“Sweep the leg!” Three words we’ve been yelling around the Athlon Outdoors office daily since we filmed this interview earlier this year. Yes, we got the legendary Martin Kove of “Karate Kid” fame to sit down with us. He talked about hollywood, Western guns and a whole hell of a lot more.
Timing is everything, and getting a moment with Marty these days is no easy feat; that’s especially true when you consider the massive reboot of “The Karate Kid” franchise via YouTube Red’s new smash-hit series “Cobra Kai.”
“Cobra Kai” is bringing Marty’s character, Sensei John Kreese, back into the fold for another chapter to an entirely new generation of fans this year. At the time of our meet-up to do this interview—while also getting in a little firearms training—Marty had just wrapped on the new Quentin Tarantino film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” a day earlier.
He was glad to be able to spend some downtime at his favorite firearms range in sunny California. Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Clarita Valley the Oaktree Gun Club offers pistol, rifle, shotgun and archery ranges. It also features pro shops and other amenities spread out across its 100 pristine acres.
Two Separate Interviews With Martin Kove
With his son and rising star, Jesse, along for the shoot with some of his buddies, we had a chance to catch up as Marty talked about his background and personal firearms collection, and shared some stories about his experiences on and off screen with firearms, martial arts and his favorite aspects of the industry. We even got to talk a bit about what it’s like to be the “Darth Vader of the karate world,” and the one time he was attacked in a supermarket by a formidable challenger to his title.
We did two separate interviews in total. You can watch one above. The other? That’s in the upcoming spring 2019 issue of Ballistic Magazine, on sale Jan. 1, 2019. Grab your print or digital copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com.
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