United News of Bangladesh

Virtual taekwondo is rapidly gaining popularity across Southeast Asia as it prepares to make its debut at this year's Asian Games in Japan, attracting athletes with its mix of martial arts and virtual reality technology. Vietnamese athlete Nguyen Thanh Hien Linh remembers feeling completely lost when she entered her first virtual taekwondo competition in Singapore in 2024. "I was just kicking into the air," said the 21-year-old, who is an elite national taekwondo champion. Despite her experience in traditional taekwondo, she had little understanding of the virtual format, its strategies or the technology involved. Two years later, Nguyen claimed a gold medal at a virtual taekwondo competition in Malaysia, reflecting the sport's rapid growth in the region. Initially seen as an experimental format, virtual taekwondo has developed into an organized competitive discipline. It was jointly created by World Taekwondo and Singapore-based technology company Refract Technologies, combining virtual reality with traditional taekwondo techniques to attract younger, tech-savvy athletes. Competitors wear VR headsets that place them inside a three-dimensional digital arena, along with motion-tracking sensors attached to their spine, thighs and shins. Using their body movements, they control digital avatars in non-contact matches, where fast and accurately timed kicks reduce an opponent's virtual health bar. Unlike traditional taekwondo, where athletes compete based on age, weight and gender, virtual taekwondo allows everyone to compete together in the same digital arena. The sport was first showcased during Singapore's Olympic Esports Week in 2023 and hosted its inaugural World Championships there in 2024. Besides its Asian Games debut this year, it is also expected to feature in the 2027 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia. Athletes and coaches say the new discipline offers the physical demands of martial arts without the risk of direct contact injuries. Singapore national athlete Brian Peh, 46, said he had never been interested in gaming before joining the 2024 championship with his son out of curiosity. Both won gold medals and have since taken part in several local and regional competitions. Peh now teaches virtual taekwondo at his dojang, or training hall. "I always tell parents: your kids love games. Do you want them using their hands to play, or using their legs?" he said. "When they put on the headset and start to fight, their energy is so high. They keep playing because they enjoy it." Cambodian coach Vandy Yiv said the sport is attracting increasing interest from children and parents because there is little risk of injury. He noted that a local tournament earlier this year drew more participants in virtual taekwondo than in traditional events. Many people initially assumed it was simply a video game but soon discovered it requires intense physical effort. "Your whole body is moving. There is action, but no injury," Vandy said, adding that he hopes virtual taekwondo will eventually become an Olympic medal event. Some competitors said they experienced dizziness when they first used VR headsets, but most adapted quickly. Teenagers, in particular, have embraced the game-like format. Matches are fast-paced, with one-minute rounds that require constant attacking pressure. Nguyen said success depends on much more than simply throwing kicks. "You have to guess first where your opponent is and move" before they do, she said. Coaches say athletes still need strong physical conditioning despite competing in a virtual environment. Techniques such as front kicks, turning kicks and spinning kicks remain essential, but speed and timing are more important than the force of impact. Malaysian coach Henry Lee said training focuses first on stamina, muscle endurance and flexibility before moving to techniques and tactics. "Strength is about how fast your leg can lift and strike. Speed becomes your power," he said. Lee, who is also an elite national taekwondo athlete, looks for competitors with strong physical ability as well as good "game sense," meaning the ability to judge movement and make quick decisions inside the virtual arena. His 12-year-old student, Victoria Siow, said one of the biggest challenges is judging distance in an environment she cannot physically see. "You have to work on your mind — when to kick, how far to move," she said. "It feels like a game and like a dream at the same time." Raja Mardiah Idris, 45, who trains at the same club, said virtual taekwondo has given older athletes and women more opportunities to compete safely and equally. She also believes it offers children a healthier alternative to spending time on digital devices. "When you wear the VR, everybody is the same," said Raja, a member of a state royal family. "You win through your technique, your strategy and your fitness." She plans to retire from full-contact kyorugi sparring and concentrate on virtual taekwondo, hoping to represent Malaysia at next year's Southeast Asian Games. Malaysia's national virtual taekwondo coach Tony Lee said the sport is still at an early stage. Although VR equipment remains expensive and not widely available, he believes rising demand will encourage more clubs to invest. Malaysia has already introduced national training programmes and coaching certification courses for the discipline. "Virtual taekwondo is our future because young people like gaming," he said.