Taekwondo is a martial art, originating in Korea in the 1940s. The sport is practiced between two competitors using a series of kicks and punches to knock the opponent out of the fighting circle. It is one of the most popular martial arts sports, due to its large number of participants worldwide. However, even with the large number of people practicing the sport, taekwondo did not become an Olympic sport until 2000 at the Sydney Olympic Games. The Dominican Taekwondo National Team is among the strongest disciplines in the country, with medals won by Gabriel Mercedes in Beijing 2008, and by Luisito Pie in Rio 2016, an athlete who leads the federation towards Tokyo 2020.