Traditional Taekwondo vs Virtual Taekwondo – What's The Difference?

Regardless of whether you personally enjoy or practice Taekwondo, there is no doubt you’ve heard of the popular martial art. Indeed, despite the sport being relatively young - it has and continues to make waves around the world. But what if you took the essence of traditional Taekwondo and brought it into the digital age?

Enter Virtual Taekwondo – a tech-infused evolution of the traditional Taekwondo many know and love, challenging the way we think about experiencing the sport.

What is Virtual Taekwondo?

Co-developed by Refract Technologies and World Taekwondo, Virtual Taekwondo is a Virtual Reality (VR) game that brings the Taekwondo sparring experience into the digital realm. Players use their body as the controller, allowing them to wield the full range of their real-life Taekwondo skills and techniques. This is achieved through the proprietary AXIS system, a set of nodes that when strapped to the body, allow for precise full-body motion capture.

Virtual Taekwondo Landing Screen

Donning the AXIS along with a VR headset, players are transported to a virtual arena, where they spar across 3 rounds of 90 seconds each.

More than just the movement, the competitive depth of Taekwondo translates seamlessly as well. The virtual sport has already been featured in 2023’s inaugural Olympic Esports Week and has had many competitions across the world since.

While Virtual Taekwondo is undoubtedly carving an entirely new experience, the major question still remains: how does this iteration stack up against the time-honoured practice of traditional Taekwondo? Let’s dive into the key differences between the two!

Removing Limitations

In traditional Taekwondo, matches are segregated by multiple weight classes and gender, in the interest of fairness. While this system is necessary to ensure that competitions are fair, it also means that athletes are limited in who they can compete against.

On the flipside, Virtual Taekwondo completely shatters these physical barriers. Players compete on a level playing field, since factors such as strength and age no longer influence the outcome. Success is determined by your Taekwondo technique and strategy, not your physical attributes.

Natalie Tor vs Nigel Tan at OEW 2024 Grand Finals for Virtual Taekwondo

Virtual Taekwondo Competitive Match between Natalie Tor and Nigel Tan @ OEW 2024 (Credit: Olympics)

This shift offers a more inclusive experience on all fronts, especially for individuals who have not previously tried Taekwondo without having to worry about the traditional divisions that might have limited them before.

Going Contactless

Part of the apprehension for most when it comes to practicing any martial art is the fear of injury. While that risk will always exist in any semblance of active exercise, not having to worry about an opponent inflicting physical damage can be a huge upside to widening the appeal for Taekwondo.

For traditional Taekwondo practitioners, apart from the more commonly known Kyorugi category of competition (one-on-one sparring) the Poomsae (display of technical sequences) allows for them to showcase their techniques, without the need for sparring or contact with an opponent. While the basis of Poomsae is a battle against an imaginary opponent, having a live opponent actively reacting to counter your moves is an entirely different experience.

Two Taekwondo Athletes Sparring at Tokyo 2020

(Image Credit - World Taekwondo)

This is where Virtual Taekwondo bridges the gap – facilitating the mental and technical side of sparring in Taekwondo, without the potential physical wear and tear.

With that said, Virtual Taekwondo does have its own variation of contact in the form of a Stun Gauge. Dealing damage to your opponent, or blocking damage successfully fills the Stun Gauge of your opponent, which leaves them unable to act for 3 seconds once full.

Stun Gauge in Virtual Taekwondo

Getting Started

For traditional Taekwondo practitioners, training at a dojang once or twice a week is a common routine. Practitioners serious about furthering their skills are also encouraged to practice on their own at home as well.

For someone new to Taekwondo, this often involves identifying a dojang that suits your needs and enrolling in classes. Obtaining the right equipment – specifically a dobok is also a consideration.

As for Virtual Taekwondo - while it’s aimed at being able to support play from home on an individual basis down the line, the experience presently is run by participating dojangs or distributors.

To get involved, reach out to a distributor here to find out more! If you're already a few toes into Virtual Taekwondo and have access to a participating dojang, you can check out upcoming events to join!

Virtual or Traditional - Which Is Better?

All in all, it’s not possible to make an objective evaluation on whether Virtual or Traditional Taekwondo is better because both represent starkly different ways of enjoying the same core experience.

With that said, the virtual iteration is undoubtedly an evolution, allowing participants to break free from all previous constraints imposed by its traditional counterpart. At least for us at Virtual TKD, we’re convinced that it’ll be the next major step forward for sports.