The history of Taekwondo, a self-defense art using hands and feet, goes back 2300 years. Legend says it started with observing and mimicking the movements of wild animals found in the Korean wilderness. Practiced by temple monks in Korea (Taekwondo), China (Kung-Fu), and Japan (Karate), with each country having its own cultural background and therefore its own distinct movements, Taekwondo evolved into a sport and an art form. Today, Taekwondo has spread worldwide and has made appearances at the Olympics in 1988, 1992, and 1996. And, it alone has been accepted as an official Olympic sport in the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, in 2000.