The Cigar Sensei
Martin Kove, the bad guy from “Cobra Kai” and The Karate Kid, shows no mercy when he smokes his beloved cigars
He materializes on the screen like the Ghost of Cigars Past, his torch caressing the end of a Bolivar
Belicoso Fino. The broad, craggy smile, the physical confidence and, of course, the Cuban cigar—actor Martin Kove is clearly having a moment. The 74-year-old is riding a late-career updraft, thanks to the international popularity of the surprising smash TV series “Cobra Kai.”
The show, currently streaming its third season on Netflix, revived steely martial-arts master John Kreese, the character from The Karate Kid and its Reagan-era sequels whose catchphrases (“No mercy!” “Sweep the leg!”) put Kove on the map more than 35 years ago, and back in the spotlight …
