« Taekwondo is constantly evolving to keep up with the times. » World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue, re-elected in OctoberHe knows that his sport needs to modernize. To achieve this, he is counting in particular on the Virtual taekwondo, which is practiced with a virtual reality headset and sensors in the hands and legs to replicate the movements. It's a sport, therefore, but without the risk of getting hit. Chungwon Choue assures us: « The future is now ", and World Taekwondo wants to explore the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence and digital tools.
A playful side
Virtual taekwondo is gaining ground. World Taekwondo certified 67 match operators last year in Rome (June), Muju (July), and Singapore (December) to support " this rapidly expanding discipline These operators play a vital role in to guarantee safe and standardized competitions, thus allowing VTKD to develop on all continents WT points out on its site.
« Taekwondo's popularity with the general public has continued to grow. The Virtual Taekwondo Japan (VTJ) series has generated strong participation in schools and universities throughout the year, while high-level demonstrations in France presented VTKD as "the martial art of tomorrow" at the VivaTech 2025 trade show. " lists World Taekwondo.
« Virtual taekwondo has a very playful aspect, which allows it to reach a new audience. It's the only combat sport that has a digital version., confirms Karim Bellahcene, president of the Montpellier club 3MTKD, who participated in this event, to Midi LibreI think that beyond the discipline itself, virtual taekwondo can become a training tool. »
"A model of evolution for traditional sport"
The VTKD has sparked " a keen interest "during its presentation at the Empower Esports Worldwide Series in Shenzhen and at the 80th General Assembly of the International Military Sports Council (CISM). So much so that virtual taekwondo could be featured as a demonstration sport at the 2027 Military World Games. At the MVEX 2025 Metaverse Expo in Seoul, virtual taekwondo was also mentioned" as an example of how the integrity of traditional sport can be combined with the experiences offered by the metaverse, thus reinforcing WT's role at the forefront of the evolution of digital sport The federation also notes significant progress in the field of virtual para-taekwondo A dedicated testing day was organized in Milan and The participants reacted with enthusiasm ».
World Taekwondo emphasizes that VTKD represents a significant evolutionary model for traditional sport. The future looks bright for VTKD, which is poised to take a decisive step: increasing recognition from the IOC, integration into multi-sport events such as the Southeast Asian Games and the International School Sport Federation's Gymnasiade, and global adoption driven by the commitment of VTKD match operators. Their leadership has enabled VTKD to evolve from a concept to an international movement. "The World Taekwondo Council will meet in February, at Fujairah (United Arab Emirates), to discuss the strategic priorities of the new cycle. No doubt VTKD will be part of it.
