For and against: Taekwondo

How many sports do you know that can genuinely help you fend for your life? Well, you may be able to run or jump higher, stronger and faster but there's no match for the street-fighting man. This has got to be the ultimate sport to win friends and lose enemies. Bring home an Olympic medal here and you can truly say you kicked the hell out of your opponent.

Sure, they wear pads but we're not talking Bruce Lee here. Just honest fighters, who've mastered the wicked art of kicking, chopping and maybe even the odd punch. With bare hands and feet no less. You've just got to respect that. Not to mention the sound effects. Though gold mightn't come easy, there's no loss of honour to lose to the Koreans. Just don't ask them for a drug test.

Okay, so these are the first Games to actually feature Taekwondo as a medal event but it's about time. There ain't many sports which can claim beginnings as far back as the Olympics themselves. And it may come as a surprise to learn that Taekwondo is practised in almost 200 countries. That's a lot more than some of the other fancy stuff they're throwing in these days. And does life not imitate art? One look at these guys (and gals, of course, see above) and you'll rarely feel more insecure.