Music N' More: The Karate Kid 1984

The Karate Kid

One of my favorite movies! I don't know how they could call the new film The Karate Kid. Anyone who knows martial arts would know that karate is a martial art native to JAPAN rather than CHINA! Karate is Japanese, not Chinese. People keep mixing these 2 together!!

-1984 martial arts romantic drama directed by John G. Avildsen
-Stars Ralph Maccio as Daniel, Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita

Did You Know?
-Mr. Miyagi is named for Chogun Miyagi, who became the forerunner of karate and jiujistu in Okinawa, Japan
-The song Miyagi sings while drunk are bits and pieces of a Japanese folk song he heard as a child
-During the scene where Miyagi is celebrating an anniversary, he reveals that he was a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This team was made up of mostly Japanese American men who were interned in the camps. This team became the most highly known and highly decorated unit in the history of the American military system.

-The medal Mr. Miyagi has is a Medal of Honor, the highest decoration awarded by the US. It's trademark look are the blue ribbon and the word "valor" on it. In real life, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team had 21 Medal of Honor recipients, including Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye. This team also was awarded 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 56 Silver Stars, 4,000 Bronze Stars, 9486 Purple Hearts

Plot
-Daniel LaRusso(Ralph Maccio) is a high school senior who moves with his mother (Randee Heller), from Newark, New Jersey to Reseda, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California. They share an apartment building with a resident handyman who is an eccentric, yet kind and humble immigrant from Okinawa named Mr. Miyagi(Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita)

-At his school, Daniel befriends Ali Mills(Elisabeth Shue), who is an attractive cheerleader, while at the same time annoying and making her arrogant boyfriend Johnny Lawrence(William Zabka) extremely angry. Johnny studies martial arts at the local Cobra Kai dojo, he is the best student there, where he is taught a vicious, unlawful, unethical form of martial arts. Daniel knows a little karate from books and classes at the YMCA, but this is not enough to defeat Johnny. Thus, Johnny and his friends take every opportunity to torment Daniel.

-One day, Mr. Miyagi witnesses Daniel getting beaten up, so he intervenes and single handedly beats all five boys with no problem. Stunned, Daniel asks if Mr. Miyagi could be his teacher. He refuses, but goes with Daniel to the Cobra Kai dojo to resolve the fight. They approach the sensei(teacher in Japanese), John Kreese(Martin Kove), an ex-Special Forces Vietnam Vet who simply laughs at the idea of mercy. Kreese and Miyagi agree to a match between Daniel and Johnny in 2 months at the All Valley Karate Tournament. Miyagi requests that the bullying of Daniel stop while he trains. Kreese has his students leave Daniel alone, and if Daniel doesn't show, the beating will contiune and Miyagi will be a victim

-Miyagi becomes a teacher and slowly, but surely, a father figure for him. He starts Daniel training by having him perform various yardwork jobs, such as waxing a car, sanding a wooden floor, painting a fence and painting Miyagi's house. Each chore is followed with a specific movement. Slowly, but surely, Daniel learns karate through these movements. As Danile trains more, his bond with Miyagi grows. He learns that Miyagi lost his son and wife in childbirth at the Manzanar internment camp while he was serving overseas during WWII in the US Army. The loss of his family coupled with Daniel's loss of his father makes the bond grow stronger. He also finds that Miyagi was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor againt Germans in Europe. Through the training, Danile learns not only karate, but lessons in life such as the importance of balance, referenced in martial arts. Daniel applies these lessons to help strengthen the relationship between him and Ali

-At the tournament, Daniel shocks everyone by reaching the semi-finals. Johnny advances to the finals, scoring 3 points against a skilled opponent. Kresse tells Bobby Brown, one of his more compassionate students and one of the least vicious, to disble Daniel with an attack to the knee. Bobby does, reluctantly and it injures Daniel. As Daniel is lying on the ground in pain, Bobby apologizes before being pulled away. Daniel is taken to the locker room to be checked out, with the doctor saying he can't finish. Miyagi assures him that he has proven his worth, but Daniel believes that if he does not continue, his bullies will have gotten the best of him. He asks Miyagi to use a pain suppression technique to allow him to finish. Johnny is about to be declared winner until Daniel hobbles into the ring. The Tournament is a back and forth problem; Johnny and Daniel can't win. At one point, Daniel succeeds in performing a scissor kick, tripping Johnny, and delivering a blow to the back of the head, giving Johnny a nose bleed.

-Kreese tells Johnny to sweep Daniel's injured leg. Johnny looks scared at the order, but does so. Despite what has happened, Daniel gets up each time. At last, Daniel and Johnny are tied, with the next point declaring the winner. Daniel, now barely able to stand, takes on "The Crane", a move he learned from watching Mr. Miyagi performing on the beach during his training. The referee blows the whistle and Daniel jumps and does a kick to Johnny's chin, winning the match. After being impressed, Johnny takes the Master of Ceremonies trophy and hands it to Daniel personally, with Mr. Miyagi looking proudly at Daniel as he celebrates