Kove at the Louisville Supercon in 2018 | |
| Born | c. 1945/1946 (age 74–75) |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Children | 2 |
The Karate Kid is an American martial arts drama multi-media franchise, created by screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen.Based on karate, the media franchise began as a film series in 1984 with The Karate Kid, and was followed by three film sequels: The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989) and The Next Karate Kid (1994).
- Directed by John G. After the sudden death of Dre's old Kung Fu Instructor, Mr. Han, young Kung Fu Champion, Dre Parker must learn The Dark Stepstones of how to become a good Instructor and teach his old fellow enemies a little more than respect.
- Directed by John G. With Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove. A martial arts master agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager.
Martin Kove (born c. 1945/1946)[1] is an American actor and martial artist. He is best known for The Karate Kid (1984) in which he played John Kreese, the head teacher of the Cobra Kai karate school. He reprised the role in two sequels, The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989) as well as the 2018 television sequel series Cobra Kai. He was first seen as Nero the Hero in the low-budget Death Race 2000 (1975), and afterward as Clem in White Line Fever (1975). He appeared in the TV series Cagney and Lacey (1981) portraying genuine Police Detective Victor Isbecki, and afterward appeared in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985).
Early life[edit]
Kove was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Jewish family.[2]
Career[edit]
Kove appeared as Cully in Gentle Ben (also known as Terror on the Mountain), Animal Planet, 2002 and Gentle Ben 2: Danger on the Mountain (also known as Black Gold), Animal Planet, 2003. He was cast as George Baker in the short-lived CBS series Code R (1977) about the emergency services (fire, police, and ocean rescue) in the California Channel Islands. His co-stars were James Houghton, Tom Simcox, and Joan Freeman.
He also starred in the short-lived science fiction series Hard Time on Planet Earth and made guest appearances on several television programs including Gunsmoke, Three for the Road, Kojak, Quincy, M. E., The Incredible Hulk, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, The Rockford Files,The Streets of San Francisco, and Black Scorpion.
Kove was a cast member on the 1982–1988 CBStelevision seriesCagney & Lacey as Detective Victor Isbecki.
Kove appeared in the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid as Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese. After playing a traitorous helicopter pilot in the 1985 film Rambo: First Blood Part II, he appeared again as Kreese in the 1986 sequel The Karate Kid Part II (using footage cut from the first film) and the 1989 sequel The Karate Kid Part III. He studied Okinawa-te Karate under prominent black belt Gordon Doversola Shihan.[3][4][5]
Kove appeared in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues as the Shadow Assassin in Episode 3, Season 1, 'Shadow Assassin', which aired on 3 February 1993, and in Episode 23, Season 2, which aired on January 26, 1994.
He appeared in the 2007 music video for the song 'Sweep the Leg' by No More Kings as a caricature of himself and John Kreese from The Karate Kid.[6][7] He appeared on Tosh.0 as his character from The Karate Kid, John Kreese, where he spoofed the final fight on the 'Board Breaker Web Redemption'. At the end of the skit, Daniel Tosh, dressed as Mr. Miyagi, honks Kove's nose, a reference to Mr. Miyagi's action in the scene at the beginning of The Karate Kid, Part II.
In 2017, Kove parodied his Karate Kid character in the Season 4, Episode 17 episode of The Goldbergs.
In 2018, Kove returned to the character of John Kreese for the YouTube Premium web series, Cobra Kai, a sequel series of the Karate Kid franchise set 34 years after the 1984 film. The series debuted on May 2, 2018, and was met with critical success. The show was renewed for a second season, which was published on April 24, 2019. In June 2020, the series was purchased by Netflix which would produce a third season. Several months later in October 2020 a fourth season was renewed in advance.[8]
In 2019, Kove again parodied his Karate Kid character in an ad for QuickBooks, in which a kinder, gentler Kreese runs a 'Koala Kai' dojo of preteen students who are encouraged to 'support the leg' and to show 'more mercy'.[9] Downgrade kindle fire os.
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Little Murders | Uncredited | |
| 1971 | Women in Revolt | Marty | |
| 1972 | Savages | Archie | |
| 1972 | The Last House on the Left | Deputy | |
| 1973 | Cops and Robbers | Ambulance Attendant | |
| 1975 | The Wild Party | Editor | |
| 1975 | Capone | Pete Gusenberg | |
| 1975 | Death Race 2000 | Nero the Hero | |
| 1975 | White Line Fever | Clem | |
| 1976 | The Four Deuces | Smokey Ross | |
| 1977 | The White Buffalo | Jack McCall | |
| 1979 | Seven | Skip | |
| 1982 | Blood Tide | Neil Grice | |
| 1984 | The Karate Kid | Sensei John Kreese | |
| 1985 | Rambo: First Blood Part II | Michael Reed Ericson | |
| 1986 | The Karate Kid Part II | Sensei John Kreese | |
| 1987 | Steele Justice | John Steele | |
| 1989 | The Karate Kid Part III | Sensei John Kreese | |
| 1991 | White Light | Sean Craig | |
| 1992 | Project Shadowchaser | Desilva | Direct-to-video |
| 1992 | Shootfighter: Fight to the Death | Mr. Lee | |
| 1994 | Wyatt Earp | Ed Ross | |
| 1994 | Frank and Jesse | Uncredited | |
| 1994 | Future Shock | Dr. Langdon | |
| 1996 | Timelock | Admiral Danny Teegs | |
| 1996 | Mercenary | Phoenix | |
| 1998 | Joseph's Gift | Thompsonn | |
| 2000 | Nowhere Land | Hank | |
| 2002 | Crocodile 2: Death Swamp | Roland | |
| 2002 | Curse of the Forty-Niner | Caleb | |
| 2004 | Illusion Infinity | Taxi Driver | |
| 2005 | Glass Trap | Corrigan | |
| 2005 | Miracle at Sage Street | Jess | |
| 2006 | Max Havoc: Ring of Fire | Lt. Reynolds | |
| 2007 | The Dead Sleep Easy | Bob Depugh | |
| 2008 | Chinaman's Chance: America's Other Slaves | Sheriff Jones | |
| 2009 | Middle Men | US Senator | |
| 2011 | Savage | Jack Lund | |
| 2014 | Falcon Song | Caspian | |
| 2014 | Eternity: The Movie | Barry Goldfield, Sr. | |
| 2014 | Tapped Out | Principal Vanhorne | |
| 2014 | The Extendables | Aye Lewis | [10] |
| 2015 | The Dog Who Saved Summer | Vernon | |
| 2016 | Traded | Cavendish | |
| 2016 | Jokers Wild | Graham Palace | |
| 2017 | Bring Me A Dream | Sheriff Jack Miller | |
| 2018 | Paint It Red | Scabs | |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Sheriff on Bounty Law | |
| 2019 | VFW | Lou Clayton |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Gunsmoke | Guthrie | 'In Performance of Duty' |
| 1975 | Three for the Road | 'The Rip-off' | |
| 1976 | Kojak | Burl Stole | 'Law Dance' |
| 1976 | The Streets of San Francisco | Willis Hines | 'The Drop' |
| 1977 | The Rockford Files | Harry Smick | 'Dirty Money, Black Light' |
| 1977 | Code R | George Baker | 12 episodes |
| 1977 | The San Pedro Beach Bums | Denny Evans | 'The Shortest Yard' |
| 1977–1978 | We've Got Each Other | Ken Redford | 5 episodes |
| 1978 | The Incredible Hulk | Henry 'Rocky' Welsh | 'Final Round' |
| 1978–1979 | Barnaby Jones | Greg Saunders, Stan Benson | 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Quincy, M.E. | ||
| 1978 | Starsky and Hutch | Jimmy | “Birds of a Feather”; |
| 1979 | CHiPs | Joe Kirby | 'The Death Challenge'; 'Hot Wheels' |
| 1982 | Cry for the Strangers | Jeff | Television film |
| 1982–1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Victor Isbecki | 113 episodes |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Dr. Ellison | 'Armed Response' |
| 1985 | The Twilight Zone | Joe | 'Opening Day' |
| 1989 | Hard Time on Planet Earth | Jess | 13 episodes |
| 1993 | Renegade | Mitch Raines / Goliath | 2 episodes |
| 1993–1994 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Chi'Ru Master | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Cagney & Lacey: The Return | Victor Isbecki | Television film |
| 1995 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Fred Kimble | 'Flashback' |
| 1995 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Demetrius | 'The Mother of All Monsters' |
| 1998–1999 | Diagnosis: Murder | Captain Walter Newman | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | Under Heavy Fire | Father Brazinski | Television film |
| 2001 | Black Scorpion | James Ames/Firearm | 'Armed and Dangerous' |
| 2003 | Hard Ground | Floyd | Television film |
| 2003 | Barbarian | Munkar | Television film |
| 2009 | War Wolves | Malick | Television film |
| 2011 | Tosh.0 | John Kreese | 'Broad Breaker' |
| 2015 | Criminal Minds | John Folkmore | 'Scream' |
| 2017 | The Goldbergs | Master John | 'The Kara-Te Kid' |
| 2018–present | Cobra Kai | John Kreese | Guest season 1, main season 2 |
See also[edit]
- Biography portal
References[edit]
- ^Rahman, Abid (August 28, 2020). ''Cobra Kai' Star Martin Kove On Returning to Play Iconic Character'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
..the 74-year-old [as of August 2020]
- ^Tucker, Ernest (May 15, 1987). ''Kosher cowboy' bucks heavy image'. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 71. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
- ^Curran, Brad (June 11, 2014). 'Interview with Martin Kove'. Kung-fu Kingdom. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
- ^'Star of Karate Kid talks with Ballinger Publishing'. Ballinger Publishing. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
- ^Angelus, Jerold (27 June 2011). Martin Kove. Duct Publishing. p. 128. ISBN9786136779522. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
- ^Frye, Cory (March 10, 2018). 'Of Being and Johnny Lawrence (Sweep the Leg)'. Albany Democrat-Herald. Corvallis Gazette-Times. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
- ^Strauss, Chris (October 9, 2014). ''Karate Kid' villain Billy Zabka is still best friends with the Cobra Kais'. USA Today. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
- ^''Cobra Kai' Gets Early Season 4 Renewal at Netflix | Hollywood Reporter'. www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
- ^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb2fo1jnbk8
- ^THE EXTENDABLES Trailer on YouTube
Further reading[edit]
The Karate Kid Part Ii
- Voisin, Scott, Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting. BearManor Media, 2009. ISBN978-1-59393-342-5.
External links[edit]
- Martin Kove on IMDb
Karate Kid 2010 Full Movie
The crane kick is a fictionalized version of the Mae tobi geri (Japanese: 前飛蹴). The move was created by Darryl Vidal for the classic film The Karate Kid (1984).[1][2] The move is taught by the character Mr. Miyagi to Daniel LaRusso and eventually used in the final scene with his arch rival Johnny Lawrence. The move involves a one-legged karate stance and launches into a flying jumping kick. [3] The movie became synonymous with karate in the United States and helped popularize the martial art in that country.[4]
Mixed martial arts[edit]
The Karate Kid 2017 Movie Cast
The move's effectiveness and practicality has been questioned by critics. The premise of the technique is to lure the opponent to move forward into a counterattack by appearing vulnerable, in practice this is not tactically sound. Standing tall with one foot flat on the ground creates a stationary target for an opponent to strike while spreading arms wide leaves the head and center of mass undefended. It is also an extreme feat of athleticism for any fighter to leap off one foot (already bearing all their body weight) to deliver an effective strike with that same foot. Modified versions have been used effectively in Mixed Martial Arts, most notably by Lyoto Machida. Starting from a southpaw stance, Machida quickly feinted with his left leg before leaping off his right foot to deliver a knockout upwards right kick to the mouth of legendary former UFC champion Randy Couture. Commentators Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan immediately noted similarity to the Crane kick. [5][6]
References[edit]
- ^'30 Sweeping Facts About The Karate Kid'. Mental Floss. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^Writer, NELSY RODRIGUEZ - Staff. 'MURRIETA: Karate kid kicker teaching kids the art'. The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^Powell, Larry; Garrett, Tom (20 December 2013). The Films of John G. Avildsen: Rocky, The Karate Kid and Other Underdogs. McFarland. ISBN9780786490479. Retrieved 25 December 2017 – via Google Books.
- ^'Behind the scenes of the original Karate Kid movie'. SI.com. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
- ^Hodges, Mike. 'Brazilian Karate Coach Says Machida's Crane Kick Is 'Most Difficult to Land''. Bleacher Reporter. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^Mahlmann, Andrew. 'UFC 129: Are You Karate Kidding Me? Lyoto Machida Crane Kicks Randy Couture'. Bleacher Reporter. Retrieved 25 December 2017.