Traditional discipline builds modern executive excellence. As the world counts down to the highly anticipated premiere of HBO’s House of the Dragon on June 21st, series creator and showrunner Ryan Condal has issued an official statement honoring his foundational roots right here on our mats.
A dedicated 4th dan black belt, Ryan trained intensively for four years in Santa Monica before heading overseas to helm the massive premium studio franchise. To manage the crushing mental and physical demands of running a multi-million dollar production, Ryan has strictly maintained his traditional practice, training live with Shihan Vassie Naidoo twice a week over Zoom right from his hotel rooms across the Atlantic.
We are incredibly proud of Ryan’s commitment to Fudo-shin (immovable mind) and are honored to share his journey with our global Goju-Ryu Seiwa-Kai family. Check out the full press statement below!
📄 OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: House of the Dragon Karate Routine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HOLLYWOOD SHOWRUNNER CREDITS SANTA MONICA KARATE MASTER FOR CREATIVE FOCUS AHEAD OF ‘HOUSE OF THE DRAGON’ PREMIERE
LOS ANGELES, CA — Shihan Vassie, head instructor of Goju-Ryu Seiwa-Kai Karate-do, is no stranger to Hollywood celebrities. The walls of his dojo are lined with autographed headshots representing decades of community leadership. But a special commendation and exclusive photos from one of television’s biggest showrunners, right as he premieres a new season of his hit series, has highlighted the profound impact of traditional martial arts on high-level creative performance.
Ryan Condal, the co-creator and executive producer of HBO’s global phenomenon House of the Dragon (the acclaimed prequel to Game of Thrones), recently issued a statement highlighting his training lineage ahead of the show’s upcoming Season 3 premiere. The highly anticipated new season is set to air on Sunday, June 21 at 9:00 PM on HBO and Max.
Condal, a 4th dan black belt, trained intensively for four years at Shihan Vassie’s dojo in Santa Monica before heading off to the UK to write and produce the show. Rather than letting his training lapse overseas, Condal has strictly maintained his practice, religiously training with Shihan Vassie twice a week on Zoom, no matter what country he happens to be filming in, right from his hotel room.
Condal explicitly credits Shihan Vassie and Goju-Ryu Seiwa-Kai Karate-do for his mental focus and physical endurance, noting that the traditional discipline is essential for “keeping him fit, keeping him grounded, and keeping him sane” amidst the grueling demands of a major studio production.
Following his attendance at the star-studded world premiere in London on June 8, 2026, Condal shared exclusive event photos with the dojo to celebrate the deep-rooted relationship. Shihan Vassie is sharing this milestone under the House of the Dragon banner across from the new dojo location, and is proud to pass it along to the Goju-Ryu Seiwa-Kai family worldwide to demonstrate how traditional martial arts values seamlessly translate to modern executive excellence.
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