How taekwondo has helped Derrick Kwak in acting
The former competitive martial artist on his role in "Armorsaurs," sharing his Korean culture with his costars, and his love of dinosaurs
Derrick Kwan
Courtesy of Derrick Kwak
Words by Quin Scott
Derrick Kwak has a lot going on: balancing competitive taekwondo and graduate studies, traveling between South Korea and California, and creating content online. All of which has led to a variety of new opportunities, including his debut acting role on Armorsaurs, a hybrid live action/animated series that follows teen pilots bonded with armored mechanical dinosaurs as they protect Earth from alien forces.
When I spoke with the Korean American multihyphenate recently from his home in Burbank, California, he was in a rare pause in his busy, multifaceted career. He also had just adopted a new cat, Rexley (named after a dinosaur in Armorsaurs), who made a surprise guest appearance on our Zoom call.
Kwak was home preparing for the second season of Armorsaurs, which began shooting in South Korea this month. The show premiered on Disney XD in October and on Disney+ in February. While I caught up with Kwak, we talked taekwondo, acting, and whether he ever really grew out of his childhood dinosaur phase.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Quin Nelson: I feel like it can be a challenging or unique experience to be the son of the coach in sports, so I'm just curious how that experience was for you learning under your dad and being your father's son in taekwondo.
Derrick Kwak: When it comes to family, it's not the same as learning under a stranger or a friend. It's a lot more personal. While it was definitely challenging being coached under my father, it also helped me succeed. I'm thankful to have that unrelenting support, even on those days where I want to give up. So, it was a double-edged sword. It meant a couple less play dates, but that was a huge factor of my success.
QN: I'm also curious about your transition from more competitively focused taekwondo to more performance-based taekwondo. What does that mean, and how did you change your approach to the sport?
DK: When I was competing, it was very different. I didn't really share it with anyone else, and my main focus was just to win. But taekwondo is multifaceted. There's combat versus performance, so although combat was my main thing, I was also training in the performance aspects of the martial art, so that transition was kind of seamless for me.
When you perform, it's to entertain, and to showcase and represent what the art is all about. It’s so culturally aligned to Korean culture, and as a Korean American, I'm able to showcase my culture through my martial arts.
QN: What sort of feedback have you received in sharing taekwondo through performance and content creation?
DK: It was honestly not what I expected at all. Growing up, I think martial arts in America wasn't necessarily the coolest thing to do—when you're in elementary school, you kind of get made fun of, like, “Oh, that guy's in the lunch line doing all these weird moves.” And then, it gets cooler, and when you grow up you have a cool hobby. Now we have digital platforms where we're so connected and not only do I get to see people who have done taekwondo and appreciate it already, but people who have never ever seen it before.
When I was at UCLA, I was a taekwondo coach, and we had a lot of newcomers, and a lot of them came because they'd been seeing content about it. It really brings people together, so while we're all connecting online, it also translates to in-person. It's cool to see that bridge.
QN: How do you feel like your background as an athlete has helped you transition into acting?
DK: I think being an athlete teaches you a lot about life in general, and I think that translates to anything you do. We used to have a motto when I trained, “The greatest power in life is discipline.” As I grew older, I really had to learn what that really meant, and I think that has served me really well. I think that's been a really important skill, and it's helped me be consistent, and keep pursuing what I'm pursuing.
QN: Let’s hear a bit about your character in Armorsaurs, Joon.
DK: It was a really long journey for me to fully understand who Joon was. I think a really important part of the show is not only the character, but his relationships with the other pilots and the dinosaurs. Joon has a really good relationship with Velox, his Pteranodon.
In the show, he starts off with a lot of pressure to fill the shoes of his brother. And he's also very, very confident; he knows what he needs to do and what he wants. I think I can be like Joon, I can be a little hot-headed and overconfident in pursuit of something that I really want. And he runs into a lot of failure. Life is full of disappointments, and you learn how to move forward, and that’s something that Joon learns in this show, and he gets to do that through his relationships with Velox and his friends.
Derrick Kwak stars as Joon in Disney's "Armorsaurs."
Courtesy of Derrick Kwak
QN: How was shooting season one in Korea, and are you excited to go back for season two? Are you playing tour guide for your castmates?
DK: Korea is so fun, and everyone there is so lovely. When we were there for season one, we went out, we went to karaoke, we did the classic stuff. It's like when you have a friend over, and it's like, “try my snacks,” you know what I mean? It felt like such an honor to share my culture, and for people to enjoy it. Some of my castmates have been learning Korean, so I'm really excited to watch them order at restaurants and stuff like that.
QN: Were you a kid who was really into dinosaurs?
DK: Oh, yeah. When I was like 5, I had a dinosaur encyclopedia in my room. I really liked Triceratops and Stegosaurus. I even had a custom cape for my birthday with a dinosaur on it.
QN: Which dinosaur was on the cape?
DK: I had a Triceratops, and my best friend had a T-Rex, so we had matching capes.
QN: When do you feel like you grew out of your dinosaur stage?
DK: I don't think there was a clear departure. I think at one point it was at the forefront of my brain, and maybe moved towards the back, but it never left, you know? Because when I started filming, I was like, “Dinosaurs are sick. We're so back.” I don't think that ever really went away, to be honest.
QN: Since Armorsaurs season one has been out, have any kids recognized you?
DK: The other day, I went to do some taekwondo, and this kid was just staring at me. He looked like he was 7. And he was like, “You’re Joon!” It was my first public recognition. And when that happened, a huge realization hit me, where I suddenly felt like I have this new responsibility where I want to lift up the new generation and be a good role model. It was a really sweet moment for me.
QN: As you continue on your path as an actor, what sorts of stories or roles are you hoping to pursue?
DK: I think an idea that really inspires me is that I can be this Korean American representation that I never really had growing up. I know there's a lot of Asian representation that has been on the rise recently. There's a lot of Korean representation in Korea. We have K-pop and K-dramas, but I think I would like to represent the nuance of being Korean American. I was born and raised in America, and to represent more narratives and stories that Asian Americans experience, I think that would be really cool. To be honest, although there has been an increase of representation, I think there's still a long way to go.
QN: Are there any other thoughts you’d like to leave readers with before we go?
DK: I just want to share how thankful I am to play this role where I get to bring my taekwondo into the show. I think it's cool to show the distinction as a Korean martial art, how unique it is. I'm thankful that I'm able to represent taekwondo as a Korean martial art, as a Korean American on this TV show, and put that out in the world. So, if you're reading this, I want you to know that taekwondo is a huge part of Korean culture!
Published on April 28, 2026
Words by Quin Scott
Quin Scott is a writer, painter, and educator in the Pacific Northwest. They like reading, running, and making jokes with their friends.