This makes it different from other martial arts such as karate or certain forms of southern kung-fu. Kicking is important because the leg is the most powerful and longest body part that the martial artist can use as a weapon. Therefore, a fighter who kicks well can hurt his opponent without hurting himself. One of the most important exercises is the act of doing poomse (katas in terminology of kar
ate). The poomses are the arranged groups of movements of defense and of attack. They simulate a combat against diverse adversaries, and they are related directly to the different degrees of belts. They are done with the purpose to improve the equilibrium, the elasticity, the rapidity and the control of the different movements. Taekwondo as a sport and as a form of exercise is popular among people of both sexes and many ages. Taekwondo develops force, speed, balance, flexibility, and stamina. It also involves mental focus. Breaking boards, for example, demonstrates a union of mental and physical discipline. Breaking a board with one's hand or foot requires both the physical mastery of the technique and a concentrated focus on one's force. Even though some things in Tae Kwon Do have changed over the years, respect is not one of those things. Respect is the biggest part of Tae Kwon Do. Without respect Tae Kwon Do would not be the huge art it is today. Some of the things that have changed are the belts. The original colors are still the same, but every time you test you either receive a new belt or receive a stripe to place on you current belt. Legend has it that long ago there was just one belt.[2] There still were colors though: white, the color the belt was originally; yellow, the color achieved thorough sweat soaking into the belt; green, a color that came though practicing outside and falling; blue, the color of the sky; red, the color of blood; and black, the color of all the dirt mixing with everything else on the belt.
