Video: Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot performs Kung Fu moves to showcase speed, balance

Tesla has released a new video showing its humanoid robot, Optimus, learning Kung Fu. The 36-second clip shows the robot being put through its paces with a human Kung Fu partner in Tesla’s robot lab.

The demo highlights progress in fluidity and speed, especially given that earlier videos were sped up because Optimus was slower. However, this new clip appears to show real-time movement.

The new clip also shows some other technical improvements in Optimus, including its apparent smooth interaction with a human partner. For example, the clip starts with a classic fist-touching just like human sparring partners before a sparring session.

Following this, the partners prepare for combat by entering a fighting stance and then face each other, ready for combat. Optimus then goads his partner to attack, and they attack and block each other’s moves.

Interestingly, attacks, while limited, also include a sidekick from Optimus, further showcasing its improved stability and control.

Optimus knows Kung Fu now

The clip also highlights Optimus’ improved balance and recovery capabilities. For example, at one point, the human sparring partner pushes Optimus, and the robot adjusts its weight, even hopping slightly to avoid falling.

The video also shows that the robot’s footwork is much improved compared to older “dancing” demos. The robot’s hands and fingers weren’t really used, suggesting Tesla hasn’t integrated or isn’t ready to show off the new 22-degree-of-freedom hands (promised for future versions).

While not clear from the released clip, the robot version is likely Optimus v2.5, not the upcoming v3. Elon Musk has also confirmed the movements shown in the video were artificial intelligence (AI) driven, not tele-operated.

This is important because earlier demos (like Optimus serving popcorn at a Tesla diner) turned out to be remote-controlled, which was less impressive. This time, Musk claims it’s running on-board AI, meaning the robot is processing inputs and generating motion by itself, not just following a human operator.

It is important to note that showcasing Optimus’ martial arts prowess is just a demo scenario. Tesla doesn’t intend to make fighting robots, but martial arts is a good way to show off the range of motion, balance, speed, and adaptability.

All of these qualities are needed for everyday human-like tasks (e.g., carrying, lifting, walking on uneven ground).

Showcasing Optimus’ improvements

If the AI claim is true, this is a big milestone as it shows Tesla moving from scripted, tele-operated demos toward robots that can respond autonomously to their environment in real-time.

As impressive as this is, as we’ve previously mentioned, limitations remain. Especially in hand dexterity (no finger use in the demo), and whether these motions are truly generalized AI learning or just choreographed routines stored in memory.

As for the choice of Kung Fu, it is not clear if this is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Neo from “The Matrix.” But given Elon Musk’s history of esoteric inside jokes, it is not beyond the limits of imagination.

Elon Musk has previously stated that Tesla is aiming to produce approximately 5,000 Optimus robots in 2025 for internal use in its factories. He also hinted that they aim to reach 10,000 to 12,000 units’ worth of parts, with a further goal of 50,000 units in 2026.