![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/d605c9ccaf746b878160ab5f7c28fffccb2e79cab72a178eccf527f16e8774e5.webp\")
<\/p>\nKUALA LUMPUR – At a university auditorium in Kuala Lumpur, taekwondo \u00adathletes Gan Jing Yuan and Asadullah Mohamed Azvi \u00adprepare for a kyorugi, or sparring showcase. <\/p>\n
Their coach and manager,Mr Tony Lee Chun Wah, reminds them to maintain \u00adproper distance.<\/p>\n
The pair will go through three one-minute rounds, aiming to land clean, \u00adscoring strikes on each other.<\/p>\n
Ms Gan, a 20-year-old computer science \u00adstudent at Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), has been practising taekwondo since childhood. <\/p>\n
But at 14, she says that an ankle injury sidelined her from sparring, which is a \u00adcontact-heavy discipline for \u00adathletes to earn points by landing strikes.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s showcase is different.<\/p>\n
Ms Gan can return to sparring without risking injury, as her opponent\u2019s strikes don\u2019t land physically. Instead, the match takes place in a fully digital arena.<\/p>\n
Welcome to VR taekwondo \u2013 where fighters gear up with headsets, motion sensors and \u00adjoysticks to take down their opponents in a virtual arena.<\/p>\n
When he first heard about VR taekwondo, Mr Lee says he was immediately accepting of the concept.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been involved in teaching taekwondo at university level for a long time so I had a sense that this will become a trend. As there is a lower risk of injury, I believe more parents would be more accepting to let their children \u00adparticipate in taekwondo if \u00adsparring is limited to VR,\u201d he says during an interview with StarLifestyle in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
He also considered the growing popularity of esports among youth, recognising that digital competitions have become a mainstream way for young people to engage and challenge themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realised it was time for me to step in and learn this new approach,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
Mr Lee describes VR \u00adtaekwondo as a \u201cnew baby in Malaysia\u201d where some local clubs started introducing the practice to members in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn VR taekwondo, you don\u2019t just play the game from a smartphone or screen. You have to step into the game. I always say, \u2018Don\u2019t let the game play you. You play the game\u2019. You have more control,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
According to Mr Lee, who coached the Malaysian team at the first World Taekwondo Virtual Championships held in Singapore in 2024, a Malaysian athlete made it to fourth place in one of the categories.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
An eight-year-old player is getting fitted with VR gear.<\/p>\n
PHOTO: THE STAR\/ASIA NEWS NETWORK<\/p>\n
Each player dons a VR headset and holds two joysticks for blocking, while five body-\u00admounted nodes track their movements: one on the back for upper-body actions and two on each leg to register every kick.<\/p>\n
With the VR headset, players can see and face their opponents in a virtual setting.
The objective is simple: land as many kicks as possible to deplete the opponent\u2019s health bar, just like in arcade-style fighting games. <\/p>\n
Outside of the \u00advirtual arena, players can\u2019t come into contact with each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cA referee will remind players to maintain their distance or pause the game to separate them if needed. They are also instructed not to touch their headsets during the match, as doing so could be used to force a technical issue and get a rematch,\u201d Mr Lee says, adding that it may be \u00adconsidered a form of cheating.<\/p>\n
For example, he explains, a player on the losing side could attempt to trigger a rematch in order to start over.<\/p>\n
When the match starts, players launch as many kicks in the air as they can, aiming to land \u00advirtual strikes on their opponent. Each successful hit reduces the opponent\u2019s health bar.<\/p>\n
As the match unfolds, spectators can follow every move on a large screen, with the action projected in real time for everyone to see.<\/p>\n
The player with the most points or the fullest health bar remaining at the end is declared the winner.<\/p>\n
If a player manages to completely deplete their opponent\u2019s health before time runs out, the match ends immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a knockout. For advanced training or for players who want to represent Malaysia at the national level for VR taekwondo, I require them to knock out their \u00adopponent in less than 30 \u00adseconds.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far, the fastest knock-out I\u2019ve seen is from a 14-\u00adyear-old player who did it in 10 \u00adseconds,\u201d Mr Lee says.<\/p>\n
Traditionally, competitors are separated by gender and weight to ensure fairness and safety. <\/p>\n
Mr Lee says VR taekwondo changes this dynamic, allowing mixed-gender matches where players compete only within their age categories.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s because there\u2019s no \u00adcontact,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
In the showcase match, Mr Asadullah lands a knockout in the third round. The final score is generated by the system, which then declares him the winner \u2013 a process that Mr Lee says helps remove human bias.<\/p>\n
Despite the match being virtual and contact-free, Ms Gan needed time to catch her breath and was sweating profusely.<\/p>\n
Mr Asadullah says that fighting in VR can feel even more taxing than a real physical fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a non-virtual sparring match, you take more time to read your opponent before delivering any hit. Each move is more calculated. But in VR, you can start hitting your opponent right away and have to keep kicking rapidly in one minute to increase your winning chances. I would say it\u2019s more intensive,\u201d says Mr Asadullah, who is also a computer science student at APU.<\/p>\n
Mr Lee can be heard reminding Ms Gan and Mr Asadullah to focus on building their stamina.<\/p>\n
Last July, the pair competed in the 2025 Virtual Reality Taekwondo Championship, an inter-university tournament \u00adfeaturing 19 teams. <\/p>\n
Both walked away with gold medals in the Young Adult (18\u201321) categories, with Ms Gan taking the female title and Mr Asadullah the male.<\/p>\n
\u201cWinning feels great and rewarding, considering that we didn\u2019t have much time to train due to exams at the time,\u201d says Ms Gan.<\/p>\n
Mr Lee explains that it took him a month to study the technical aspects of VR taekwondo. <\/p>\n
The software, called VTKD, was developed jointly by Singapore-based Refract Technologies \u2013 a company specialising in immersive sports solutions \u2013 and World Taekwondo, the international federation governing the sport.<\/p>\n
In July, Mr Lee attended a VR \u00adtaekwondo technical certification course organised by World Taekwondo in South Korea.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to take a qualification course to be a certified VR taekwondo technician where you do both written and practical tests such as on how to operate the equipment, calibrating \u00adsensors, gears and be adept at problem-solving,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Mr Lee says during competitions, technicians have about one \u00adminute to finish calibrating the gear for players. <\/p>\n
He explains that if a technical problem happens mid-match, the round may be paused or restarted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the issue can\u2019t be resolved, we then determine the winner by looking at the remaining health bar,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
As with some forms of technology, Mr Lee says one of the main hiccups is related to connectivity or as he calls it \u201cInternet problem\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe software will display \u00adconnection issues and technicians have to figure out if any hardware needs changing or if we need to switch to another Internet service provider. We have to use WiFi 6 standard or above to achieve the smoothest gameplay. We also have set up our own portable router,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
He adds that there is a standard operating procedure or SOP to configure the gear.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou check the nodes, inspect the motion trackers, make sure the lights are working, and check the headset and cables. That\u2019s how we make sure everything runs smoothly,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Mr Bhaskar B. of Scorpion Taekwondo Academy Malaysia in KL sees how technology like VR is changing sports training.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlus VR provides a safe space for beginners to practise without fear and it has motion tracking to help students correct their techniques,\u201d he says when contacted by StarLifestyle.<\/p>\n
During an introductory VR taekwondo session on Nov 30, which involved participants aged five and above, Mr Bhaskar says \u00adparticipants get to experience \u00advirtual kicking, blocking drills, participate in speed and accuracy challenges as well as basic sparring simulation.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the most memorable feedback is when a few of the kids say, \u2018This feels like playing a game, but I\u2019m actually learning!\u2019 In fact, I see them doing more workouts in VR because they are performing more kicks,\u201d says Mr Bhaskar.<\/p>\n
He says parents appreciate the safer training aspect, especially for beginners, while older \u00adstudents mention that the real-time \u00adcorrection helped them understand their mistakes more clearly.<\/p>\n
He adds that the academy plans to gradually incorporate VR into selected training sessions.<\/p>\n
Taekwondo Malaysia vice-\u00adpresident 1 and Kedah Taekwondo Association president Grandmaster S. Krishnamurthy Suranna understands the appeal of VR taekwondo for younger participants.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like a video game but you have to perform actual movements to gain advantage over your opponent. We\u2019re also \u00adhoping to attract more older \u00adparticipants who can think of this as a way of improving their fitness,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Mr Krishnamurthy further adds that \u00adtaekwondo clubs in Kedah like Changlun Star in the Kubang Pasu district have already \u00adincorporated VR taekwondo for training for more than a year.<\/p>\n
He adds that Taekwondo Malaysia along with the Youth and Sports Ministry are looking to send two athletes to the next international virtual taekwondo competition in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe it will be hosted in South Korea. The athletes will be based in the National Sports Council for training,\u201d says Mr Krishnamurthy.<\/p>\n
According to Mr Krishnamurthy, a VR taekwondo set for two players can cost around RM15,000 (S$4,738) to RM20,000 while Mr Lee says the setup including television screens and gaming laptop can cost between RM25,000 and RM30,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need a gaming laptop to support the system, otherwise there will be lag and the \u00adprogram can\u2019t run smoothly. A substantial investment may be required,\u201d Mr Lee adds.<\/p>\n
Mr Bhaskar declines to provide the cost of the set that his \u00adacademy prepares for the \u00adstudents.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not able to share the cost details, but what I can say is that our decision wasn\u2019t based purely on price. We chose a setup that aligns with our \u00adtraining goals and provides a meaningful learning experience for our \u00adstudents,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
Mr Bhaskar says there is potential for VR to be a regular supplementary training tool.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraditional practitioners may take time to adapt, but many will realise that VR is not replacing real training. It is enhancing it. VR cannot replace physical sparring, discipline, or traditional techniques, but it can improve accuracy, increase engagement and help coaches analyse performance,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
Mr Lee says some traditional players still prefer the physical method of sparring because they need to establish contact to feel the speed or force.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not easy to change the mindset of some traditional practitioners. But I am now 55 (years old) and I believe it\u2019s never too late to change or learn to adapt with new technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, I would say that this is still a sport where you\u2019re expected to be active, work up a sweat and feel the physical strain,\u201d says Mr Lee. THE STAR\/ASIA NEWS NETWORK<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"KUALA LUMPUR – At a university auditorium in Kuala Lumpur, taekwondo \u00adathletes Gan Jing Yuan and Asadullah Mohamed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":185283,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[85,46,125,340,341,342],"class_list":["post-185282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-virtual-reality","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-technology","tag-virtual-reality","tag-virtualreality","tag-vr"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}