo practiced tae kwon do . The pilgrim monk Yaemon was also proficient in tae kwon do . Members of the Kata ninja clan were all highly trained in tae kwon do , including their leader Asahi . In Shou Lung , the talented martial artist kensei Loy Ho - dun mastered both tae kwon do and judo , and combined these into his personal style , Dragon Swarm .