Taekwondo (English pronunciation /ˌtaɪˌkwɒnˈdoʊ/ or (thai-KWAN-doh): also transcribed as Taekwon-Do or Tae Kwon Do) is a Korean martial art with a heavy emphasis on kicks. Taekwondo was developed during the 1940s and 1950s by various Korean martial artists, as a blend of the indigenous Korean fighting styles of taekkyeon, gwonbeop, and subak, with influence from foreign martial arts, such as Karate and Chinese martial arts.