Interview - Sensei Jim True (True Martial Arts Academy)

Let's Talk - Cobra Kai
Episode 105: Interview - Sensei Jim True (True Martial Arts Academy)

Jason Connell and Sal Rodriguez have Sensei Jim True of True Martial Arts Academy on the show to discuss his connection to The Next Karate Kid and much more.

Original Episode: S04E17

Recorded: 04-29-22
Studio: Just Curious Media
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Transcript

Jason Connell: 5:00:13

Whoa, just curious. Welcome to Just curious media. This is let's talk Cobra Kai and I'm Jason Connell on the show. Today I'm joined by special guest since a gym. True. Welcome. Thanks for being here since a gym. I'm super excited to have you on the show today to shed light on your martial arts background and your connection to the next Karate Kid.

Sensei Jim True: 5:00:38

Thanks. Well, I'm excited to be here too.

Jason Connell: 5:00:39

Awesome. Well, before we get started, I have to do a word from our sponsor helps pay the bills. Support for let's talk Cobra Kai is brought to you by manscaped, who is the best admins below the waist grooming and offers precision engineered tools for your family jewels. Join over 4 million men worldwide who trust manscaped. And with this exclusive offer, you'll get 20% off and free worldwide shipping with the code. Cobra kai@manscaped.com Okay, enough business since Hm, let's jump into this. So I moved to the Boston area not that long ago was researching dojos and came across yours. And I just had to reach out because I was fascinated by what I saw on your website, your history, your background, just the way you run your dojo is I haven't seen anything like that in my background. So maybe let's start there. Let's shed light on your background, how you got into martial arts, how you became since a gym, and then we'll get into the other stuff.

Sensei Jim True: 5:01:32

Sounds good. So you know, I started karate back in 1975. I had always wanted to do it. You know, you had the neighborhood bully. All those things that come together, right? That spur you into it. I had done a lot of other sports. And I saved my money and I wanted to do karate I found at the YMCA in Waltham. They had started a brand new program. So I signed up I went there. And I met my very first instructor who was an amazing sensei. He's passed on a couple years ago. But since a Tom Wirtanen, he was straight out of college from Ohio State. And he was going to BC for law. And I just started my training. You know what my my first night? I had no experience. So we're standing there. And at the end of the class, he says we're going to Qulity and I'm like, sure. I didn't know what Kuma Ted men you know, I was 15 year old kid. And so he gets in a fighting stance. And the only thing he had taught me that night was a straddle stance or she could achi. So there I am with my hands up with my feet, mushy, grouchy facing him full on, you know, not in what would be a real fighting stance. And he kicks me right in the balls. And I'm like, Oh, he's like turned sideways. I'm like, You didn't teach me that. So that was my introduction to to karate. And assuming you had no cup on no cup. 15 years old first day, no cup. That's how it started. And then I trained with him up until the time he graduated law school and went on and then he turned things over to me and I started teaching at the YMCA in 1977. Camp kids 40 to 50 kids every 40 minutes. All day long. That was you know, baptism under fire. That's

Jason Connell: 5:03:21

your boot camp. Yeah, exactly. Wow. So at that time, were you influenced by anything in pop culture, like shows like kung fu? Had that even come out yet? Oh, yeah.

Sensei Jim True: 5:03:31

Kung Fu had come out. And I would watch it all the time. Okay, that really caught my attention, you know, that esoteric mystical type of techniques they could do and all that, you know, just really caught your eye and, and then I found out what karate was about it was a lot different than that a lot different than that.

Jason Connell: 5:03:48

Absolutely. So talk about the style that you study, which is also very fascinating. It kind of harkens back to Okinawa, if I'm not mistaken.

Sensei Jim True: 5:03:56

So Matsubayashi Shan Rue is in Okinawa in style, it would be classified as a hardstyle. hardstyle is more linear, straightforward, closed hands, as opposed to a soft style, or a style that might be 5050. Hard and Soft, like Goku with circular stepping. And for whatever reason, you know, everything happens for a reason, right? And that's where I was supposed to be. And that was the style I was supposed to learn. Like, I tell some of my Tai Chi students almost 48 years later, and having some knee problems and a hip problem. It would be great to have taught tai chi or learned it at 15. Right, but I just didn't see myself standing there. Slowly moving grind Tai Chi, but I wouldn't change a thing. You know?

Jason Connell: 5:04:42

So you read the why getting inundated this teaching so many students? What was the transition to the dojo now?

Sensei Jim True: 5:04:49

Yeah, that's a great question. You know, how and when did that all happen? So I started to take on a love for teaching and sharing. I was in college. And so I started to teach part time I was already at the Y. So they they needed an instructor. Actually, when we left the YMCA and found a new school with sensei Tom, he then graduated from BC and he turned things over to me. And so I was already in a dojo, but the dojo was pretty interesting because there was a dojo instructor, there was the Sharen. Room instructor myself. And then there was boxing. Wow. So we had a good mix of different things. And in really, if you look back on it, you could say that was that cross training, you know, that first exposure to real cross training, whereas a lot of styles tend to say, stay separated. Yeah. You know, and, and don't cross train. And you saw that in episodes, these recent episodes, were starting to cross train, whereas before that, there was no cross train. And I'm not going over. See you, Johnny. You're not come on over to see me. Yeah. Right.

Jason Connell: 5:05:56

Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, that is interesting. And so at what point did it become what it is now as far as the brand, which I love the name, by the way, and then it's your last name. So we'll go and say the name of the dojo true martial

Sensei Jim True: 5:06:08

arts academy. That's awesome. Thanks. Yeah. So I was teaching at this dojo. And then things started to change to get a little more ecclectic American eyes. And some of the students, the adult students I had, really weren't into that. And they said, you know, things are changing here. We should go, we should leave find a new dojo. Again. I was still in college, I was probably 18 Maybe. So I started teaching out of the basement in my home. And then a buddy of mine had a little garage. This was the beginning. Because I got friends of mine. Students from back in the day when I taught at this garage, and they still post on Facebook. How back in 1979, I would make them go out onto the gravel driveway. And it was gravel, like, you know, the sharp gravel. Oh, yeah. And in the winter, and make them do Knuckle Push Ups. Oh, my God, six years.

Jason Connell: 5:07:03

Eagle Fang.

Sensei Jim True: 5:07:04

Six years old. And so this little dojo was a garage. It had no heat. It had no bathrooms, no running water. And I taught you around part time. Wow. And I'll tell you, no bathrooms. No kid ever asked, Can I go to the bathroom? Yeah, right on. But once I got to Dojo with bathroom, I hands out. I gotta go, I gotta go. So that led me to that garage. And then that led me to another location where I was there for about 11 years. In the original name of the academy was Shorin Ryu karate Academy. And back then you took the name of your style, and you plugged it into the name. I really didn't think about using my own name or anything like that. And it wasn't until maybe 20 years later, when I had another dojo, and had moved from this other garage I had, that I said to myself, You know what now's now's the time to change the name. And I wanted to use the word true. I know. It's my last name, but I also wanted to use it. Because it meant true to the art. Absolutely. That's the main reason. So true. Martial Arts Academy. Just happened to be my last name. It's a good last name. Thank you. Great. Yes. Thanks, dad.

Jason Connell: 5:08:21

So what is your rank because we see this a lot and Cobra Kai, even the credit card part to Sato and he was a red belt, like what would be your rank, which is incredible. I love that. You came in full gear today, you got your GI on your belt superficial. So we'll have to take a photo and post it for our fans, but maybe speak to that.

Sensei Jim True: 5:08:40

Absolutely. My rank is an eighth degree or a hunchy. Don. And that's taken 45 years of my life to get to and I hold on six Don, a sixth degree in weapons. And a third degree in Pistole jujitsu, which is a street defense jujitsu against knife attacks, gun, empty hand, that type. So those are the ranks that I have, as well as an instructional rank in Tai Chi and in sword work ei toe. Wow. That's impressive. But it's a lifetime endeavor.

Jason Connell: 5:09:14

Yeah. Yeah. What would your life had been like without martial arts? Completely different? Yeah, this has taken most of your life, you know, your body of work. It's like, it's, it's your calling?

Sensei Jim True: 5:09:23

It is. You know, I often wonder about that. I just can't fathom where I would be, you know, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have any of the things that I have, or the experiences I've had with the kids, adults, whoever it might be. So I'm blessed to have that ability to do what I love. And to do it in my pajamas.

Jason Connell: 5:09:43

You know, I mean, you were still going through the pandemic on the Zoom classes, if I'm not mistaken. Right, right. Dojo didn't miss a beat.

Sensei Jim True: 5:09:50

Now, you know, the pandemic came. I was like, Oh, my goodness, what am I going to do exactly just like hundreds and 1000s of other people. And I realized, we've got to stream things. I've got to get up with Zoom and find out how to do this and I'm glad I can be creative and that's what I did and and through all the hours of kids being on Zoom for school, even though they had to be on assume for another hour for karate. It was that creative, wild, fun, let loose type of zoom that the kids could relate to. And the parents loved it.

Jason Connell: 5:10:22

That is great. And I know looking at your website and seeing some of the about us and the team that behind you, you've had students from teenagers, and they're in their 40s and up still in your class, and it contributing to the class. Is that correct? That is

Sensei Jim True: 5:10:36

correct. Yeah. I have guys that have been with me since 1982. Right. Wow. And now I'm teaching his son. I have other guys that have been with me since 84. And they're up to seventh degree black belt now, you know, and they're still training.

Jason Connell: 5:10:51

It's a family. It's a family affair.

Sensei Jim True: 5:10:52

It is it is, in fact that this weekend, we're doing a little get together for one of the guys that is going through some things and he was one of the guys that trained back in the 80s. And I was able to get 16 of the guys from the 80s to come back. Oh, my God, you know, and they all said, well, since I'll have to find a GI. I'm not sure if I can do a Kapha. I said, Don't worry, doesn't matter. We're going to show up. We're going to have some fun. This reminds me

Jason Connell: 5:11:16

of that scene from Cobra Kai. They get Tommy out of the hospital and the gangs back together. Right. I love it. Yeah. So at your dojo in the 80s, like you just said, you were training some kids at two and they're still with you. So when the Karate Kid, the original, the wonderful film comes out, do you see an influx? And students? Did it have a change in effect? Because I know being younger, I was like, Oh, my gosh, I bet put karate on my radar.

Sensei Jim True: 5:11:43

Absolutely. When it came out. It was that the Ninja Turtles that big boom, right? Yeah, that that just spurred people on. And I think the Karate Kid brought in more of the adult population as well. Okay, as well as the younger, younger kids. But it was definitely an influx in in attendance and growth. And it brought a little more insight to what karate is, or what the benefits of karate are. If you go back to the 80s and you look in a phone book, and you look up a karate ad. What is it? You usually see if you can remember?

Jason Connell: 5:12:16

Yeah, not much. It's like a Johnny Lawrence wrote it in kick ass.

Sensei Jim True: 5:12:19

Exactly. Right. It's another guy punch in another guy. Yeah, that was the logo. I think Karate Kid changed a lot of that, or, and so I never used that logo. You know, as an ad. Yeah. I always had something where an instructor looked like an instructor helping a younger person.

Jason Connell: 5:12:37

That's great. Yeah. Mentoring. Yeah, that movie just touched so many notes for me and the wonderful character, Mr. Miyagi. And that's really the core of it all. Yes, seek of this way. And if there's a better way in life, and it's beautiful movie, there wasn't a shortage of ninja movies in the 80s. There's tons of those. And those are fun. They have their place. Yes. But yeah, the Karate Kid, for it to come out and have the staying power. Even before the Cobra Kai, which is incredible. The show emerges. They made a sequel, which was a good movie, a different movie, a beautiful in its own right. The third movie could have been better. There's moments. There's some villains that are paying off now. But it didn't tarnish the legacy the movie held, I would revisit it every five years and be like, Man, that movie still works. So for them to come out and make Cobra Kai blew my mind since hmm. And I was an early adopter. I was going I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Put it on, hooked. And I was telling all my friends in LA, you're gonna hear about this show. You're gonna know I never knew Netflix was gonna come on and blow it up and make the number one show. But tell me your path to finding Cobra Kai.

Sensei Jim True: 5:13:45

Yeah, I didn't know it existed. And I heard some of the kids or teens be like, Cobra Kai, I'm like, Cobra Kai that rings a bell. And I was back with the Karate Kid. And they're like, No, Sensei, is a show. I'm like a show. Yeah, it's you know, it's it's like the Karate Kid. Only nowadays. I'm like, yeah, yeah, sure. Right. Exactly. So I didn't put it on right away. And then I did. And I was hooked. I was like, I'm just gonna watch the next episode. The next episode, what's going to happen? What's going on?

Jason Connell: 5:14:17

Yeah. And to see them bring the characters back and continue on and they're still growing and learning as adults. Adults don't know everything. And that's a great way to see it. Like we can learn from kids. I'm sure you as an instructor with as much knowledge as you have. You're surprised sometimes by someone new or way to look at something. So kudos to the showrunners I'm, I love the show, and I want to see it last as long as it needs to last before it gets watered down hope right? One or two more seasons goes out on top. And maybe they make a new movie. You never know. Right? That could be a new Karate Kid movie in the spirit of that. And that leads me to the next Karate Kid. Some people forget there was a fourth movie and the reason that there's a connection because Mr. Miyagi is in that movie without him there's no Danielson but, and they filmed it in Massachusetts. So it really felt foreign to me. I was like, Ah, I don't know this seems like they're just jumping the shark. Who is this girl Karate Kid. it so I kind of dismissed it right. And years later I became to appreciate it more. And now I think that Cobra Kai is on a path to maybe get Julie, Hilary Swank into Cobra Kai and and now to kind of connect those worlds even more. So now that I live out here, it's like, oh, Julie's house is over here. And I want to do an on location episode. And so that led me to you and your dojo, because you have a connection to the movie.

Sensei Jim True: 5:15:38

I do have a connection to the movie. I was in the movie, The Next Karate Kid, but I got left on the cutting room floor. It happens. It happens. But it was an amazing experience. And I had about seven other students who we all went and did a tryout for. And they got in the movie and they were in some of the scenes some of the prom scenes. Yeah. Seen out on the athletic field. Some of the fight scenes. Yeah.

Jason Connell: 5:16:02

Michael Ironside. There's

Sensei Jim True: 5:16:03

tons of stats around Yeah, yeah. And then one of my guys who will be there this weekend, since a Donnie, he did the stand in driving parts of when Mr. Miyagi was driving from one place to another. He had some standing parts for him.

Jason Connell: 5:16:18

Oh my god, it's pretty cool. Since let's go back. Tell me about the scene that was on the cutting room floor. Okay.

Sensei Jim True: 5:16:24

When I tell people they're like thinking, since he's in his GI, he's got a karate episode where he's got to fight or something like that. Yeah. And I say, Well, I was actually a biker. And they wanted to be in the scene at the bowling alley. Yes. Over at Boston bowl. Yep. Over in Dorchester. Yeah, and that was an amazing place back then. Because we start our day, probably around 7am how to get there early, you know, you're hanging out, and they're setting up and so we're in the bowling alley, but we're in the pool room where they have all the pool tables. And the monks are supposed to walk down the corridor and it's all glass looking out from the pool room and we're supposed to look across the table and out the glass and be like what's going on you know make some gestures and so they had me and Richard Burns dressed up his bikers with leather jackets and jeans and all that Ash and to my surprise and in a fun little bit is they had a biker chicks so they had girls in their dresses as biker chicks and and they were hanging all over us.

Jason Connell: 5:17:32

This is like the same as big adventures it's great love this

Sensei Jim True: 5:17:35

they were shooting pool and ensure enough and it's take after take so it's yeah, let's do it again. Let's do it again. And the monks walked by and I'm supposed to be breaking with the pool cue and then I stop I look and put my hands up and souls a lot fun doing that. And then would take a break. And during the break who comes into shoe pool. Hilary Swank, Mr. Miyagi, Mr. Miyagi? Course. Right. Pat Merida. Yeah. So Pat's in there, and we got to play. He was good pool player. And we didn't talk that much. But just like casual conversation, you know, stuff like that. So it was a real good experience. It was a lot of fun.

Jason Connell: 5:18:13

Was your scene supposed to get more escalated, though, and you were going to confront the monk. So it was just that quick exchange.

Sensei Jim True: 5:18:18

Now it was just that quick exchange, and then they were on the way down the hallway to go bowling,

Jason Connell: 5:18:22

right? Yeah, maybe someday those special episodes, special features extras have pop out on a DVD or Blu ray or something.

Sensei Jim True: 5:18:29

If anybody out there has access to that. cutting room floor footage, please. Contact Jason. please do send it his way.

Jason Connell: 5:18:38

So do you have any photos of you dressed up on set and like that outfit?

Sensei Jim True: 5:18:42

I don't. Okay, I don't. You know, we did a photo shoot. After the movie at the dojo with all of us. Yeah, that's the one that I have hanging in the dojo. So explain that one. That one's great. So all the students that I had in the movie are standing there, you know, we're posing or shooting off a sidekick or something like that. And just a snapshot of us from 1993. You know, starring in the movie,

Jason Connell: 5:19:07

and what was the headline, something some reference to like, local karate kids or something? Something

Sensei Jim True: 5:19:12

like that. i And yeah, local karate Academy stars in Next Karate Kid. Yeah.

Jason Connell: 5:19:17

So good. So some of the scenes that he talked about, like the group scene. I've seen the movie a few times. Now the Michael Ironsides like, you know, doing almost Cobra Kai type training, there is no Cobra Kai in the next card. He can correct clear, but there are kind of that aura, if you will. He trains them really tough. And they really are like vigilantes at the high school. Although everyone looks like they're post college. Everybody. It's ridiculous. Right? So what will your students doing? Were they in some of the scenes that he's grabbing them grappling with them and

Sensei Jim True: 5:19:45

being physical. They were in a lot of the scenes where they were just standing around and then interacting with the athletics and then the prom scene. I think there was some pushing and shoving. Yeah, I think one of them Stevie got to be in a fight scene. Okay, just a bit. Okay. And I don't think any of them had any dialogue, but they all had a great experience.

Jason Connell: 5:20:04

Yeah, there's not a ton of fighting in that movie, which I definitely recognize. There's no all Valley there's none of that stuff going on. And I was like skimming through it one day after you told Tell me that your students were in this I can't there's not that many of these fight sequences. This leads to that at the very end, but it's only a few people, like you said, so. But what a neat experience for your dojo and everybody and I'm sure did that movie also helped propel more students to come in because it was shot in Massachusetts, and it was The Next Karate Kid, or

Sensei Jim True: 5:20:31

I'm sure it did. And not as many, like I said, as the Karate Kid or the Ninja Turtles. Yeah, I think at that point, some of the boom had, you know, reached its peak, and any movie that's out there, that portrays karate or martial arts in, in a good healthy way for parents to see for kids to see, that's a bonus, you know, really, what we want to do is educate people, right? And educate them in a way to get an understanding of what the benefits of martial arts are. It's, believe me, I love to see an epic fight scene, you know, or sword fight scene or whatever it is. Just give me action, action action. I love that. But one of the things that I noticed about Cobra Kai, and you can think of it as when it relates to the Karate Kid, for sure. Because that's where it all started, is the energy. And what the energy is, is really about it and think of it as ying and yang. Right? It said hard, soft, good and evil. And for me, I also take into account I really don't think about it was a good day or a bad day, I think about the outcome. You know, what was the outcome of the day? And how did that help me? And so I take a look at the scenes are what episode? And then what's the outcome of that episode? You know, where did it take us? Where did that energy take us? Did Johnny make the mistake of going down to to see crease and get his butt kicked? So those are some good questions. And I think the more we can look at that, and look at where the energy is really moving us. Yeah, that's

Jason Connell: 5:22:04

interesting, very good points. And I know dojos are sometimes primarily yours is probably a good mix. But a lot of times kids make up the size and members of a dojo. And here we have this younger generation who don't even really know I'm sure parents are educating kids like know, there was this Karate Kid, this existed in the 80s. All they know is Cobra Kai. Right. But what a great show to kind of continue this education to your point. They really do handle that in the right way. There's not too many crazy fights, a lot of times it's in all valley where it's controlled. Yes, there's lots of bullying. Absolutely. But at least I confront that issue you had on, and I think it was always there as a mainstay in the credit card universe. But what do you see from students? Do you see them all gravitating towards it? Do you have these types of conversations? Or do you hear them? Or do you address it?

Sensei Jim True: 5:22:53

I do all the time. And it's interesting, because I would say 80% of the kids who like Cobra

Jason Connell: 5:22:58

Kai, right, totally

Sensei Jim True: 5:23:00

no mercy, let's go. And I'm like, that's not how it is. Right? Yeah. But then we go, Okay, if that's what you want to do, let's do that for today. You know, and then we train hard. And I tell them, I tell them all the things that it should be, you know, in terms of how to take it to that level. But an interesting thing was, I was driving home the other day, I pull into the neighborhood. I slow down to see my neighbor. I said, How you doing? He says good is his son is is out there with a lawn mower or something. He stops. He says, You know, Jim teaches karate, you'd like to do karate. And the kid looks at his dad. And then the dad says, you know, like Cobra Kai. Oh, and the kid shakes his head lights up, right lights up. And I look at him. I said, So what do you want me to teach you? br Guido or Cobra Kai. And the kid pauses. He looks at me he goes, Cobra Kai. So I go, okay, Cobra

Jason Connell: 5:23:53

Kai is a gym. You can teach him both.

Sensei Jim True: 5:23:56

Yeah. But yeah, he would never know. I'm teaching him the underlying rules and Miyagi dough. Yeah, through. That's what's

Jason Connell: 5:24:05

so interesting about the show, too, is Johnny lost control of Cobra Kai. But he's more open to change. And Daniel who set in his ways is more open to change. And we saw a lot of that this last season, which was amazing. So yeah, you don't need to be hardwired into one way. Like you said, Yin and Yang, you can learn from both. And if you're in tournament fighting, you can't just stay on the defense all the time, it's good to have both look for opening score point. You're not trying to kill your opponent, unless it's a battle to the death. But what were your thoughts from where the show started and where it is now and where it potentially will go?

Sensei Jim True: 5:24:36

I like how it's taking you episode by episode season by season. Yeah, to where it's where there is that change that sense of cross training? Yeah. You know, like I mentioned earlier, I strongly believe in that. My instructor encouraged me to go out and try other styles. I always came back to him. Yeah, but I did try and I did look at them openly to see what they would offer and what they had and I would take what they had that would benefit me or benefit students. And we plug that in. So yeah, I like how it's going. I like getting each one of them Johnny and Daniel Santu to open up a bit to the other you So I want to see where that leads to and in what the like I said what the outcome is going to be.

Jason Connell: 5:25:19

I've always loved to see well since Cobra Kai showed before that I didn't see them as friends, but now I love to see them working together. I really do. I hate that they're one step forward, two steps back, but now they seem to be more than ever more open to change. They both evolved they came from what it's also great to learn their backgrounds in absolutely Johnny think he's like the rich kid, but he had his issues right and that Daniel had his lost his father, very young, single mother. Now he's thriving. But is he really he's got some demons in his own closet. So it's been amazing. See, and even crease as soon as you close the door on him. There's a crack because you kind of feel like, gosh, that guy. He's great. Right? And then they bring terror Silverback. So what do you think will happen with Cobra Kai dojo? What are your predictions since a gym? Or do you have oh,

Sensei Jim True: 5:26:05

I'm gonna have to say I don't have any predictions. Right. Okay. I just want to wait and see. Yeah, exactly. I think it'll be interesting. I want to see, like you said crease crack a bit more. Right. You know, while human beings? Yeah. So is that going to come out? You know, how does it come out? They've already alluded to different flashbacks and things like that. And so it'd be interesting to see a little more of his inner workings, where it's gonna go. I'm looking forward to it. There

Jason Connell: 5:26:34

may be no coming back for Terry silver, he might have been the ultimate bad guy. Like, he taught Chris and then kept going. So he's methodical. And he's got money. deep pockets help. Absolutely.

Sensei Jim True: 5:26:45

Yeah. I don't think I saw that one coming. No, yeah, he was

Jason Connell: 5:26:49

way ahead playing chess with crease. So whenever the show doesn't, it's been a glorious run. And I think all great shows have to come to an end, you can revisit them and there could be a spin off this, it could be a prequel, lots of things. Well, one show that I have thought about for the last two years, because I think it's gonna happen is a show called Miyagi. And you go back to the origins of Miyagi dough, it can be called Miyagi dough. But it goes back to Miyagi, even before he's born, or he's very young, and him and Sato and this almost more kind of harkening back to Kung Fu, it would be a very different vibe. And you could shoot it in Okinawa or Hawaii, like they did karate kid part two, but I think a show like that could happen. And that's just going to help a more positive continue the positive story for martial arts, because that type of show would touch that note, and it can be a little bit less about bullying and just about the principles of following karate and life, which so I'm fascinated by it. I'm ready for that show to launch. That'd be awesome. And I think it's gonna happen. I do know, probably be some other things here and there. But what did you think just have to ask when they redid the Karate Kid with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith? Did you enjoy that one? Did you see that one?

Sensei Jim True: 5:28:00

So on my way out of the dojo last night, okay, the guys were talking, and they were talking about that. Oh, wow. And so I paused a bit to listen. One of them I could hear say, Oh, I love the new one. Because it showed this, this and that. And I'm like, Well, yeah, it's no one was okay. Yeah, I mean, my heart's with the old one, the original. But it had some interesting things, it had a different way to look at things, a different way to do things. It took it more into our time. Right? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Those are big things to think about with martial arts, you know, think about how long martial arts has been around? Yes. And think about the climate, the Times socio economic things that are going on in those times, hundreds of years ago, and how martial arts techniques related to them. And now think about how we are today, and how we have to adjust those martial art techniques to work for things today in terms of attacks or bullying, or whatever it might be. There's adjustments. And so I think that's kind of the movie took you had a little step towards that. But I still liked the original.

Jason Connell: 5:29:10

Yeah, I almost thought it didn't need to have the name. But at the same time, it probably helped because it did do well at the box office. And there was a drought for Karate Kid film. So that was part of the idea was probably like, well launch this and maybe we'll we'll get another one and another one. It just didn't happen. But there was some cool visuals and I liked the fact that it was in China. And it was some really cool aspects to it.

Sensei Jim True: 5:29:29

It was tough. Being kung fu it was.

Jason Connell: 5:29:34

Yeah, it's not the Kung Fu kid. Is it? Right? And then people were always asking me well, was Jackie Chan Miyagi? Oh, no, no, no, no, no, it's it's a bit confusing for sure. But I had to ask. Well, I mean, we have covered it since I Jim, I have had such a great time. Such a pleasure having you on the show today. I'm looking forward to having one if not more of your students on maybe I'll get the one you mentioned earlier to come on and talk about his experiences in The Next Karate Kid. Anything else? You want to leave our listeners with fans of Cobra Kai fans of martial arts, any words of wisdom?

Sensei Jim True: 5:30:06

You know, if you've ever had that desire to do martial arts, no matter what your age, go for it. If you're older you want to do something that softer, you can go into Tai Chi, if you had some karate in the past, pick it up again, give it another try. If you have a child that is interested in sports or is struggling in an area, and martial arts can help with the discipline and the focus, put them in it. And that's what I would say, you know, explore the martial arts, there's so many martial arts out there. But do your homework, go watch a class, see what the instructor is like, see what the class is like, see what the class is like for your child's age group. And then go look at the next level. Because you want to see the progression. You want to see what your child can become, you know, where's the leadership skills that are in there. And at the true martial arts academy, that's what we try to do try to create leaders, or give them leadership skills or what I call life skills. You know, every kid that comes in, gets one of those imaginary toolboxes, right, I tell them, they have a toolbox, and it's a life skills toolbox. And I'm going to fill it, we're going to fill it with the front kick, with the punch with the back face, you know, with everything you need, but I'm also going to fill it with life skills, and how to use those. And if you need it, great. If you don't need it, that's fine. But don't just leave it in the toolbox. Take it out from time to time polish it. Right? Yes. Or whatever you have to do. Keep it working. Don't let it rust and keep that with you.

Jason Connell: 5:31:37

That is great advice and say, Jim, and what is the URL the website people could go to in the Boston area? Massachusetts area?

Sensei Jim True: 5:31:44

Yep, the website is true martial arts academy.com. Okay, so you can check us out there. Great.

Jason Connell: 5:31:51

That is fantastic. What a pleasure. Thank you again, we may have you back on you never know as we get deeper into Cobra Kai season five and six and beyond excellent. But it has been a pleasure and stick around after I do my signing off. I'll have you take that special line that Sal usually ends the show with but it's all yours. Great. So unlock your confidence and always use the right tools for the job with manscaped get 20% off and free shipping with the code Cobra kai@manscaped.com So thank you so much for listening and please be sure to subscribe to the let's talk Cobra Kai podcast as well as the let's talk Cobra Kai YouTube Live Channel. You can also really help us by giving the show a five star rating on Apple podcast. And for all you listeners that enjoy sharing your thoughts you can leave us a review on Apple podcast, send us a direct message or post a comment on any let's talk Cobra Kai social media platform. If you're a dedicated listener or viewer of Let's Talk Cobra Kai, please consider supporting the show on Patreon. We also highly recommend checking out our other podcast and visiting just curious media.com Since a gem true, take it away.

Sensei Jim True: 5:32:55

No Mercy