Taekwondo (also spelled tae kwon do, taekwon-do, or taegwondo) is a martial art originating in Korea. An amalgamation of Chinese, Japanese, and traditional Korean fighting styles, taekwondo has become the world's most commonly practiced martial art, and is the national sport of Korea.

In Korean, derived from hanja, tae means "to kick or destroy with the foot"; kwon means "fist"; and do means "way" or "art". Hence, taekwondo is loosely translated as "the art of hand and foot" or "the way of the foot and the fist". Taekwondo's popularity has resulted in the divergent evolution of the art. As with many other martial arts, taekwondo is a combination of combat technique, self-defense, sport, exercise, entertainment, and philosophy.

Although there are great doctrinal and technical differences among private taekwondo organizations, the art in general emphasizes kicks thrown from a mobile stance, using the leg's greater reach and power to disable the opponent from a distance. In sparring, turning (roundhouse), 45 degree, front, axe, and side kicks are most often used; advanced kicks include jump, spin, skip, and drop kicks, often in combination. Taekwondo training also includes a comprehensive system of hand strikes and blocks, but generally does not emphasize grappling.

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NYT > Sports

Red Sox 3, Angels 2: Red Sox Defeat Angels and Advance to Face Rays
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:37:57 -0000
Boston ousted Los Angeles in four games and will play the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League championship.
Rays 6, White Sox 2: A First For the Rays After Years In Last
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:52:20 -0000
The Tampa Bay Rays will play for a spot in the World Series after finishing off the Chicago White Sox.
Baseball Playoff Analysis: Reunited, on Opposite Sides
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:50:39 -0000
The Dodgers’ Manny Ramirez and the Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel — an unlikely pair dating back to their time together with the Cleveland Indians — both know how it feels to be underestimated.

L.A. Times - Sports

Red Sox send Angels home again
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Boston wins, 3-2, scoring winning run with two outs in ninth inning. Angels eliminated in division series by Red Sox for the third time in five seasons. BOSTON -- Jed Lowrie's two-out single to right field scored Jason Bay from second with the winning run Monday, sending the Boston Red Sox to a 3-2 victory and the American League Championship Series while sending the Angels home for the winter.
USC is No. 1 (and 16) by one computer
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:54:00 -0700
One of the Bowl Championship Series ratings operators does two sets of rankings; one includes margin of victory, the other doesn't. USC, which we vaguely recall losing a football game at unranked Oregon State not too long ago, is No. 1 this week in Jeff Sagarin's USA Today ratings.
Dodgers, Phillies back at it after 25 years
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:35:00 -0700
It was the era of the Dodgers' Tommy John, Dusty Baker, Steve Garvey and Bill Russell against such Phillies stars as Steve Carlton, Greg Luzinski, Gary Matthews and Mike Schmidt. The playoff series between the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies for the National League pennant comes 25 years after the teams last met in postseason play.

ESPN.com

Nelson: Lester at ease pitching in big games
Amy K. Nelson Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:24:43 -0700
Big games don't seem to bother Jon Lester, who heads to the mound Monday as the Red Sox try once more to close out the Angels in their best-of-five ALDS, writes Amy K. Nelson.
Burress back from suspension: 'I was fine with it'
ESPN.com news services Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:18:05 -0700
An unapologetic Plaxico Burress rejoined the New York Giants on Monday, noting he didn't lose any sleep after the Super Bowl champions suspended him for a game.
Eagles' Westbrook suffers broken ribs in return
ESPN.com news services Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:48:03 -0700
Brian Westbrook suffered two broken ribs in the Eagles' loss to the Redskins on Sunday.

AP Top-Sports Headlines At 11:44 p....

Red Sox beat Angels 3-2, move on to ALCS and Rays
By JIMMY GOLEN Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:52:45 -0000
BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox brushed aside the 100-win Angels in four games, dismissing their best-in-baseball regular season as last month's news....
Ray-markable! Rays head to AL championship series
By RICK GANO Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:32:44 -0000
CHICAGO (AP) -- They rushed toward the mound, these remarkable Rays, and immediately formed a circle. Jumping together like fraternity brothers, they resembled party regulars in the postseason....
Vikings lead Saints 20-10 at halftime
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:26:21 -0000
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Minnesota Vikings forced three turnovers and used two big plays by cornerback Antoine Winfield to take a 20-10 halftime lead over the New Orleans Saints on Monday night....

Reuters: Sports News

Upton blasts help Rays advance to ALCS
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:18:44 -0400
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Tampa Bay Rays roared into the American League Championship Series with a 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday, sealing their division series by a 3-1 margin with a win highlighted by two B.J. Upton homers.
Phillies beat Brewers to make NLCS
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:06:01 -0400
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Philadelphia Phillies won their first trip to the National League championship series in 15 years when they defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 in Game Four of their division series on Sunday.
Packers coach defends injured Rodgers
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:28:08 -0400
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy defended the injured Aaron Rodgers on Monday after the team suffered its third successive defeat.

SI.com

Upton regains his power stroke to lead Rays to ALCS
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:46:27 -0400
Every locker in the Tampa Bay Rays' home clubhouse at Tropicana Field has a nameplate above it that is engraved with the name and number of the locker's occupant. Every locker, that is, except one. Above center fielder B.J. Upton's locker, in the back corner of the clubhouse, is a strip of white athletic tape with these words written in black magic marker: "OCHO CINCO 85."
Lowell out of Red Sox's lineup with hip injury
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:10:25 -0400
Read full story for latest details.
Schilling might consider half-season comeback
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:13:25 -0400
Read full story for latest details.

Kansas City Star: Sports

Question of the week
Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:24:00 -0500
With league play under way in the Big 12 Conference, which quarterback will receive all-conference honors by the end of the season?
This could be Peterson's last stand with Chiefs
Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:10:00 -0500
For the first time in his career, Carl Peterson enters a season in which the prevailing wisdom at Arrowhead Stadium is this: How the team performs will determine whether he keeps his job.
Nothing doing for Chiefs in 34-0 loss to Panthers
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:07:00 -0500
Even Tony Gonzalez setting a record doesn't brighten a dismal day for the Chiefs, who fell to 1-4 for the season.

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