Kicking It With The Koves

This week, to celebrate the return of Cobra Kai on Netflix, the Koves welcome a very special guest & dear friend: Ralph Macchio! This conversation is a must listen for Cobra Kai & Karate fans alike. Tune in to hear Ralph & Marty discuss their early careers in acting, working together on set over the years, & the story of how Ralph came into the role of Daniel LaRusso. The Koves & Ralph talk about what the Cobra Kai series & everyone involved has meant to them, & why they find it to be such a remarkable show. Listen here before the return of season 5 on Netflix, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

One of the best stunt performers out there today, Ken Barefield, is this week's special guest on Kicking it with the Koves! Ken is both the series stunt coordinator on Cobra Kai, as well as Marty's stunt double. Learn all about what it's like to be a stunt coordinator and stunt person, as Ken discusses his background & unique journey into the world of stunts. Ken, Marty & Jesse share stories of working together on set, and discuss what all goes into choreographing & training for the elaborate fights & stunts that make the series Cobra Kai what it is. Don't miss this conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

Marty, Rachel & Jesse take time to catch up with one another, & debrief on their recent travels, the last few months, and all things Cobra Kai. They talk about the recent Cobra Kai panel at Comicon they attended, and how they loved seeing the impact that the show has had on such a wide ranging group of fans. They discuss the conference at length, & get into why they found the event to be such a unique experience. Marty talks about debuting the trailer for Season 5 of Cobra Kai at Netflix is a Joke. Don't miss this conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

The incredibly talented actor Alan H Green is this week's guest on Kicking it with the Koves! Alan is currently starring in the hit play "The Karate Kid: The Musical," performing the role of John Kreese. Alan discusses what it's like to play the antagonist, & how he sees the whole theatre as his dojo when he gets into character as Kreese. The Koves & Alan discuss all things theater & film production, and get into the parallels between the musical and the original Karate Kid film. Don't miss this conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

The Koves welcome back Rachel's friend & colleague Dr. Judy Ho this week on Kicking it with the Koves! Tune in for a special episode in which the Koves & Judy as do a deep dive & character analysis of Johnny Lawrence. Hear all about the psychology of bullying in relation to Johnny Lawrence - & why both the Karate Kid & Cobra Kai have served as such great platforms to discuss these types of topics.

Peter Veunnasack, host of the podcast Cobra Kai Kompanion, is this week's guest on Kicking it with the Koves! Peter talks all about why he finds both Cobra Kai & the Karate Kid to be so important - & why The Karate Kid meant so much to him growing up as an Asian American. Learn about Peter's journey into the podcasting world, & why he decided to start the Cobra Kai Kompanion podcast. This episode is another must listen for all Cobra Kai fans - don't miss this conversation - only on Kicking it with the Koves! Be sure to check out Peter's podcast for insightful conversations about the show, & exclusive interviews with cast members: https://cobrakaikompanion.com/

Actor, producer & author Sean Kanan, AKA Mike Barnes in The Karate Kid Part III, is this week's guest on Kicking it with the Koves! Hear Sean share stories of filming The Karate Kid Part III, & talk about his recently published book, 'Way of The Cobra.' Sean & Marty discuss how they met, & share their experiences working with one another on set as Mike Barnes & John Kreese. Sean gets into the importance of pushing yourself creatively, & why he believes you can't allow fear to get in the way when pursuing any creative endeavors. Tune in to this insightful conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

Ron Thomas, AKA Bobby Brown in the original Karate Kid films, as well as seasons 2 & 3 of Cobra Kai, joins Marty, Rachel & Jesse on this week's episode of Kicking it with the Koves! Tune in to hear Ron & Marty share stories of their days working on the set of Karate Kid - & how their experience working together led to a lifelong friendship. Ron & The Koves discuss the importance of spirituality, vulnerability, & how both of these apply to daily life, family, & creative pursuits. Marty & Ron share their thoughts on the Karate Kid films, & why its legacy continues to carry on. Don't miss this conversation - only on Kicking it with the Koves!

The Koves are joined this week by special guest Chris Jericho! The legendary professional wrestler & singer connects with The Koves over all things family, as they discuss the importance of parenthood & being present for your kids. Chris & Marty talk about their experiences with what it has been like to portray the bad guys, in both wrestling & in film, and share some of the crazy experiences they've had with fans mistaking their personas for their true personalities over the years. Chris discusses his recent endeavors in film & music - including one of his songs with the band FOZZY recently going gold. Marty & Chris talk about some of their keys to longevity within their careers. Don't miss this conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

This week the Koves welcome a special guest - actress Julia Macchio, who is the daughter of Ralph Macchio - AKA Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid & Cobra Kai. Julia discusses how she fell in love with singing & dancing at a young age, & how these passions led her to acting, & where she is today. Marty & Julia's father Ralph have been friends for over 30 years - Marty tells the stories of how they met, & their early years carving out their individual careers in film. Hear Jesse, Julia & Rachel connect over their shared experience of having a father who is an actor for a living when growing up. Julia speaks to what it was like working with her father when acting together on Cobra Kai, & how this unique experience felt. Don't miss this conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

Joe Seo, also known as Kyler in Cobra Kai, is this week's guest on Kicking it with the Koves! Joe & Marty discuss their mutual respect for one another on set - & Joe talks about how inspiring he finds Marty & his ability to make himself big on screen to be when working together. They get into the importance of dropping their egos on set, and why this is essential for everyone to work together in the best way possible. The Koves & Joe talk all about character development & the different methods you can use to create the backstory of a given individual - and how both Joe & Marty have done a remarkable job of this with their characters John Kreese & Kyler in Cobra Kai. Don't miss this conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

This week The Koves have a very unique & special guest - Tim Ward, who is head coach of the Women's soccer team at Pepperdine University joins Marty, Rachel & Jesse. Tim discusses his journey as a coach - how he landed a coaching position at the age of 26, and his progression from being a transactional coach, to becoming  a transformational coach. The Koves & Tim draw parallels between old school & new school coaching methodology - & how the difference between the two is represented through John Kreese's character in Cobra Kai. Don't miss this conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!  

This week we have a very special episode - the writers, creators & producers of Cobra Kai Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, & Hayden Schlossberg are this week's guests! Hear all about the inception and development of Cobra Kai, and how their love for the series stems all the way back to an obsession with The Karate Kid when in high school. Jon, Josh & Hayden discuss their journey with the show, & how Cobra Kai progressed from a Youtube series into the incredibly successful television series that it is today. Marty asks about the intricacies of their writing processes, & discusses why he finds these three to be some of the best writers that he's ever worked with. Don't miss this insightful conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

The amazingly talented actress & model Peyton List, AKA as Tory in the Cobra Kai series, is this week's guest on Kicking it with the Koves! The Koves & Peyton share their perspectives on Season 4, and discuss the impact that the dynamic between John Kreese & Tory's characters has on the season. Peyton talks about why she finds John Kreese to be so important in relation to her role as Tory, & why her portrayal as a strong leading woman is such a crucial element in the series. Marty talks about the female warriorism that he immediately saw in Tory, & how this influenced him & his character throughout working on the show. This episode is a must listen for all Cobra Kai fans - don't miss this conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

Psychiatrist, consultant, and host of the "My WakeupCall" podcast, Dr. Mark Goulston is this week's guest on Kicking it with the Koves! Dr. Goulston talks all about his psychiatric approaches & experiences, & why he has found his unique approach of surgical empathy to be so effective. The Koves & Dr. Goulston talk all things parenting & familial relationships, and draw parallels to the main characters in Cobra Kai who are faced with needing to balance their lives at Cobra Kai & their lives at home. Don't miss this conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

Broadcast personality Steve Mason is this week's special guest on Kicking it with the Koves! Steve's remarkable career spans everything from sports & business, to television, film & podcasting. His entrepreneurial spirit has led him to a wide variety of career successes, which he discusses at length during this conversation. Steve talks about his unique and inspiring journey, how confidence in vulnerability has helped him along the way, and how to find balance in doing more by doing less. The Koves & Steve get into their best advice surrounding career endeavors in the worlds of entertainment, radio & film. Be sure to check out Steve's current activity and podcast at https://stevemason.com/

This week's guest is dear to the Koves – film producer & manager Gary Ousdahl! Hear all about Gary's journey into the entertainment industry – from being inspired watching the Karate Kid growing up, to managing & representing a wide variety of the biggest names in film, a list that includes both Martin Kove & William Zabka. The Koves discuss why they view Gary in such a high regard when it comes to production and management, and how their connection as true friends has made grounds for a long lasting working relationship. Gary gets into the importance of pushing yourself creatively, honing in on passions, and how these things can help you to carve out your own unique path. Don't miss this conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

This week's special guest is neuropsychologist & media personality Dr. Judy Ho! Judy & The Koves do a deep dive into the psychology behind bullying, & how humans deal with these sorts of universal struggles. Hear all about why so many individuals are able to connect with Cobra Kai on a deeper level, and why they're able to see a version of themselves reflected in the show's characters. Marty, Jesse & Rachel discuss their perspectives on the importance of vulnerability, and connect how the development of the characters in Cobra Kai can serve as reason to open up conversation surrounding these things . Don't miss this insightful conversation, only on Kicking it with the Koves!

Actor Jacob Bertrand, AKA Eli Hawk Moskowitz in the Cobra Kai series, is this week's special guest on Kicking it with the Koves! Hear Jacob & Marty share their experiences working on the set of Cobra Kai, as they discuss some of the stories they have from their long days on set together. Jacob talks about his unique journey into becoming an actor, & what it was like balancing acting, school & daily life with pursuing being an actor growing up. Marty gets into why some of his favorite lines as John Kreese, such as “The Enemy of Your Enemy is Your Friend,” were the ones that he exchanged with Jacob's character Hawk. This episode is a must listen for all fans of the Cobra Kai series, don't miss this conversation only on Kicking it with the Koves!

Marty, Rachel & Jesse are joined by licensed psychotherapist Robert Scholz to discuss the Strike First mentality of Cobra Kai, bullying, trauma, life events & how these themes relate to the plotline & characters in Cobra Kai. Martin talks about some of the similarities and differences between his character in Cobra Kai & in the original Karate Kid film, and how both the film & show deal with the various facets of bullying in such a unique way. Robert talks about how he got into the fields of mental health & psychotherapy, and the group dives into their perspectives after watching the third episode of season 1 of Cobra Kai.

This week's special guest is the incredibly talented Leo Birenberg, who composes all of the music for Cobra Kai. Hear the story of how Leo & his friend / creative collaborator Zach Robinson landed the gig of composing the music for Cobra Kai by putting together a one-off reel, and why they have loved working on the show enough to continue doing so since August of 2017. Marty, Rachel, Jesse & Leo discuss how Karate Kid has impacted the culture of multiple generations; Leo refers to The Karate Kid as the movie that was perpetually on at friend's houses as a kid growing up. These four chat about why they find film and television scores to be so important - sharing their favorite film scores, composers & memorable musical moments in film.

Martin Kove talks about his return to the Cobra Kai series playing “Sensei John Kreese,” and shares stories from his first day back on the set. He explains why he was so excited to return to the character, the great growth and development audiences have been able to see in “Sensei Kreese,” and what it's finally like to see his character celebrated! Martin also shares the hilarious story about the Karate Kid premiere, and his then-wife's review of his performance. Plus, the Koves dive into Martin's childhood in New York, his schoolyard posse The Black Denim Gang, his unlikely journey to acting, his love of Westerns, the films and performers that inspired him, and his first speaking role in a movie. And they discuss fear as motivation, the importance of taking risks, and how to step up into your courage.

Martin, Jesse and Rachel share stories about their Cobra Kai experience, including the series' opening scene, and the never-before-released archival footage pulled from the original “Karate Kid” movie vault! Martin recalls what it was like to film the All Valley Tournament footage for the original “Karate Kid” film back in 1984, and how they really captured his now infamous line, “Finish him!” Martin also recounts his hilarious audition for the part of John Kreese. Plus, the Koves discuss Martin's character, John Kreese, the evolution of Billy Zabka's character Johnny Lawrence, and the way “Cobra Kai” introduced Miguel. The Kove family delve into how bullying, depression, and perseverance are depicted in the show, and the lessons learned by overcoming life's challenges through hard work and resilience. Relating to their own personal and professional experience, the Koves share tips and tools on how to target your goals and accomplish your dreams.

Martin Kove (aka “Sensei John Kreese” from the Cobra Kai TV series) and his two kids, actor Jesse Kove and multi-passionate entrepreneur, artist, and mental health advocate Rachel Kove, invite you into their wild, dynamic and entertaining family life! Join the Koves and their wealth of guests, including actors, athletes, musicians, and psychology experts as they discuss Hollywood, pop culture, spirituality, mental health, bullying, and so much more. This family's love is palpable and will inspire you to strike first in life, and show no mercy to your goals and fears! Launching February 3rd.