How The Cobra Kai Stunt Doubles Really Feel About The Cast

"Cobra Kai," which picks up where the film franchise of "The Karate Kid" left off 30-plus years ago, centers on the longrunning rivalry between two dojos, Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do. While Cobra Kai teaches a brutal, no-mercy approach, the latter teaches its students a peaceful form of self defense.

The series includes some riveting karate sequences that feature the characters showing off their ever-growing roster of moves. Many of the cast members voluntarily received some outside training in order to make these moments look more believable. For example, Gianni DeCenzo, who portrays nerdy teen and Miyagi-Do student Demetri Alexopoulos, practiced Krav Maga, an Israeli fighting technique. As for his friend-turned-nemesis Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz (Jacob Bertrand), this actor got into Muay Thai. Bertrand said (via CheatSheet), "Specifically for my character, that's what I train more than anything. Hawk is constantly throwing these super brutal elbows. That's what I trained at during the off season."

However, some fighting scenes involve more than just brutal elbows, and are simply too dangerous for the cast to perform themselves. This is when talented stunt doubles are brought in. Two of them are Emmy-nominated Jahnel Curfman and Julia Maggio, who shared their thoughts on standing in for two of the "Cobra Kai" actresses.

In "Cobra Kai," karate isn't just left up to the boys. Two of the fiercest fighters are Tory Nichols (Peyton List, above), a proud pupil of ruthless Cobra Kai instructor John Kreese (Martin Kove), and Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser), daughter of Miyagi-Do sensei Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). Naturally, Tory and Samantha are enemies.

Curfman and Maggio are the stunt doubles of List and Mouser, respectively, and they had nothing but praise for their counterparts. Maggio, who referred to the four as a "dream team," loves that Mouser is into the intense scenes. "I find it easier to stunt double someone when they are passionate about the action as well because then they will want to do the action and they will want to mesh the choreography between her and me really well and create a really good fight scene," Maggio said in an interview with Heavy.

As for Curfman, she applauded List and Mouser for working hard, staying in shape and familiarizing themselves with their characters' preferred weapons, including a bo staff and nunchucks. "That weapon was with them, it didn't matter what scene they were doing. As soon as they yelled cut, they were back in their chairs and they had the weapons with them," she said. Regarding the "Cobra Kai" cast as a whole, Curfman and Maggio are friends with many of the actors and hang out with them off-set. "Like nothing else I have ever experienced on a TV show," said Curfman.