More than 30 million people practice Taekwondo worldwide. It's a mind-boggling number once you put it into perspective: 30 million is equivalent to one-fourth the population of Japan, one-and-a-half times the population of Texas, and even outnumbers the combined population of Lithuania, Tahiti, Guam, and all of the Hawaiian Islands. Why is Taekwondo such a hit? Correct: it's a "kick!" Taekwondo (also Tae Kwon Do and Taekwon-do), which breaks down into "kick" or "foot" (tae), "fist" or "strike" (kwon), and "way" (do), means "the art of kicking and punching." But it is technically most unique for its spectacular, high kicks. In this section you will learn why this Olympic sport, exercise, Korean martial art, and self-improvement method continues to draw so many students.