1. Sandra Cash
Professor Buerke
February 1, 2011
1,262 Words
The Original Karate Kid
Have you ever heard someone say “wax on, wax off”? This is from the original Karate Kid. The
movie is entertaining, and well-made. In this modern age, it is hard to find a clean movie that is
also not boring. This movie has been remade four times including the new one that came out
on June 11, 2010. Why has it been remade this many times? It has been remade four times
because this movie has family appropriate humor, it showcases important life lessons, and it is
very interesting to see the relationship grow between a young man and an old man.
The Karate Kid is about a boy named Daniel who gets bullied around by some boys who
know karate. After being beat up a few times, Daniel’s handy man at his apartment complex,
who is a martial arts master, starts to teach Daniel karate. This movie won the 1985 Best
Family Motion Picture according to The Internet Movie Database. It is rated PG, mostly because
of the fighting. After all this movie is about karate, so there is a lot of fighting. Even though
this movie is about karate it is not just a guy movie, everyone will enjoy this movie.
It is very fascinating to see this relationship grow between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi. Here is
Daniel coming from a completely different culture, and is very different from Mr. Miyagi, and
yet they become very close friends. Mr. Miyagi is from Okinawa, so he comes from a different

2. culture. Throughout this movie you watch these to become very close. Daniel will later find
out about Mr. Miyagi’s wife, and Mr. Miyagi will celebrate Daniel’s birthday with him. Over all
you really want Mr. Miyagi become a father figure to Daniel.
This movie has funny parts, even though it’s mostly about karate. For example in one scene,
Daniel walks into a room and sees Mr. Miyagi trying to kill a fly with chopsticks. Daniel asks Mr.
Miyagi “Wouldn't a fly swatter be easier?” Mr. Miyagi replies “Man who catch fly with chopstick
accomplish anything.” Daniel then asks Mr. Miyagi if he has ever caught a fly this way, Mr.
Miyagi says no. Daniel then asks if he can try, Mr. Miyagi gives Daniel a pair of chopsticks to try.
After a couple of tries Daniel catches the fly, Daniel than says “I guess this means I can
accomplish anything right Mr. Miyagi?” Mr. Miyagi says it is just beginner luck and leaves the
room.
Another funny part of this movie is, Daniel is learning about balance so Mr. Miyagi takes him
to a lake in a boat. Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel to stand on the end of the boat and says “Make block,
Left, right. Up, down. Side, side. Breathe in, breathe out. And no scare fish.” For a while Daniel keeps
doing this having great balance. Then Daniel asks Mr. Miyagi “When do I learn how to punch?” Mr.
Miyagi answers “Learn how punch, after you learn how keep dry!” Then Mr. Miyagi rocks the boat,
throwing Daniel into the water.
Not only does this movie clean, and has a few funny parts it also has lessons about there is
more than fighting to solve an answer, trust, and persistence. Once Daniel finds out that Mr.
Miyagi knows karate he asks him to teach him. Mr. Miyagi asks Daniel why he wants to learn
karate Daniel says for revenge. Mr. Miyagi says “Daniel-san, you look revenge that way start by

3. digging two grave.” He goes on to say that “Fighting always last answer to problem, karate for
defense only.” Even before Mr. Miyagi starts to teach Daniel he teaches Daniel the lesson that
fighting is not the answer to solve a problem. Mr. Miyagi keeps up at teaching Daniel this
lesson until Daniel finally understands. This is just one of the lessons through out this movie.
Another lesson in this movie is trust and persistence. Daniel makes a promise that he will
learn from Mr. Miyagi and will do what he says without asking asks questions. Daniel keeps his
promise as best as he can, but also trusts Mr. Miyagi to teach him karate, even though it seems
like Mr. Miyagi is only using him to do chores. Daniel has washed and waxed cars, painted a
fence and Mr. Miyagi’s house not to mention sanded Mr. Miyagi’s deck. Even though these
things do not seem to have anything to do with karate Daniel keeps coming to Mr. Miyagi.
Though after a while Daniel has had enough of doing chores and tells Mr. Miyagi he’s done
doing chores. Mr. Miyagi then tells Daniel to do sand the deck, Daniel does this and Mr. Miyagi
shows him that he has been teaching him defense by having him do those chores. Because
Daniel trusted, and was persistence he did learn karate even if he did not think he was.
During all of this Daniel also learns to respect Mr. Miyagi. During one scene Mr. Miyagi is
drunk and singing. Daniel asks what they are celebrating and Mr. Miyagi tells him they’re
celebrating his anniversary. Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel about his wife and how the last time he saw
her he was in Hawaii. Daniel then asks Mr. Miyagi where his wife is now, and Mr. Miyagi kind of
ignores the questions, instead he shows Daniel a picture of his pregnant wife. Then Mr. Miyagi
goes on to act out how when he was in the war someone told him that his wife and unborn
child died while in childbirth. Mr. Miyagi then cries, and is morning once again for his wife and

4. unborn child he never got to meet. Daniel helps Mr. Miyagi get into bed and tucks him in since
Mr. Miyagi is too drunk to do it himself. This is really when Daniel sees Mr. Miyagi has a real
person and really respects him.
These are just a few examples of the lessons in this movie; there is more if you really look
for them. There are lessons on respecting your elders, patience, courage, balance, and so much
more. This movie is deeper than just a story about a kid who gets beat up, and learns karate.
Now some people will say this movie is not that clean, because Daniel swears. Now this is
true Daniel does swear a few times in the movie, but it’s not just in the movie for no reason! It
is in the movie to show his background; he comes from a bad neighborhood, and that he is
very frustrated. Even though Daniel swears a few times this movie is still a good clean movie.
Also some people will argue that this movie is way too predictable, this is true but it does not
take away from this movie. It seems to be that Americans love movies when the underdog
wins, after all America was the underdog who won the revolutionary war. Based on this it
seems to be a part of the American culture. Even though this movie is predictable, it does not
take away from the story.
Over all this is a wonderfully made clean movie, but also it has wonderful life lessons in it.
The life lessons like trust, respecting your elders, patience, courage, and fighting is not the
answer. It may be a bit predictable, but it is still wonderful! It did not just win the 1985 Best
Family Motion Picture for nothing! This movie never get’s old you can watch it again and again
and never get tired of it.

5. Works Cited
The Internet Movie Database. 2011. 1 February 2011 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/>.
The Karate Kid. Dir. John G. Avildsen. Perf. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. 1984.