BEHIND THE SCENES AT ENTER THE DOJO
As I pull into a parking spot in front of the worldwide ameri-do-te headquarters, a smile spreads across my face. The dojo door is locked, but that’s OK because a banner sporting a familiar tiger tells me I’m in the right place. I snap a few pix for social media, then drive off to kill time until my appointment with Master Ken.
I return a little early and run into him and his sidekick Todd, who just drove up and are still stuffing burgers and fries into their faces. As I follow them inside, I’m accosted by the aroma of onions, which for some reason does not seem out of place.
A kids class is going on — yes, the tiger’s lair is a functioning martial arts school. We walk by a few Master Ken posters and some custom-made ameri-do-te gear, then take a load off in the office. I get right to the point: “What’s been happening in the world of Enter the Dojo since we shot that Black Belt cover?”
“Well, we’ve released four seasons of the show,” begins Master Ken — I mean, Matt Page. I interrupt him for clarification: “What
I interrupt him for clarification: “What exactly does a ‘season’ mean on YouTube?”
“That’s a good question,” Page replies. “We consider a season to be a set of storylines that include the same characters, which usually means Master Ken’s students. But what has become a lot more visible and more popular are the trending topics, the videos where we comment on things that are happening now. These don’t require
