“The Karate Kid” Ripples throughout Cultures after 40…

The anniversary of “The Karate Kid’s” release is June 22, 1982. In 2018 “Cobra Kai” made “The Karate Kid” reborn and revived. It reminded the film’s fans of the relevance while introducing that to GenZ and Millennials. They hadn’t connected the presumed YouTube excerpts of “wax on, wax off” and Miyagi’s pithy thoughts to the whole story. Considering “Cobra Kai,” watching the Go Ju Ryo (the action martial style which was used) action is great. Being older than GenZ viewers and fans of I’m hungrier for the aphoristic nuggets behind the karate action than the action.

In my 50s my memories of “The Karate Kid” from 1982 probably aren’t from the cinema! I was 10 when it came out; I hadn’t “discovered” girls, I had gutter-level self-esteem and self-confidence (I desperately could have used a Mr. Miyagi!) I don’t remember going to it. So I probably found it years later on VHS. Not being at a theater or even a friend’s apartment, I didn’t have the group experience of watching the story, and Daniel’s path of growth.

According to Life.com “In the early 1980s, karate wasn’t cool. Aliens were cool: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial broke box office records in 1982, and the original Star Wars trilogy wrapped to wild fanfare in 1983. Hunky boxers, barbarians, and (oddly enough) archaeologists were cool, as flicks from Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Harrison Ford filled the multiplexes.”

According to Den of Geek, “The Karate Kid changed the way martial arts films were perceived. It demonstrated that the martial arts genre could deliver wholesome family entertainment, as well as good box office returns. …The Karate Kid was the sleeper hit of the year, and it made Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) into crane-kicking icons. 

We all need, even yearn for a Mr. Miyagi. In the film, after Lawrence has swept LaRusso’s leg, in the locker room with Mr. Miyagi, his goal isn’t defeat, vengeance. It’s balance. It’s to face Lawrence and not having him as a recurring foe. The last act argument Danel to Miyagi resonates because his argument isn’t about ego. It’s not selfism.

It’s balance. Between the 1980s and 2010, and the rousing success LaRusso has, and the ne’er-do-well Lawrence, remains relevant between eras. According to “The Los Angeles Times,” ”Thirty years after the epic tournament that capped “The Karate Kid,” original headliners and nemeses Ralph Macchio and William Zabka are back for a belated round two. Reprising their roles from the iconic ‘80s franchise, the fictional adversaries will return to the dojo in “Cobra Kai,” a new series coming to YouTube Red in 2018.”

Nearly two generations after the 1982 release, from 2018 to 2025 that bet paid off; in content production that is a helluva ride! The film and the series hold the Miyagi-verse as fans call it. Were this a stool, it’s legs would be Stillness, Repetition, Transfiguration, and Mercy. 

According to Life.com, “it turned out The Karate Kid did have a few things in common with past blockbusters. Daniel and Miyagi’s relationship echoed that of Rocky Balboa and trainer Mickey Goldmill. It recalled the lovable battle of wills between Luke Skywalker and Miyagi-like Jedi Master Yoda.”

Maybe resembling a similarly odd couple, those who were 16-years-old in 1982 and those who were that age in 2018 share something. In 2026 between the ages of 66 and 23, the Miyagi vantage point holds.