MADTOWN's Jota proves his skills beyond being an idol on KBS's sports variety program Cool Kiz on the Block.
Jota (Lee Jong Hwa) has been appearing on the program since November 2015. He was introduced to join the show's celebrity judo team who competes in amateur competition across Korea against other clubs.
According to Korea Times, Jota quickly rose to the top rank of the team with his skills. Under the coaching of 2012 London Summer Olympics bronze medalist Cho Jun Ho and 2004 Athens Summer Olympics gold medalist Lee Won Hee, Jota dominated multiple competitions throughout his short time on the program.
On January 14, Jota competed in a match against the Dongji High School judo team; his former high school that is known for its students skills in Judo. Jota successfully won his matches and was able to meet up with his father who came to watch him compete.
In high school, Jota planned to become a professional Judo competitor. However, due to an ankle injury he had to give those dreams up and decided to pursue a career in entertainment. He revealed on Cool Kiz on the Block that he was inspired by his elementary school classmate Jung Eunjii of A Pink. He debuted as a member of MADTOWN in 2014 with the song "YOLO" as the sub rapper and lead dancer.
