The power of principles and perseverance.
The first Karate Kid movie was released in June 1984, and presently, the story lives on with the new release of Karate Kid: Legends. I recently re-watched The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid Part II with my own kids, and these films were just as good as I remembered. When I was growing up in the ’80s, these films instilled lessons that still resonate. So, in light of the Legends release, I thought it would be fun to pay homage to some classic takes from the originals and point out that Mister Miyagi’s lessons stand the test of time.
Part I
In the first Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso, aka Daniel-san, played by Ralph Macchio, became an unlikely hero empowered by the wit and wisdom of Mister Miyagi, played by the late Pat Morita. A teenager who has recently moved to a new and seemingly unwelcoming neighborhood, Daniel realizes he needs to get stronger both in body and in spirit. Mister Miyagi, after some convincing, agrees to train Daniel in the art of Karate with the very clear message that Karate is for defense only.
Throughout the training process, Mister Miyagi shows Daniel that building strength and finding balance takes time: “First learn stand. Then learn fly.” Daniel discovers that skill development can occur in unexpected ways. One of my favorite scenes shows Daniel, fed up after completing a myriad of chores for Mister Miyagi, arguing that Miyagi is taking advantage of his labor rather than training him. Miyagi calmly replies that “not everything as it seems” and asks Daniel to show him the moves he had been performing (sanding the floor, painting the fence and the house, waxing the car), and it becomes clear that he had developed powerful skills that were now second-nature and directly tied to his training.
Other interesting underlying messages come when Daniel learns to hide in plain sight (using a shower curtain at a costume party) and when he showcases his commitments (donning a Miyagi-Do headband, also known as a Hachimaki). The core message of the film is that everything has a purpose and there is always potential for a lesson to be learned.
Persistence and perseverance (like Daniel’s training for the Karate competition) as well as simply taking a chance (like how Daniel catches a fly using chopsticks) can pay off despite the odds. Mister Miyagi shows Daniel that adversity can lead to advancement, and by stating, “Trust the quality of what you know, not the quantity,” Mister Miyagi makes it clear that despite Daniel’s limited time with training, his understanding of Karate runs deeper and can empower him more than any student at the rival Cobra Kai dojo.
Part II
In Karate Kid Part II, Daniel finds himself again in a new neighborhood, but this time it is in Mister Miyagi’s hometown in Okinawa, Japan. Daniel learns that Miyagi has an honor dispute from decades ago, with his rival Sato. But just as with the first film, not everything is as it seems. For instance, Sato is depicted as the most powerful man on the island, but in truth, his strength is a scam. Upon arriving in Okinawa, Daniel sees a poster in the airport of Sato using Karate to split a log in half and asks Mister Miyagi if he can do that too. Miyagi replies, “Don’t know. Never been attacked by tree.” Later in the movie, when Miyagi goes to Sato’s property to speak with him, we see Sato training on a log that he is clearly unable to split.
Later, when a typhoon rages across the island and Sato becomes trapped under a beam when his house collapses, it is Miyagi’s strength that stands out as he splits the beam, freeing Sato. The bravery that both Miyagi and Daniel demonstrate during the storm results in a change of heart for Sato, but the story doesn’t end there. Sato’s nephew, whose worldview has been corrupted by the teachings of his uncle, challenges Daniel to a battle to the death. In the final scene, it is Daniel’s courage as well as convictions that see him through as he fully adheres to the “two rules of Miyagi-Ryu Karate. Rule number one: Karate for defense only. Rule number two: first learn rule number one.”
Similar themes from the first film are present throughout the sequel, but the core message in Part II is about staying true to one’s values and principles. And Mister Miyagi’s statement—“Not matter who’s stronger. Matter who’s smarter.”—also stands out as being true. After being tested on numerous occasions throughout the movie, Mister Miyagi and Daniel prove their steadfast determination to know what’s right and do what’s right no matter the cost.
One of my favorite movie quotes of all time is in Karate Kid II, and it is when Mister Miyagi warns Daniel: “Never put passion before principle. Even if win, you lose.” This warning is one that all of us could likely do a better job adhering to.
