Taekwondo’s Got Talent!

WT Demo Team reaches final of hit American TV Show ‘America’s Got Talent’

The World Taekwondo (WT) Demonstration

Team unleashed an eye-popping display of kicks ‘n tricks in the finals of the “America’s Got Talent” TV show on Sept. 14, 2021, showcasing the sport to an entirely new audience estimated at 10 million for the season.

Though they did not, ultimately, win the competition, their months-long odyssey from the preliminaries through to the season’s grand finale capped a difficult, but ultimately triumphant year for Taekwondo. It followed the sport’s COVID-defying showing with the rest of the Olympic family in Tokyo 2020, and its triumphant debut on the Paralympic stage.

For the TV show, the team blended their trademark high-octane, high-altitude Taekwondo skills with inspirational messaging.

In June 2021, the 24-member team won the Golden Buzzer from host Terry Crews during the audition round.

In the quarterfinals, the team fired off a three-minute routine that ended with the message, “Peace is More Precious than Triumph.” That prompted Judge Simon Cowell to exclaim, “I love your message, I love your talent, I love your ambition - This is what ‘America’s Got Talent’ is all about!”

At the semifinals on Aug. 31, their performance held nothing back in terms of physical spectacle. “The danger level is off the charts!” an awed Crews commented. The theme was overcoming disasters and living together with hope. The team ended their performance by unfurling a banner which read: “Goodwill, Cooperation, Service.”

At the finals on Sept. 14, the theme was recognizing, respecting, and harmonizing to overcome confrontation and antagonism. The flawless display of martial skills, seamless choreography and athletic excellence won a standing ovation from the show judges.

“This is a show!” said Judge Heidi Klum. “If you see this live, I don’t care if you’re five or 95 - bring your whole family. could watch a two-hour show just of this!”

Prior to their finals performance, a member of the team said in a video message, “This journey has given us an unbreakable bond and has absolutely made us stronger.”

In audience voting on Sept. 15, Dustin Tavella was crowned the season’s winner, taking home a USD1 million prize and a bagging show in Las Vegas. His act blended magic tricks with moving anecdotes about family and relationships. Even though the WT Demo Team did not go all the way, WT President Chungwon Choue was full of praise.

“I want to personally thank every single member of the WT Demonstration Team for showcasing our sport’s highest skill levels, as well as its positive values, in such entertaining style,” he said. “This initiative has taken Taekwondo out of the stadia and into the living rooms of millions of Americans – an entirely new audience for us. Thank you!.”

WT Demo Team Reach Finals of ‘Italia’s Got Talent’

The World Taekwondo (WT) Demonstration Team hit all the right buttons during their “Italia’s Got Talent” audition, as judge Mara Maionchi secured the team a place in the final on Jan. 17, 2020.

The 2,000 spectators who filled the theater roared in appreciation of the mastery of power and skill displayed by the team.

The audience joined the judges in giving them a standing ovation. Maionchi, an Italian record producer, was so impressed that she pressed the golden buzzer to ensure the WT Demonstration Team were one of the 12 finalists in the competition.

The team was first approached by the Federazione Italiana Taekwondo about participating in Italia’s Got Talent after a fantastic display at the Roma 2019 World Taekwondo Grand Prix.

In their display, the team proudly represented Taekwondo and showed it is not just a sport for competition, but an exciting and captivating artistic discipline driven by sound values.

The preliminary rounds of the competition were filmed in Avellino, Italy and aired to a global audience.

Italia’s Got Talent is one of Italy’s most popular reality contests. The show is viewed by millions around the world each week.

Demo Team Win Golden Buzzer on ‘France’s Got Talent’

The World Taekwondo (WT) Demonstration Team amazed audiences around the world as they secured the Golden Buzzer at the auditions of France’s Got Talent on Oct. 20, 2021.

The team put on a spellbinding performance which captivated the celebrity judging panel and those watching in the audience. Multi-million record selling singer Hélène Ségara decided the performance was worthy of the final and pressed the Golden Buzzer. Fellow judges, magician Eric Antoine, comedian Sugar Sammy and singer, actress, TV host and fashion designer Marianne James, shared Ségara’s praise for the act.

The 12 members of the Demonstration Team were joined by seven members from France to total a team of 19, plus the head coach. The performance began with four female warriors showcasing different Taekwondo techniques before the male members of the team joined them and demonstrated energetic and acrobatic board breaking.

France’s Got Talent was in its 16th season and was broadcast on French channel M6.

The WT Demo Team previously wowed audiences on the Italian and U.S. editions of the global franchise.