‘Karate Kid’ ages into martial arts master




‘WAX ON, WAX OFF’—Above, teacher Conrad Ercolono. Below, daughter Raven Ercolono has been practicing karate since she was 3. She’s now 13 and has earned her black belt.

‘WAX ON, WAX OFF’—Above, teacher Conrad Ercolono. Below, daughter Raven Ercolono has been practicing karate since she was 3. She’s now 13 and has earned her black belt.

Westlake resident Conrad Ercolono is a real-life Karate Kid.

Ercolono, a native of the San Fernando Valley, started doing karate in 1983 and now runs a studio in Agoura Hills, Respect Martial Arts.

Shortly after he started taking lessons, he was hired to act as a stunt double for actor Ralph Macchio in the classic 1984 film “The Karate Kid.”

Similar to Macchio’s character in the movie, who famously learned moves using the mantra “wax on, wax off,” Ercolono paid for lessons by cleaning the karate studio.

“In true ‘Karate Kid’ fashion, I was 18, I couldn’t afford lessons, so . . . I ended up cleaning the school in exchange for lessons. I did that for four years to earn my black belt,” Ercolono said. “I actually got involved in martial arts for fitness and something that was mentally stimulating. I wasn’t looking for self-defense per se but an activity to keep in shape.”

Ercolono said his foray into the world of stunt-acting was purely by chance. The stunt coordinator for “The Karate Kid” was visiting local studios to find a stand-in for Macchio, and Ercolono fit the bill.

Courtesy photos

Courtesy photos

He spent three months on the film set but said he didn’t end up in the final cut because Macchio did most of his own stunts.

“My purpose for being there was as part of their insurance on the production. They have to have a stunt stand-in so if (Macchio) gets hurt they can keep filming. They’d have dyed my hair and done back-of-the-head shots and then keep the cameras rolling, but fortunately that never occurred for him,” Ercolono said. “He was quite well-padded in any scene where he was fighting. He was always well-protected, so if anything went sideways he’d have a lower risk of injury. They did invite me to come back for the tournament scenes, which were filmed at (Cal State Northridge).”

Ercolono said he doesn’t tell the story of his involvement very often—he just considered it a “great one-off opportunity.” He never seriously considered getting involved in the film industry beyond that because he wanted to focus on his martial arts career.

He came to the area through a martial arts program at the Spectrum Club in Agoura Hills. The instructor who had been running the program left abruptly in 1995 and Ercolono stepped in to take over.

Shortly after that he started his studio on Canwood Street and has been offering lessons ever since. Ercolono said the pandemic initially presented a challenge for him as a teacher, but he’s learned how to continue teaching his students.

“When the pandemic hit we chose to switch to virtual classes, and we’d been running until the county allowed us to open up, but then they closed us again. It’s interesting to teach a physical art over that kind of medium,” Ercolono said. “You learn a lot about how your words are formed, how thoughts are formed and the person listening to it, how you can actually translate movement and proficiency. We pivoted hard and went to virtual. We were able to keep the school open and running, and now we’re doing the outdoor classes, which present a whole new spin on teaching.”

He said the recent heat waves and fires have presented some difficulties, but they offer a chance to learn the lesson at the heart of karate—overcoming challenges.

“There’s no way I’m going to stop doing this just because it’s not easy. Some days my students skip classes because of the heat or the smoke, but people know we’re here for them to do some kind of activity. So many people are sitting in front of computers for work and school, they really thrive on movement. We thought it was important to be there for them,” Ercolono said.

“The Karate Kid” franchise has seen a resurgence in popularity with the Netflix TV series “Cobra Kai,” which tells the stories of the now-grown characters as they continue their journey in martial arts.

Ercolono said that after the release of “The Karate Kid” in 1984 he observed a boom in popularity for karate and other martial arts.

While the movie was geared toward a young audience, “Cobra Kai” is a little more grown-up, geared to those who saw the first movie in theaters.

Ercolono said he doesn’t expect the series will create newfound popularity in karate, but he hopes that a few parents will feel a sense of nostalgia and encourage their kids to take classes.