When The Karate Kid hit theaters in 1984, audiences ate it up. They loved watching Daniel-san, a bullied kid with as much natural athletic talent as a bulldog at a gymnastics meet, study with a traditional master and then surpass all competitors at the All Valley Karate Championship.
Enter the smash hit Cobra Kai, which has soared to a level the Karate Kid movies never reached. It's a mix of aging warriors and the next generation of high schoolers trying to find their own way in the world. It opened with Daniel-son as the owner of a car dealership, which was perfect because it showed that we really don't have any clue where life will take us. No doubt the three actors profiled here had no idea where the Karate Kid films would take them.
WILLIAM CHRISTOPHER FORD, AKA "DENNIS"
In The Karate Kid Part III, Thomas lan Griffith shined as Terry Silver, the lead villain. William Christopher Ford played one of Silver's thugs. In person, Ford is a friendly and humble man who did not have an easy road in the martial arts but who excelled because of his passion and perseverance.
What got you interested in the martial arts? Ford: My initial inspiration was actually the old Kung Fu series with David Carradine. I thought the character of Kwai Chang Caine was superhuman! I couldn't wait to watch that show every week so I could see him fight the bad guys.
My second exposure to martial arts was a theme park in California called the Japanese Village and Deer Park. They had gardens with koi ponds and Japanese cultural demonstrations. What I remember most was they had a live karate show and it starred Fumio Demura and his students. It was like watching an exciting scene from an action movie.
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HOW TO CREATE A MARTIAL ART CASE STUDY: COMBAT HAPKIDO
On October 22, 2022, the International Combat Hapkido Federation celebrated its 30th anniversary. As you might expect, we're proud of our organization's longevity, stability and success.
MARTIAL ARTS ANATOMY 101
PHYSIOLOGY OF THE LIVER SHO
LOCK UP
THE CLINCHING LESSONS TAUGHT IN THE ANCIENT GREEK MARTIAL ART OF PANKRATION ARE STILL RELEVANT - AND EFFECTIVE!
KILLER CHARACTER ACTOR
When Scott Adkins Isn't Headlining His Own Action Movies Like \"Boyka: Undisputed,\" He's Stealing Scenes in Blockbusters Like \"John Wick\" and \"Ip Man\"!
A DEEP DIVE WITH BENNY URQUIDEZ
Few fighters have a reputation as formidable and a record as impressive as Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. As you will see, his path from the traditional martial arts to full contact and then to kickboxing had more than its share of bumps.
PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKES: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, PART 1
In my six previous columns, pre-emptive striking featured prominently.
THE DAY JUJITSU DIED
Let us look at one historical instance that illuminates a lesson in task saturation, or what Miyamoto Musashi called \"sword flowers.\"
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? GUY MEZGER: FROM MMA FIGHTER TO HEALER
To be successful in mixed martial arts nowadays, you need an all-around game.
KILLER INSTINCT
It's not the size of the woman in the fight but the size of the fight in the woman.
HAPKIDO'S BONG SOO HAN: THE MAKING OF A MARTIAL ARTS LEGEND
Much has been written about Bong Soo Han (1933-2007), his career as a hapkido master and his connection to the Billy Jack films.
