--- title: "Unstoppable Martial Arts Robot Can Take a Direct Dropkick Without Falling Down" description: "A new viral video shows a kickboxing and seemingly unstoppable humanoid robot shrugging off a flying dropkick from a human being." date: "2025-09-16" modified: "2025-09-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/martial-arts-robot-dropkick" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "Humanoid Robots" - "the digest" - "unitree" --- # Unstoppable Martial Arts Robot Can Take a Direct Dropkick Without Falling Down ![A new viral video shows a kickboxing and seemingly unstoppable humanoid robot shrugging off a flying dropkick from a human being.]() *\Image: ACT/SUSTech via X\* A [new viral video]() shows a kickboxing humanoid robot shrugging off a flying dropkick from a human being. "OK, should we start worrying?" one user [asked]() on the r/singularity subreddit in response to the video. "It looks like it doesn't like falling," another user [added](). The research behind the stunt was conducted by scientists at the Active Intelligent Systems (ACT) Lab at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China, using Unitree's popular G1 robot. The robot's incredible agility highlights how far the tech has come in a matter of years. Chinese robot manufacturer Unitree's G1, in particular, has quickly turned into a popular test bed for reinforcement learning techniques, allowing it to pick up new skills very quickly. In fact, the only thing that even came close to defeating the robot in the video was a loose tile that tripped it up — and even in that case, it made an impressive recovery, jumping right back up to fight some more in less than a second. https://twitter.com/XRoboHub/status/1967496323701276997 We've already seen the G1 show off its martial arts prowess several times, from punching the air and delivering a [swooping roundhouse kick]() to two of the bots [facing off in a kickboxing showdown]() event at the World AI Conference in Shanghai last month. However, things can still go off the rails — with alarming results. A [video of a failed test run]() by robot combat company REK in July showed a G1 flailing its arms and legs, seemingly trying to break free of a harness. Others are using the robot for dramatically different purposes as well. Case in point, a cowboy hat-toting bipedal robot, dubbed "Jake the Rizzbot," has been [wandering the streets]() of [several US cities]() this summer, turning heads and flinging compliments — instead of punches and kicks — at passersby. **More on humanoid robots:** *[Band Appears on Stage With Poorly-Disguised Robot Playing the Keytar]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()