VIRTUAL LIFT FOR TAEKWONDO

Martial art hopes to boost grassroots participation with electronic format

- Kimberly Kwek

On the giant video screen, two fighters are locked in a fierce battle on an orb with an outer space-themed background.

This is not a scene from a video game, but the duo are actually virtual avatars mimicking the actions of the taekwondo exponents in front of the screen.

The combatants, decked out in their taekwondo dobok, or uniform, are wearing virtual reality headsets with motion-tracking nodes in their hands and on their shins, as they execute kicks and punches across the floor.

Welcome to the world of virtual taekwondo, a non-contact version with no weight classes.

Each match is contested in a best-of-three format, with each round lasting 60 seconds. The aim is to land hits to drain the opponent's power bar, akin to popular fighting video games.

The bout will end once a fighter depletes the power bar of his opponent or the one with the higher bar at the end of the three rounds wins, unlike the physical format where points are awarded by judges for legal hits.

The novel format appears to be gaining traction, as scoring moves during the bouts have elicited oohs and aahs from the over 600 spectators at the OCBC Arena, which is hosting the Nov 16-17 World Taekwondo Virtual Championships.