For the April/May 2021 issue of Ballistic Magazine, we spoke with “Karate Kid” star Martin Kove and also his son Jesse. The feature focuses on a custom Cobra Kai revolver gifted to Martin (see it below). The bonus Q&A session didn’t make it to print, so we’re including it for all to read. Below is the intro of the actual story in the April/May 2021 issue, followed by the Q&A. To read the rest, grab the new issue at OutdoorGroupStore.com.
Large-frame revolvers have earned longstanding iconic appeal and a cult following; this is mainly because of their aggressive style, powerful capability, reliability, durability and distinctly classic, yet timeless, Western American aesthetic. In a way, many of these same badass attributes can be said of my buddy: Film and TV’s Martin Kove. Marty gained widespread popularity with the release of 1984’s “Karate Kid” as the mean-spirited sensei of the Cobra Kai dojo, John Kreese.
Recently, an entirely new generation of fans has been turned onto the bad guy in the black gi as Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” series has become one of the most highly watched shows on the platform worldwide. In another aspect of my life, making movies, I’ve had the distinct privilege of directing Marty on screen in a few films, along with his son and fellow actor/star Jesse Kove, who played a revelatory role in Season 3 of “Cobra Kai” as a varsity captain who bullies the younger version of his father’s character, John Kreese. This serves as the catalyst for Kreese’s journey to becoming a no-nonsense ass-kicker who doesn’t back down from a fight and lives by
