- Pat E. Johnson of The Karate Kid fame dies at 84
- He was a martial arts expert, actor, and stunt coordinator
- Johnson choreographed iconic fight scenes in The Karate Kid franchise
The Karate Kid’s Pat E. Johnson has passed away at the age of 84 due to natural causes on November 5th at his home in Los Angeles, Califonia. The sad news was shared by his niece, Colleen Mary Johnson Summerville, on her Facebook page.
Pat Johnson was a ninth-degree black belt in American Tang Soo Do and began his career with the last movie made by Bruce Lee before his death, Enter the Dragon. He worked on stunts, but also had a chance to fight alongside John Saxon’s Roper as a gun-wielding thug. After that, he continued working for more than a decade until landing the significant role of choreographing fights in The Karate Kid in 1984.
Ralph Macchio, the lead actor of The Karate Kid, expressed his sorrow for the loss of Pat Johnson, referring to him as a friend, martial arts master, and ultimate cheerleader who inspired him with confidence.
Besides his on-screen presence as the referee in the All Valley Karate Tournament, Johnson was famous for his work behind the scenes, choreographing the fight sequences for the franchise. He even trained with the Cobra Kai actor William Zabka. Johnson never worked on the streaming series Cobra Kai but was part of projects like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mortal Kombat, Batman & Robin, and Punisher: War Zone. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sue, and his three sons, Brett, Garth, Larry, and Erik.