Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece doesn’t only stun the viewers with its visuals and good storyline. It also gets commendations for the actors’ great acting chops, not to mention their fighting skills. To give fans an insight into how they did it, Taz Skylar, who plays the role of Sanji, reveals the intense training he has gone through to perfect his character’s kicks.
Based on Eiichiro Oda’s manga of the same name, the live-action adaptation is now being lauded for breaking Netflix’s curse when adapting famous anime series like Death Note and Cowboy Bebop. The streamer has successfully redeemed itself with One Piece’s success. Hence, it was no surprise that it quickly renewed the show for a second season after just two weeks following its release.
When Jacob Bertrand visited the show’s set, Skylar taught the Cobra Kai star how he mastered Sanji’s fighting skills. When asked what the training had been like, he told him he trained eight hours a day for eight months, surprising Bertrand.
“Every single day during prep, and then when we weren’t in prep, I’d just train eight hours every single day,” Skylar continued. “It was madness.”
The 27-year-old then showed Bertrand one move that they made up based on a breakdance. “Okay, teach it to me,” the Duress star asked. Though he managed to do it, no one could perfectly deliver it like Skylar did.
You can watch a glimpse of their talk in the clip below:
Why does Sanji only use his legs in fighting in One Piece?
Sanji’s fighting style is called the Black Leg Style, which his adoptive father, Zeff, created during his days as a pirate. It was also named after his student’s nickname. This move emphasizes kicks, avoiding using hands to prevent damage during a battle, considering they use them as chefs.
Oda-sensei even supported this claim in an interview with Tudum. “Each of my characters has certain policies and philosophies that they live by,” he said. “Since Sanji is a chef, I figured he would protect the one thing he needs for his trade (to cook), which would be his hands. Naturally, it made sense that he would only use his feet.”
Hence, Sanji knows various kicking techniques and other superior acrobatic skills. He even manages to surpass Zeff’s expertise in it. Though the senior chef is extremely skilled in the Black Leg Style, Sanji's greater fighting experience helps him develop more powerful variations of Zeff’s techniques and invent his own.
After Netflix officially announced the coming of One Piece Season 2, fans will surely see more of Sanji’s fighting style. As he seems to have mastered this move, he may be training less hours this time.
