Reality Exploits - Reality TV

My Exclusive Interview with Bruce Kanegai of Survivor: Panama

by Lynn on April 2nd, 2007

On Thursday, I was fortunate enough to get to have a great coversation with Bruce from Survivor: Panama. He was one of my favorites that season and proved to be as interesting and warm on the phone as he seemed on the show.

The conversation covered everything from his harrowing ordeal, being taken from the island with intestinal blockage just in time to save his life, to the two nights of complete isolation and hardship of Exile Island and many other things in between. You’ll also want to hear what he has to say about this season’s twists and the castaways on Fiji.

Bruce is a very accomplished person even without his having been on Survivor. Here’s what his CBS bio has to say about him:

Bruce Kanegai is a third generation Japanese American who grew up in Los Angeles. During the 1960s, he received the Boy Scout rank of Eagle Scout and the rank of Black Belt from the Shotokan Karate School. Kanegai received his Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Northridge. He also received his teaching credentials for the State of California.

Kanegai recently retired from teaching art at Simi Valley High School after 34 years and over 10,000 students. He had been awarded “Teacher of the Year” from The International Rotary Club, The Bravo Award from the Los Angeles Music Center, The Amgen Corporation, The Pasadena Art Center College of Design and the Otis/Parsons Art School.

Kanegai is a fifth-degree black belt in karate and has taught more than 7,000 students over about 40 years. In 1967, he was a member of the first US karate team to visit Japan. In 2000, Kanegai was promoted to the highest ranking black belt in the Shotokan Karate of America. In 2004, he was a judge at Shotokan’s 40th Anniversary celebration in France. Recently he finished writing a book on the 50-year history of Shotokan Karate of America and donated all the proceeds to his karate organization. He also was on hand to celebrate the 50-year World Celebration of Shotokan Karate in Santa Barbara, California. Twelve countries participated in the event.

Kanegai’s latest charitable efforts include an appearance at a golf tournament for the Pearls of Hope Cancer Foundation, as well as a black-tie dinner and auction for the Simi Valley Free Clinic. His future guest appearances will benefit World Vision in Toronto, Canada, the Hollenbeck Youth Program and two different cancer organizations.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Kanegai was a top backpacking instructor for Moorpark Community College, the Yosemite Institute and many private organizations. Some of his backpacking highlights include hiking the entire state of Oregon and, in 1980, setting a new record of running the 220-mile John Muir Trail from Mount Whitney to Yosemite National Park.

From 1978-1992, Kanegai was a POST (Police Officer Survival Training) Instructor in California. Under the Downey-Roth System, Kanegai assisted in teaching police instructors arrest and control techniques, weapon retention and the side-handle baton.

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POSTED IN: Interviews, Reality Stars, Survivor