Edmond Man Moving To Acting After Winning 3 Straight World Championships In Karate

Ethic Dejaun is a three-time world champion in karate. But that third championship was by far his toughest. 

Dejaun has been in martial arts pretty much his entire life.

“So, I originally started when I was 8. And I got beat up a little bit in training, so I quit. I was like, ‘I do not like it; I don’t like getting hit in the face.’ And then probably about four years later I picked it back up,” Dejaun said. 

Dejaun eventually got serious in the sport and in 2018 and 2019 went to the world tournament in Orlando at the Disney Resort. He estimated about 20 to 25 countries are represented. It was his first time attending the competition and he won both years. 

The 2020 tournament was canceled, so Dejaun tried his hand in MMA. He won his match but ruptured his pancreas. 

 After a misdiagnosis doctors informed Dejuan how serious the injury was and told him he would never compete again. But in 2021 Dejaun did compete and won his third world title. 

Because of the injury and the level of competition this was by far the toughest of all the tournaments for him. 

“It’s different like they fight for real. Like they’re trying to hurt you. So, they don’t follow the rules they’re just there trying to be violent.” Dejaun said. 

Dejaun said after three wins it’s time to retire from competition and pursue acting, his other passion, He knows it would be tough to do them both. 

“It’s really a hard balance because you have to manage your schedule. It’s like if you’re on the set all day, when do you have time to workout? So, I was having to get up super early to work out or I was having to train super late,” Dejaun said. 

He is now totally focused on his acting career and has landed a role in the movie Reagan, being filmed in Guthrie, Oklahoma. He plays the part of Sal, one of the former president’s best football friends. 

Dejaun recently moved to Atlanta for more acting opportunities and said it is really paying off.