SEAN KANAN UPDATE: American Pride, Chef Inside, a Martial Artist With Success Dignified

NEAR THE BEGINNING of our conversation, Kanan recounted that the first martial arts film he saw was Chuck Norris’ 1980 hit The Octagon. “He was such a badass,” Kanan said. “Years later, my dad attended an event and got me an autographed picture of Chuck that said, ‘Sean, keep on kicking.’ It was a treasure for me. I later did an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger — it was a dream come true to be in a fight scene with Chuck.”

The seed had been planted. By the time he saw in 1984, Kanan was a student of karate under William Stoner. Later, his instructor told him about an incredible martial artist named Fumio Demura. Stoner eventually converted to which is Demura’s style. Around the same time, Kanan learned that the producers of were in