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Zen Parenting Radio

The Bully of Our Generation: What William Zabka Taught Us (yes, the OG Johnny from The Karate Kid) Episode # 820

Zen Parenting Radio

Todd and Cathy Adams

Education, Philosophy, Parenting, Self-improvement, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

4.8636 Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2025

⏱️ 76 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Cathy and Todd dive into how 80s pop culture—especially the roles played by William Zabka—shaped Gen X’s early ideas about bullying, power, and masculinity. From The Karate Kid’s Johnny Lawrence to Just One of the Guys’ Greg Tolan, Zabka’s characters weren’t just villains—they were cultural blueprints. In this episode, they explore how these archetypes trained us to recognize bullying as loud, obvious, and physical, and why that old model leaves many Gen X parents unequipped to understand the quiet, social cruelty their kids face today. They reflect on Zabka’s surprising return in Cobra Kai, the emotional growth Gen X is still working through, and how we can better support a generation that sees power and empathy very differently.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Remember your defense. Point to come. Concentrate, focus, power. Remember balance. Make goof fight.

0:09.0

The warning to run out of the ring. Once more costly a point.

0:13.0

Angar.

0:14.0

Ready.

0:16.0

Come on.

0:17.0

Guard!

0:18.0

Eight!

0:19.0

Jeez!

0:20.0

Damn! All right, David! eight damn all right

0:23.6

okay

0:24.6

come on

0:25.6

one more

0:26.6

one more

0:28.6

come back on your line

0:31.6

that's one point round kick

0:34.6

eight

0:35.6

oh

0:36.6

oh Daniel you're the best you're the best kid One point round kick. Eight. I can you?

0:38.7

You're the best. You're the best.

0:40.9

Try to be best because you're only a man,

0:43.4

and a man's got to learn to take.

0:45.9

Try to believe, though the going gets wet,

...

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