Several of my students recently competed in a karate tournament and in getting ready for the  competition, we decided to watch one of the best karate movies ever, The Karate Kid.  With the  re-release of this movie looming, I wanted to add my opinions here in Kungfu-topia.  Having  spoken with August (possibly the biggest Karate Kid fan I know) about this release and I have  mixed feelings.  First, the original Karate Kid was not broken.  They got it right.  If you want to  see how wrong a remake can go, just check out Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid.

Second, the kid in this rerelease doesn’t learn karate.  Taking the name just to make money from the Karate Kid loyal seems terribly wrong.

Still, there is hope.  I always loved the way the original presents the art of karate.  It is more than fighting.  Those who train for understanding, for the art, emerge victorious over those focusing only on the martial.  August told me he is excited to see a movie released to do this again for a new generation.  The previews look promising in this regard.

The jury is still out.  I will report back after I have seen the film.  Nothing can replace the original.  It will remain required reading for my karate school where I quote the movie at least once per class.  This brings up my final point, The Karate Kid is one of the most quotable movies of all time.  Be it Kreese or Miyagi, there are dozens of quotable quotes that echo through the decades.

-Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don’t forget to breathe, very important.

-STRIKE FIRST, STRIKE HARD, NO MERCY SIR!

-We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. Here, in the streets, in competition: A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy.

-Get him a body bag! Yeah!

On that note, what are your favorite Karate Kid quotes?  Everytime I watch it, I hear a new one.  I am excited to hear from you kungfu-topians.  Also, once you have seen the new release, let me know what you think.

No more for today.  Come back soon.  Start early.