Today’s guest is someone whose story hits just as hard as his roundhouse kick.

You may know him as Dennis de Guzman from The Karate Kid Part III and Cobra Kai, but that’s just one chapter of who he is.

William Christopher-Ford began training in martial arts at the age of seven and is now a 5th-degree black belt in Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate, a lifelong teacher, and the founder of Kaizen Dojo Academy in Torrance, California. His work is rooted in the philosophy of Kaizen, which holds that small, consistent improvements lead to meaningful and lasting change.

Beyond acting and martial arts, he’s a storyteller, filmmaker, and mentor focused on helping people build confidence, discipline, and purpose through continual growth.

This episode of The Blue Stiley Podcast is sponsored by Dubin Law Group—a firm built on gratitude, empathy, and compassion. Founded by Matthew Dubin, Dubin Law Group has been fighting for the rights of injured clients for decades. Learn more at dubinlawoffice.com

Show Flow

00:15 Building Confidence in a Social World

01:19 Meet William Christopher-Ford

05:34 Early Influences and Martial Arts Journey

11:49 The Impact of Instructors

16:18 Teaching Philosophy and Student Development

29:10 Discovering Hidden Gems

29:28 Karate Kid Audition Story

30:44 Initial Reactions to Cobra Kai

32:14 Joining Cobra Kai

34:24 Impact of Karate Kid Franchise

41:58 Running the Kaizen Dojo

44:00 Reconnecting with Cast Members

48:01 Lessons from Martial Arts

53:33 Words Have Power

56:32 Future Projects and Final Thoughts