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The Cobra Kai cast members have become martial artists by virtue of training for five seasons on the show. Already in season 2, the young cast were able to perform the epic high school fight in the season finale. However, Jacob Bertrand, who plays Hawk on Cobra Kai, said the high school fight wasn’t even the hardest fight he’s had. 

'Cobra Kai' cast member Jacob Bertrand sits backwards on a chair
Jacob Bertrand | Irvin Rivera

Bertrand spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet by phone on Dec. 20. With season 4 hitting Netflix and season 5 already in the can, Betrand revealed his toughest fight. And it’s one you’ve already seen. 

On ‘Cobra Kai’, Hawk already had a tougher fight in season 2

Don’t get Betrand wrong. The high school fight was up there. 

“The high school fight in season 2 was really hard just because it was a big oner and everyone had to be 100% completely up to speed with everything,” Bertrand said. “No mistakes could be made.”

However, in an earlier Cobra Kai Season 2 episode, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) makes the students play war games at Coyote Creek. 

“In the Coyote Creek, the fight I have against Miguel, it was so freezing, it was so, so cold, it was muddy and slippery,” Bertrand said. “It’s just really, really hard conditions for a fight. That, I will say, is probably the hardest to do just in terms of being able to do the choreography in the mud and the leaves and it was so, so freezing. I want to say it was like 20something degrees and I’m just wearing a little long sleeve and Xolo [Maridueña]’s in a little long sleeve. I think the cold is probably the hardest factor in that.”

The whole ‘Cobra Kai’ cast competed in the All-Valley Karate Tournament in season 4

Season 4 devoted its last two episodes to the All-Valley Karate Tournament. Understandable, since the winner would decide who gets to keep teaching Karate in the Valley, and also because there are now three dojos worth of students competing. 

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Just to put it in perspective, in the first season, we were at the All-Valley three days. In the fourth season, we were at the All-Valley for two weeks. Even being there for two weeks, it felt like we needed more time. There was just so much going on. We were there for two episodes. There’s so much going on. It was very hectic but we got all of it done and it was definitely sort of a rallying cry of everyone getting together, buckling down. We’re like all right, we’re doing this together. It was a really fun time. There’s bonding in the whole mutual struggle. We’re all learning crazy fights and just trying to do our best and remember choreo, not get punched in the face so it was a very fond memory.

Jacob Bertrand, interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, 12/20/21

Hawk and Jacob Bertrand’s skills increase every season

Perhaps the fights didn’t actually get easier after season 2. But rather, Bertrand and the Cobra Kai cast got better. So whatever they have in store for season 5, the actors can handle it. 

“I  think it’s just becoming more and more comfortable,” Bertrand said. “Getting the flow down to the choreography. I will say first starting off, choreography was decently difficult for me to remember, but as seasons go on, just working so much choreography over and over again, you start to be able to retain that and work at that muscle memory more. Be able to just pick up things quicker. That’s the biggest thing I noticed is I can pick up choreography a lot quicker now than when I first started. That’s probably been the nicest thing is just working at that memory skill a lot. There’s definitely been a big change from season 1 to now, for sure.”

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