Issue 39: Coming (almost) full circle

Ahh-saiiii!!!! 👊🐍

“It felt the same and it felt different at the same time.” -William Christopher Ford

Don’t adjust your calendar, clock, phone, smart watch. It’s Monday. You didn’t just lose several days. Sorry to those who were hoping that it was the end of the week. But as today’s episode contains the number 88, it’s fitting that things would get jumbled into a Dr. Who-like “timey wimey” spaghetti plate of time travel. Moreover, today’s guest is worthy of moving around space and time for a blockbuster episode and a great conversation. He’s an accomplished actor, martial artist, and all around great guy with the heart of Marty, the wisdom of Doc, the brute strength of Biff, and the sci-fi loving geekiness of George. He also happens to be part of another iconic ‘80s franchise that’s right up there with Back to the Future.

I’m chomping at the bit so before we get to the good stuff, a few housekeeping announcements.

1. Today is the last issue before the Thanksgiving holiday. I’ll be back with issue 40 on Friday, December 6th.

2. ***Warning*** Today’s podcast and newsletter contain spoilers for Cobra Kai, season 6, part 2, now streaming on Netflix. If you haven’t watched it yet, go do so now and come back later since time travel hasn’t actually been invented yet.

3. Finally, while we’re still a week and a half away from the holiday, I’m about to travel a little bit into the future so that I can wish you a timely Happy Thanksgiving! 🍷🦃🥔🥧

🪧 Out of office until Friday, December 6th.

-John

Moving Forward 488: Inspiring individuals: William Christopher Ford

I first connected with William Christopher Ford during the pandemic. It was over IG messenger where he mentioned he was a fan of my work from Star Trek: World Enough and Time. That blew my mind as I had been a longtime fan of his from The Karate Kid Part III. We got to talking and he was gracious enough to come on the podcast for a three episode miniseries during fall 2020. Since then we’ve become friends and stayed in touch over the years. I’ve also become a fan of his recent work, including the excellent martial arts docuseries 52 Masters.

Last Wednesday, William came back to talk about his career, both in martial arts and in acting, and to drop a few surprise announcements. Though it had been two years since his last appearance on Moving Forward for the 400th episode, it felt as if no time had passed since then or since 2020 for that matter. As William astutely observes on today’s episode, time is very cyclical and there are certain events from our past that can reprise themselves in surprising ways.

This is certainly true for me. Growing up a fan of both Star Trek and The Karate Kid films, I never imagined I would have any direct connection to either franchise. I missed an opportunity to have George Takei sign a copy of his book when he came to visit my college. Ten years later, I was on set with him portraying a younger version of his iconic Sulu character for the aforementioned Star Trek film. Going back to 1989, I saw The Karate Kid Part III in the theater, then on VHS and cable, so many times that the name Christopher Paul Ford (now William Christopher Ford) who portrayed Cobra Kai henchman Dennis was etched into my memory. Flash forward thirty-plus years later, and we’re geeking out over both franchises on Zoom.

William is an accomplished actor but he is first and foremost a teacher. He’s been a martial arts instructor for decades but it’s more than a fighting or defensive art. There’s a deep mindset and a rich philosophy behind the techniques, something he explores with 52 Masters. On today’s episode, he teaches us the concept of near or “almost” complete circles. Life has a way of bringing us back to moments from our past, yet not to the exact same point and time. Let me explain without delving into quantum physics. College me seeking out George’s autograph was the not the same person as actor me a decade later, when I stepped onto the bridge of the starship Enterprise. Similarly, William tells the story of how when he started acting he nearly landed a role on the soap Santa Barbara as the brother of a character played by famed TV and film veteran, A. Martinez. Thirty-some odd years later, he finally got to share the screen with Martinez for an upcoming film. However, in doing so, William didn’t magically revert back to his wide-eyed youth like he would in an episode of Star Trek. Nor was he meeting the same A. Martinez that worked on Santa Barbara. William, now older, more seasoned, was sharing the screen with a similarly wiser, older A. Martinez. That’s why it’s almost coming full circle. The events that resurface never take you back to exactly where you were years or decades ago. Times change, you change, other people change; yet if you’re blessed, you get a second chance at a missed opportunity or to revisit a once-in-a-lifetime milestone. Almost circles don't happen often but when they do, they’re magical gifts that can put your life in perspective.

Almost circles is also a driving force in our entertainment. Nostalgia has permeated our movie and TV culture to become big business. Callbacks, Easter eggs, reboots, sequels, sidequels, requels all tap into an audience’s inner desire to revisit a beloved place, time, or character. It allows us to correct misteps or tie a bow to a loose ribbon. It has the potential to provide a long overdue sense of completion combined with the excitement of attending a big surprise party. However, it’s not an easy hat trick to pull off. Most franchises fall short when it comes to building off the past with callbacks that feel cheap, trite, and gimmicky.

Cobra Kai is one of the rare franchises that gets it right; not only respecting the source material but elevating it through its storytelling, expanded scope, and world building. Now, with the penultimate part of the last season airing on Netflix, one more legacy character has been invited to the party giving us yet another satisfying bookend. Dennis from The Karate Kid Part III is back. But he’s not the same clean cut twenty-something year old from that 1989 film. He’s older, hardened by life, and not afraid to throw down. Similarly, William brings with him several decades of acting, martial arts training, and wisdom that he’s earned through his blood, sweat, and tears. As he observes on this episode, the circle is almost full but never takes us back to exactly where we started.

Interestingly, as I learned from our first conversation in 2020, William christened his character’s first name. Now, thirty-five years later, he came up with the last name, which has been canonized by the writers. Yet, another loop in the chain of almost complete circles!

I won’t spoil anything further. Listen to the episode to learn more but be sure to watch the show first! For now, just know that life will surprise you in many ways, with loops that will bring back people, places, and plots you never thought you’d get to revisit or ones you just missed out on back in the day. And that, my friends, is one of the great joys of life: experiencing riveting stories, sequels, and the almost full circles from the past.

Watch this week’s episode on Spotify.

Check out my past episodes with William on Moving Forward.

Moving Forward is also available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart, CastBox, Pocket Casts, Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor), and Audible.

Some things I learned about William:

• How William got his start in acting.

• The lifelong influence that the late Sensei Fumio Demura had on him, both as an actor and a martial artist.

• The acting advice he got from a legendary casting director.

• How he came almost full circle meeting his on-screen “brother,” A. Martinez.

• How working on The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai is similar and very different.

• The backstory he wrote for his character, and how he came up with the last name.

Fun quirks (today, you get three for the price of one!):

• Despite being in the public eye as an actor, William suffers from social anxiety. His advice to himself and to anyone listening is to breathe and to remember who you are.

• His favorite way to unwind is with a cup of coffee and a good comic book or book. He also loves nerding out on Star Trek.

• William can’t fall asleep until he rubs his feet together like a cricket. He’s been this way since he was a kid.

Watch the first TV spot for The Karate Kid Part III

Imagine a time before social media and this is how you find out about an upcoming sequel to one of your favorite films.

How I fell in love with The Karate Kid Part III

The sequel that comes (almost) full circle.

Speaking of time travel, let me take you back to May 14, 1989. I’m watching the series finale of Family Ties, a staple sitcom of the decade. I’m taping it on my parents’ VCR. For the uninitiated, picture a device the size of two pizza boxes, as heavy as a refrigerator, that you put tapes into to record shows … sorta like a DVR but more clunky and clumsy; the pinnacle of good ‘80s tech. During one of the commercial breaks, the iconic Columbia Pictures logo flashes, accompanied by the dramatic timber of a few familiar notes.

My jaw drops as I see an all too familiar face: Ralph Macchio as Daniel Larusso from The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid Part II. He’s being accosted by an aggressive fighter sporting a military crew cut named Mike Barnes. He wants Daniel’s title from the All Valley Championship. What follows is a quick succession of clips from the third film in The Karate Kid saga. This first teaser was only 30 seconds but I was floored. Back then there was no internet, no social media, only movie magazines and entertainment news on television. I had no idea that a second sequel was being produced much less set to release in a little over a month.

I was so pumped that it competed for my attention during the remainder of the Family Ties finale. Later, and for the next week, I would replay that teaser, rewinding, slowing it down, and pausing to dissect every grain of story I could piece together from it.

Flash forward to late June. It’s a Friday night; the premiere of The Karate Kid III. I’m sitting down to an early dinner with my parents, agitating them to no end about getting to the theater on time. After what seems like an eternity, we get there, find our seats (middle-right row, couldn’t ask for better) and I’m so hyped that I can barely sit. The lights dim, and I’m chomping at the bit, this being is one of the rare times when I can’t wait for the previews to end, and finally, the lights go out; signaling the start of the movie. I see the same Columbia Pictures logo, this time in its big screen glory as the unmistakable notes of Bill Conti’s iconic theme drums throughout the theater, only darker, more ominous. I’m watching the recap of the first film, a staple storytelling device of ‘80s sequels, and as Martin Kove’s menacing visage comes on screen, I see bright red credits flash at the bottom of the screen. Three of them stick out because they have three names instead of two.

Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, of course, as the iconic Mr. Miyagi, Thomas Ian Griffith who would become synonymous with the iconic Terry Silver, and Christopher Paul Ford [now William Christopher Ford], the silent assassin-like henchman named … Dennis. Ok, but he was badass and trust me, you wouldn’t dare call him “Dennis the Menace” to his face on the playground no matter how tempting. Also, I happen to have once known a childhood bully named Dennis so that name was far more terror-inducing for me than if he had been named “python,” “rattlesnake” or “copperhead,” which let’s face it, would have taken the already outlandish premise of the third installment to GI Joe: The Movie levels of absurdity. With the right actor, an ordinary name can easily evoke fear and intimidation.

As for the film itself, it’s admittedly not the strongest of the three but I absolutely loved it because I had come to the franchise a little late. I missed the first movie in theaters, settling for the Scholastic novelization, which I read a dozen times before finally seeing it on cable and VHS. Later, in 1986, I got to see the second film in theaters but only once. So by the time the third movie came out, I figured this was the last hurrah. As I was about to enter the last year of junior high school, I wanted to savor the moment; never imagining that the franchise would have long legs that would kick its way into a much larger storytelling canvas years later. I would go back to the theater for other genre staples, including Star Trek V, Batman, and Ghostbusters II, but it was The Karate Kid III that got the chain-rewatch with no less than eight Saturday matinees from June into early August.

Skip ahead to today. Cobra Kai under the helm of three talented showrunners who grew up as the most ardent Karate Kid fans have created a Marvel-sized universe; introducing us to new faces while bringing back beloved legacy characters, all woven together through intricate storylines. It has not only expanded the lore but elevated my appreciation of the original films, including the third, by digging deep to create a compelling mythology replete with rich backstories. This show has been the proverbial high tide that has raised the original trilogy’s ships. Notably, the third movie has become the lynchpin from which the show’s creators have expanded Cobra Kai’s lore from season four onward. There’s a satisfactory irony that characters like Terry Silver and Dennis De Guzman (it only took 35 years to find out his last name), who may have been considered too over the top for a small 1980s Karate Kid world on the big screen are so appropos in the larger universe that’s grown out of the small screen in the 2020s.

Yes, I’m still a fan and love that these characters can come back to give us stories that we crave. It occurred to me as I was speaking to William last week, listening to him share some of the surprises awaiting Cobra Kai fans, that I was feeling the same excitement I felt all those years ago watching that teaser in May, 1989. Yet it wasn’t exactly the same. The almost full circle was hearing it from the man, the actor, the martial artist behind Dennis; someone who I’ve come to know and respect as a friend. His excitement and enthusiasm for his journey coming almost full circle is infectious, and will make you appreciate how wonderful moments from the past can revisit you in ways you never expected.

Connect with William

• Instagram

• YouTube

  • Series: 52 Masters

  • Documentary: The Last Dojo

• Watch Cobra Kai, season 6, part 2, now streaming on Netflix

Available now at my bookstore on Pangobooks

Had to fit in another legend in this action-packed issue so check out this week’s book by Captain Kirk himself.

Quirky reads 📚

Speaking of books, here are some titles I’ve been reading lately.

[Affiliate disclosure: these are affiliate links to Amazon through which I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.]

• Christine by Stephen King (****)

• My Heart Will Find You by Jude Deveraux (not yet reviewed).

Follow me on Goodreads for book recommendations and to see what else I’m reading.

Upcoming (December 12, 2024)

Start the holidays with a cool side hustle that will allow you to get rid of one too many ugly Christmas sweaters, socks, shirts, pants, hoodies, and more.

Resources

Teach a man to fish, you know the rest (if you don’t, check these out).

• Book a coaching call with me on Clarity.

• Follow me on Goodreads for book recommendations.

• Check out one of my favorite daily newsletters Morning Brew (affiliate referral link).

Books

I wrote most of these so spruce up your home library and look smart in the process.

• The Poshmark Guide for Individuals and Small Businesses (Paperback, Kindle, Audible) 

• The Poshmark Guide for Individuals and Small Businesses (Apple audiobooks)

• The Poshmark Journal for Individuals and Small Businesses

• The Corporate Cliches Adult Coloring Book

• I Am a Professional Metalhead (audiobook) (Audible affiliate link) written by Angelo Spenillo, narrated by John Lim

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