More than 120 athletes will represent 23 countries at the inaugural World Taekwondo Virtual Championships in Singapore from November 16-17, serving as a showcase of the sport's innovation, diversity and inclusiveness.

Virtual Taekwondo was first showcased to the world at the Olympic Esports Week last year, and drew attention globally. Since then, over 10 major competitions have been held, that all leads up to this Virtual Championships.

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.

This evolution to the well-known martial art introduces a whole new dimension (literally) to the fray, adding a layer of unexplored depth for long-time practitioners to master.

Most significantly, the removal of any physical contact unshackles athletes from differing physical attributes - allowing for competition between genders and body weights/types previously impossible in traditional Taekwondo.

For a full breakdown of the key differences, you can read our deep dive here!

The Virtual Taekwondo World Championships

Hosted at the OCBC Arena, athletes will spar across a total of 5 different categories:

• Junior Mixed - 13yo to 15yo
• Young Adult Individual Male - 15yo to 35yo
• Young Adult Individual Female - 15yo to 35yo
• Young Adult Individual Mixed - 15yo to 35yo
• Adult Mixed - 36yo and above

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue hailed the development of the new discipline ahead of the World Taekwondo Virtual Championships. “World Taekwondo is extremely excited to stage the first World Taekwondo Virtual Championships, and delighted to see more than 120 athletes from all around the world taking part,” he said. “We have observed with great pride the rising popularity of Virtual Taekwondo in recent years, and the two days of competition will demonstrate the innovative and inclusive nature of the discipline. “Virtual Taekwondo is helping our sport to reach new and wider audiences, and we are grateful to the Singapore Taekwondo Federation for organising this event which will elevate it to the next level.”

How to Watch the Virtual Taekwondo World Championships?

Unfortunately, tickets for in-person attendance to the event has already been sold out. However, full coverage of the semi-finals and above matches for each of the five competition categories will be uploaded on World Taekwondo's YouTube channel! The WT Instagram will also feature behind the scenes content in the leadup to the competition days!

Virtual Taekwondo has already proven itself as a dazzling experience for spectators at Olympic Esports Week, and you can keep your eyes peeled to our Upcoming Events for more opportunities to catch the competitions live!

As with every sport, we're certain Taekwondo practitioners watching will feel the itch to take part in the action! If you're interested in trying Virtual Taekwondo for yourself and have yet to get the chance - check out our Distributor page to find one near you!

It's been an amazing year for Virtual Taekwondo so far, and the competitive circuit is just getting started. We're ready to crown our first champions!