Taekwondo – which translates as 'the ways of hands and feet' – consists of a number of ancient martial arts unified into one sport. It came to the fore in the 1950s when Korean martial arts leaders decided it should be promoted internationally – although the first world championships were not held until 1973. Since then, the popularity of taekwondo has been on a rapid increase and the sport has been confirmed for the Olympic Games programme to be held in London in 2012.