‘Cobra Kai’ Season 4: Demetri’s All-Valley Karate Weapons Competition Was Originally Completely Different, Gianni DeCenzo Says
Cobra Kai Season 4 presented a new and improved All-Valley Karate Tournament. The competition was the scene of the climax of the original Karate Kid and The Karate Kid Part III, and the season finale of Cobra Kai Season 1. Throughout season 4, the All-Valley board brainstormed ways to improve the annual event. One of their new additions was weapons demonstrations. Demetri (Gianni DeCenzo) got to compete with weapons, but the actor said his original scripted routine was an entirely different weapon.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Cobra Kai Season 4, episode 9.]
DeCenzo spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet by Zoom on Dec. 20. Speaking about his weapons training, DeCenzo described how his All-Valley Karate Tournament scene evolved. Cobra Kai Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
Demetri didn’t original use kamas at the All-Valley Karate Tournament
Cobra Kai Season 4 showed a montage of all the Eagle Fang, Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai competitors demonstrating their weapons. Demetri spun one of his handheld kama blades in his clip.
“I actually requested to do that because originally I think in the script I start training with a sword,” DeCenzo said. “I felt more like doing kamas just because I thought that’s maybe something Demetri would want to check out. It looks like a good balance between the styles. You have the bladed edge which is Cobra Kai and then you have more of the elegant spinning which is kind of more Miyagi-Do. So it was a good mix of the two.”
Gianni DeCenzo spent all season practicing for the All-Valley Karate Tournament
Cobra Kai Season 4 had plenty of fights before the two-part season finale. DeCenzo had all the usual training to do, but he said he spent the entire production getting ready for his All-Valley Karate Tournament routine.
“That routine that I had to do took me so long since the beginning of the show, beginning of filming,” DeCenzo said.
“I would just train that for the full three months. When I got up there, it was like actually doing a performance in front of everyone which was terrifying but it was a lot of fun. So I think people are going to really like it..”
‘Cobra Kai’ Season 4 was Gianni DeCenzo’s first All-Valley Karate Tournament
Demetri did not compete in the All-Valley Karate Tournament in season 1. Demetri only started practicing Karate in season 2 when Miyagi-Do offered free lessons. So the entire All-Valley Karate Tournament sequence in season 4 was intense for him.
“That was, just because we would have to wear the same go and oftentimes stand in the same place,” DeCenzo said. “So it would be confusing like okay, wait. What episode are we filming? What day is this? What’s the scene? But yeah, that was a lot of fun. Getting to fight Robby and especially doing the kamas, that right there.”
