 " The Fight " was written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg , while Ken Kwapis served as the episode 's director . The episode was the first entry of the series to be written by Stupnitsky and Eisenberg ; it was also Kwapis ' fifth episode directed . The episode guest starred comedian and actor Lance Krall , who portrayed Dwight 's sensei , Ira . B.J. Novak , who portrays Ryan Howard in the series , noted that when the episode was being filmed , the majority of the cast and crew called it " ' Karate ' , or ' The Dojo ' , since the most memorable scenes involve a karate fight . " Novak explained that the episode centered on the effects of procrastination " carried to the nth degree " . However , he noted that it was more memorable as " the episode in which Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson jump @-@ kick each other in public to try to prove a point . " 
