Taekwondo (English pronunciation /ˌtaɪˌkwɒnˈdoʊ/ or /ˌteɪˌkwɒnˈdoʊ/; Korean 태권도 (hangul) / 跆拳道 (hanja) [tʰɛgwʌndo]), 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 combination of Shotokan karate and the indigenous traditions of taekkyeon, gwonbeop, and subak.