The Chinese term "跆拳道" (táiquándào) is a direct phonetic and semantic loan from the Korean "태권도" (taekwondo), but its formation cleverly uses existing Chinese characters to convey the art's essence: "跆" (tái) suggests kicking or trampling with the foot, "拳" (quán) means fist or boxing, and "道" (dào) translates as "the way" or "path," indicating a philosophical discipline. Thus, the compound word literally and conceptually means "the way of the foot and fist," accurately describing this Korean martial art focused on kicking and punching techniques within a codified system of training and ethics.