Arnold Schwarzenegger took to social media this week to remember Kiyoshi Yamazaki, who helped Arnold with sword training while he worked on Conan the Barbarian.
Schwarzenegger credits Yamazaki with some of Conan’s success
In a recent tweet, Schwarzenegger reflected on his experience with Yamazaki, who he refers to as “my sensei.” In the tweet, Schwarzenegger said that he doesn’t know if Conan the Barbarian would’ve been as successful as it was if it wasn’t for Yamazaki helping him.
“I just heard the news that my sensei, Kiyoshi Yamazaki, passed away,” said Schwarzenegger in his tweet. “He was a wonderful man and a fantastic teacher who made me believable as Conan the Barbarian with his sword training. When I say no one is self-made, this is what I mean. Who knows if Conan would have been a success if Sensei Yamazki didn’t make my swordplay realistic? He played an important role in my life, he was a dear friend, and my thoughts are with his family.”
Released in 1982, Conan the Barbarian starred Schwarzenegger and James Earl Jones, and told the story of Conan (Schwarzenegger), a warrior who is seeking revenge against Thulsa Doom (Jones), the leader of a cult.
Yamazaki’s work in the world of acting is extensive, serving as sword master on Conan the Barbarian and its follow-up, Conan the Destroyer, as well as on the TV series Conan the Adventurer. Yamazaki also worked on films like DragonHeart, Red Sonja, and even David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune.
Yamazaki also served as the overseas chief instructor and president of Japan Karate-Do Ryobu-Kai, an organization that aims to instruct and teach classical Japanese karate.
