One was already training at the age of 8

a notice: We already published this article at the start of Cobra Kai Season 3. It was slightly adapted for the fourth season of the Netflix series and supplemented with information on Martin Kove and Thomas Ian Griffith. Season 5 of the series is currently streaming on Netflix.

The fight scenes are also furious in Season 4 Cobra Kai. The stars starring in the Netflix series must be athletic and willing to learn to master the physically demanding mix of dynamic stunts and rehearsed choreographies.

The actual martial arts knowledge varies considerably in the ensemble. It follows ours Cobra Kai profile with the stars’ karate skills.

Learning karate for Cobra Kai: What can the stars really do?

Here you can find out:

There are surprisingly few really experienced karate fighters in the Cobra Kai rows. The Wrap researched the stars’ individual abilities prior to Season 2 and got an update ahead of Season 3. This is the current state of karate skills.

These are the real-life karate skills of the Cobra Kai stars

Jacob Bertrand as Eli/ Hawk: The supreme Cobra Kai pro

Karate previous knowledge: 8 out of 10 Mr. Miyagi points

Martial arts training before and during Cobra Kai: Jacob Bertrand began his karate training at the age of 8, making him the karate pro in the Cobra Kai ensemble.

He came up to purple belt, so it is still 3 levels below the black one. Prior to the series, he broke up his karate for other grip styles and skateboarding. Now he’s into Ultimate Fighting.

Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene: A martial arts ace

Previous karate knowledge
: 6 out of 10 Mr. Miyagi points

Martial arts training before and during Cobra Kai: Between the ages of 10 and 12, Tanner Buchanan learned Taekwondo and didn’t quite get to the black belt. After a break, he started Muay Thai, a Thai martial art. Karate was never on his training schedule prior to the series.

Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz: Not in the mood for karate

Previous karate knowledge: 2 out of 10 Mr. Miyagi points
Martial arts training before and during Cobra Kai: By his own admission, he practiced karate for “a year or so” when he was very young, didn’t particularly like it though. About the training during Cobra Kai, Xolo Maridueña says: “Most of what we do is stunts and boxing. I like that more than traditional karate.”

Mary Mouser as Sam LaRusso: Unathletic to Cobra Kai

Karate previous knowledge: 1 out of 10 Mr. Miyagi points

Martial arts training before and during Cobra Kai: Mary Mouser is the big, unsportsmanlike Cobra Kai exception. This is how she describes her activity before the series: Go to the fridge.

Now she is probably the most diligent karate student in the Cobra Kai series. She makes up for her lack of previous knowledge with passion. Probably spurred on by the fact that she wasn’t even allowed to fight in Season 1. More karate kid spirit is not really possible.

Between seasons 1 and 2 she took extra lessons. An exciting quote that gives insight into their learning process: “I think I need 20 minutes more now to learn part of a kick, which is still a bit slow. But that’s okay. I’ll catch up eventually with some extra work.”

Peyton List as Tory Nichols: Karate Noob

Previous karate knowledge: 1 out of 10 Mr. Miyagi points

Martial arts training before and during Cobra Kai: Peyton List is also completely uninformed when it comes to martial arts. Cheatsheet found out that she had a busy schedule. She rushed into the series from another shoot and barely had time to prepare. In no time she learned what the other months had time for, as stunt coordinator Jahnel Curfman points out.

Cobra Kai: What about the original stars from the Karate Kid times?

William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence: Karate Enthusiast

Karate previous knowledge: 8 out of 10 Mr. Miyagi points

Martial arts training before and during Cobra Kai: Although William Zabka was athletic before Cobra Kai, he had no martial arts experience. the Karate Kid movies were like an awakening.

Zabka continued to train, out of necessity. Because he was often cast for martial arts roles. That’s how he made it to the green belt. In the meantime, even his children are learning karate.

Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso: From Dance to Karate

Previous karate knowledge: 5 of 10 Mr. Miyagi points

Martial arts training before and during Cobra Kai: Between Karate Kid 1 and 2, he trained like a maniac and got better quickly, although his fight scenes in Cobra Kai now seem honeyed.

More exciting is how Macchio den Connection between dancing and karate choreographies describes in films: “I had some dance training as a kid and those fight scenes are choreographies, I was good at learning them.”

Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver: Trained since adolescence

Previous karate knowledge: 8 out of 10 Mr. Miyagi points

Martial arts training before and during Cobra Kai: Griffith has kept fit over the years and was in the karate juice before his return.

Thomas Ian Griffith plays the villain Terry Silver, who supports his old friend John Kreese in the season 4 Cobra Kai competition against Daniel and Johnny. Griffith explains his karate experience to The Wrap ahead of his return: “I started training young, [Karate] was my sport in high school. I’ve kept parts of the training my whole life. […] It was always there.” Even in the 4th season he didn’t let himself be slowed down and shot many stunts himself because he says he is “faster” than his double.

Martin Kove as John Kreese: Absolute pro

Previous karate knowledge: 9 of 10 Mr. Miyagi points
Martial arts training before and during Cobra Kai: It is not known how Kove kept fit during filming, but he probably has the largest martial arts portfolio.

John Kreese is the veteran of the Karate Kid world. Actor Martin Kove reportedly also pursues martial arts passions in his private life, although he primarily practices his skills professionally in films and series. He has appeared in martial arts productions for most of his career. Kove is proficient in various martial arts styles, including Shihan Tak Kobota, Kendo and Tae Kwon Do. In an interview with Kung Fu Kingdom, the 75-year-old revealed that he has a black belt in Okinawa-te karate. Impressive.

So the fight scenes in Cobra Kai are built on a solid foundation of willingness to learn, some top skills and general body control. All of the actors must learn martial arts skills, although the stunt characters do the most dangerous work.

Listen to our Cobra Kai Season 3 podcast: What’s Kreese up to?

How is the series changing? What makes them better, say in terms of villains like Kreese and Tory? Is she the best of the series so far? And what’s in store for us in Season 4? We discuss all of that and more in this episode of Cobra Kai Season 3.

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How do you like the fight scenes in Cobra Kai?