Martin Kove, the actor who played the merciless, leg-sweeping Sensei John Kreese in the original “The Karate Kid” movie, is a cigar aficionado who is considered a cigar sensei by his Hollywood friends. A few years ago, Kove was asked to reprise his role as Kreese in the TV series “Cobra Kai.” Martin jumped on the opportunity especially since his character smoked cigars. Aside from being a cigar aficionado, Kove holds a black belt in karate. Plus, he is the “go-to” guy when his co-star Ralph Macchio and other cast and set members want to know about cigars. He has been smoking cigars for several decades and has become somewhat of a walking, talking cigar encyclopedia, and he loves to impart cigar wisdom, when he isn’t dishing out punches and kicks. Kove is partial to Cuban cigars, but he also likes
Arturo Fuente and
Camacho.