Japanese Karate Sensei Watches "Karate Kid" For The FIRST Time! 

Thanks for the compliments at 9:12 and 9:29.... Yeah, I was already a black belt in 1983...You know I'm the one doing the crane kick on the beach too, right?

For a whole generation of martial artists (not just karateka), this movie had an immense influence - it still does to this day.

All of Mr. Miyagi stunts were done by Fumio Demura, I trained with him years ago. Amazing teacher!

I love the ‘he’s a high schooler’ reaction. It shows that he has a heart, but also that he’s terrified of Kreese. Side note: There’s a generation of kids that grew up with it even if they didn’t see it in theaters because it was in regular rotation on tv for two decades. They showed it regularly on basic cable. It was go-to because it was so easy to find. This was esp true of the first 2 movies.

“Pat Morita was a truly generous actor, a gifted comic, and an even greater friend. It was both my honor and privilege to have worked with him and create a bit of cinema magic together. My life is all the richer for having known him. I will miss his genuine friendship. Forever my Sensei,” Ralph Macchio

The fight choreographer has a background in Tang Soo Do. He's also the referee in the final fight. To say a lot of kids joined karate classes after this film was released would be an understatement.

When he mentioned Tang Soo Do 8:57 that literally made my day. I trained in Tang Soo Do for 10 years and am a 3rd degree black belt(Sam Dan). I’ve actually had the privilege to meet Master Y.D. Kim at a testing before and hearing him just mentioning it really brought a smile to my face.

My Sensei, Fumio Damura, is the stunt double for Pat Moriarti. And other referees were at the corner judges throughout tournament scenes. Gary Hallenbeck, Doug and his dad Dan Ivan.

My Japanese mother was surprised at how incredibly Japanese this movie is, including the frustrating way the teacher doesn't explain things, but expects his student to figure things out for himself. What is explained, but why is not. People complained about the remake, but despite my fears, the remake was as Chinese as the original was Japanese, and that's a good thing.

I’m 45 and still get huge goosebumps at the kick shows great showmanship when Johnny hands him the trophy 🏆 at the end of the film “you’re alright LaRusso”

Great video! Okay. I have to point this out. The character of Johnny and Daniel highlighted two different karate philosophies/styles. In my research into the movie and how the actors were trained this is true. From what I discovered the actor William Z was trained to have more of a Korean flair. While the actor Ralph M was trained to look more Okinawan. Also, I grew up in the eighties and my Dad was a karate Sensei. Well more than just a Sensei he was legitimate Judan in karate with forty years of karate training and studying before his untimely passing on the island of Okinawa in 2013. These two fighting styles were very prevalent in the 60’s- 90’s tournament scene. Especially the 1980’s. So when the Sensei makes the comment after Johnny does a crescent kick that “I do not know why Hollywood likes that kick so much?” I want to say it represents a very popular kick in tournaments at that time with Korean style fighters. In my opinion it was included due to its popularity and the need to distinguish the two different systems. This kick is in my experience is a signature technique of Korean stylist at the time. I hope this sheds some light on why it might have been used so much for this movie.

I never realized Daniel's second point in the final against Johnny is the move Miyagi used to smack Daniel into reality when he was doing his Ali impression! Never would've realized that if I didn't watch this! Great video!! Great subliminal payoff by the writer and filmmakers! Thanks KDwaKu!

When Mr. Miyagi saved Daniel by the fence is still one of the best theater whole audience cheer moments I ever experienced.

I'm middle aged man now and yet even these brief scenes you have edited in here still are enough to get me pumped and emotional. This movie had such a huge impact on my childhood; I watched it so many times. It must be embedded into the fibers of my psyche.

Karate kid 2 is my favorite. I was stationed in Atsugi while in the Navy. Even though KK2 is on Okinawa I still loved the scenery, reminding me if my time in Japan.

Very cool to watch you on this. I lived in Japan for 3 years, and grew up on this movie and really appreciate your responses here. You really noticed authentic details, the subtleties and the heart the characters. I think you see why so many of us fell in love with this movie.

Nothing better than the karate kid part one

After all these years that music still gives me goosebumps. Trying not to tear up over my lost youth.

Loved how quickly you recognized the legit talent, Darryl Vidal, in the big tournament. lol "that guy's good" Definitely shows a smoothness and grace in his movements that comes from confidence, knowlege, and a ton of practice.

I ended up training in kyokushin karate a little after this came out. (I was in grade 4) Spent about six years until I was in the middle years of high school. The extreme level of fitness I got from that, the discipline, and the spiritual side (Zen mostly, and a few others that ended up expanding through Bushido to Wabi Sabi along the way) have been the foundation of my life. Not to mention my senpai was an incredible person. Very influential and inspiring to young me... Now that I'm disabled and every day is pain and difficulty, without that grounding I would have terminally given up by now. It's a cheesy movie. But it was a pivotal one nonetheless. ... I'm going to binge watch your other videos on the series. Your insights were great, and even just the pure reaction parts were equally enjoyable. ... I actually caught a fly chopstick style with two ball point pens when I was a teenager. It was witnessed by others... But then, flies are big here in Australia and can be kind of sluggish... Maybe I just got lucky.

My grandfather was about the same height and build as Pat Morita. Same receding hairline too and goatee too. Although my grandpa wasn’t Okinawan he had a similar way to Mr. Miyagi. I miss him so much.

Yes, you're right: Cobra Kai is Tang Soo Do. Miyagi-Do is mainly Goju-Ryu. People have actually put a fair amount of research and investigation into these movies to come up with this.

As a major fan of this franchise. I love hearing your interpretation on both the Karate used and Japanese translation! So rad!

I was OBSESSED with this movie as a kid. My dad wouldn’t enroll me in Karate but I bought karate kid pajamas with the headband and wore them everywhere 😂😂. I thought I knew karate because of this movie lol

“That guys good! That guys good! He’s on a whole different level above the rest” Vidal is a real life black belt before the movie. So he’s legit!

Bruce Lee, Enter The Dragon, 1973, "Never take your eyes off your opponent, even when you bow." One of the most repeated quotes from the movie, along with "With feeling". The young disciple character was called Lau and he went on to become a well respected martial artist and film actor.

The movement at 9:15 is the best I have ever watched. I have watched this movie many times but only realized this now. Thanks for this wonderful sharing.

This was a really great commentary. You can tell you know your stuff by how professional you speak about it. And I’ll admit, I still got chills watching that final scene.

i love how you mentioned "the kindness in his heart" when kreese told johnny to sweep the leg. even the actor was trying to convey that even he noticed this was wrong, but went with it anyways. it was the facial expression and slight muscle jerk in his cheeks that gave it away for me

After seeing Karate Kid as a child, I enrolled in Shotokan Karate that same summer with some of my friends. Good times ;)

As good as the first film is, my favourite is part 2. It really goes to a new level with the fight scenes, how Daniel's relationship with Miyagi grows and evolves... And Tamlyn Tomita is just gorgeous.

Love this video! The Karate Kid movies meant so much to be growing up. Definitely made me want to get into Karate, but the motivation didn't get me passed a yellow belt haha. I look forward to watching more videos! ❤

Can't wait to see reaction for Karate Kid 2. Takes place in Okinawa

The ending of this movie always , as you watched as well , I just got the chills big time and teared up for a second. It’s more than a movie . I was 11 when it came out and I’ve lost so many friends and family since then . It’s a portal /time machine to my youth . Back to a simpler time . Idk, I’m nostalgic by heart and sentimental af so this reaction is typical for me . Thanks , just getting over covid and needed this .

Karate Kid 2 is my favorite!! Great channel! Thanks for being on here!

I LOVE these movies! And Cobra Kai 😁 As another person stated, it was nice that you didn’t pick it apart… instead just observed the moves and gave us some insight into the karate world and Japanese culture. These movies are amazing and have SO much depth to them 🥰

The stunts for Pat Morita were done by Fumio Demura.

The Choreography was never going to stand the test of time, but the character building lessons in the script and the character development is timeless

I really liked your take on the film without ruining it!!! Thank you for that!

Thank you for doing this, so much. It's AMAZING to get the cultural insight you provide, almost as much as you calling out the strikes.

The actor that played Mr Miyagi is from around here, graduated Armijo High School, & worked where I work now. He's a local hero. Incredible life story, was put in internment camp as a child during WW2. Sad chapter of American history.

I practiced Shotokan Karate for several years, and ended up living in Okinawa. My daughter is a black belt and has traveled quite a bit for competitions. Proud of her.

Well done! I enjoyed this very much and would love to see more videos with part 2 and 3.

Brilliant video. Really enjoyed the insight

I heard in Japan, the Karate kid movies are called "Best Kid"

That guy you said was the best was Darryl Vidal. He played Mr. Miyagi in the fence ambush scene and was a first degree black belt at the time. He is now a grandmaster and runs his own kenpo karate school in Cali.

I’m glad you actually enjoyed the movie. I thought you would tear it to pieces. This movie is still great after all these years.

ive come back to watch more of these reactions! i find them fascinating :) you notice little things and give insights into the culture that arent explained in the films

the thing i loved about demura's fighting as mr miyagi, is it's very simplistic, none of his kicks are fancy, super high, etc, and most of his movements are very tightly constrained etc

The ref is also the fight coordinator Pat Johnson who was on Chuck Norris competition team. So basically cobra kai is Tang Soo Do which explains the heavy kick style.

i REALLY ENJOYED THIS, THANK YOU :)

Great video and nice to see your reaction as an expert. The guy you pointed out as the best in the competition was in fact an actual competitor and not an actor so you were spot on. Thank you for you video and reaction . It was most entertaining.

One of my favorite actors was Pat Morita. He was a great comedic actor.

I truly appreciate you not calling out every mistake or fake. You analyzed it very well. Your input on the different scenes were great. I started out in Judo as a child, then moved to boxing, then Tai Kwon Do, Finally finishing in Grand Master Simon's Kung Fu. Of all the arts I did, Kung Fu was by far the most enjoyable and for sure the most challenging and tiring. Attention to detal in Kung Fu was very intense. I have not seen your content prior to this. I will be watching a lot more now. New-Sub. Thank you for this.

This was fabulous. Thanks.

Great commentary. I'd like to see more for sure. Karate is one of my favorite styles for many reasons, specifically Shotokan.

I really enjoyed your commentary. I can imagine it would be easy for an experienced guy like you to pick this movie apart, but I appreciate that you didn’t. My generation grew up loving this and now the next generation loves the Cobra Kai series. Keep doing your thing, I’ll keep watching.

This film made an impact in my life and was a reason why I practice Martial Arts.

So nice that you respectfully watch and not made fun of the movie. Respect 👏

this is fantastic to watch so love karate kid , ty for sharing x

This film was hugely influential at the time. I am Dutch (now living in the UK) and it inspired so many kids to take up either karate or the in Holland more populair judo. I often wondered how authentic the moves in the films were, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Cobra Kai is highly enjoyable too, with lots of great call-backs.

I watched this movie at a New Jersey theater when I was 7 years old. This movie really did spawn a karate boom in the US. I ended up doing taking tae kwon do because of this movie.

This is very well done, and the commentary was nice how moves were validated.

Just watched your reaction video. I usually don’t like reaction videos but when it’s not fake it’s actually interesting. You got a new subscriber outta me 💪🙏🙏🙏

I would LOVE to see you breakdown the entire Karate Kid franchise including the Cobra Kai spin-off. Karate Kid definitely influenced me to study martial arts and will always have a special place in my heart.

8:24 In a "Behind the scenes" special, they explained that they had 3 teams training separately for the choreography in the movie, Larusso, Cobra-kai and the rest, so when they met in the tournament scenes they really looked different.

This was great, well done \m/

I’m sure you’ve helped many people with learning martial arts. I took tai kwan do which helped me so much. Good luck with your channel

Karate Kid 2 is my favorite, the whole mending of a family rivalry and friendship, as well as the culture and traditions Daniel furthermore learns to understand and respect.

I just want to say that you remind me of a younger version of Mr. Miyagi and I appreciate seeing your reaction to him, my Dad lived in Japan for a few years and brought back some great energy and it’s interesting and most important to hear your perspective, regarding your culture and with Karate, thanks so much for sharing.

i LOVED this! subscribed!

Love your videos great job 💪🏽😊

It's good to see reactions from a real karate sensei to learn how much the moves are accurate here

Oh yeah, everyone i knew got in to karate at this time. What an absolutely amazing time to be a teenager in that era.

Yo this is your breakout video ! Love the vibes man

Loved this! Do more

I remember watching it here in South Africa at the cinema in 1984 , I then had time left and watched it again ! Arnold Vossloo 's "Boetie gan border toe "also He was later in the Mummy !

I enjoyed watching you enjoy and I'm glad you didn't mock it or make fun of it. Great video by you and one of my all time favorite movies ever!! Thanks!!

Love your analysis!!!❤️

Thank you for doing this and I would like to see more

Great perspective. Most people my age (49) grew up with this saga... classic. Love seeing a new generation around the world enjoy it.

Hello, I just turned 47 & I've been practicing martial arts for quite a long time. I have a 3rd Dan in TKD, I've practiced MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Tai, Hapkido, Kick Boxing, Korean Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, and I've competed in full contact tournaments, and have many trophies. I don't feel that you gave this film the full credit it deserves for starters sir. This film should've brought tears to your eyes at the end, there's so much more going on than what's listed in the film bio. I also wanted to point out that even though certain moves weren't part of a system, that doesn't mean that those moves were not used in other disciplines tournaments. I used kicks from Taekwondo in kick boxing matches. Also when it comes to bowing, I would never take my eyes off my opponent, and even though watching the body is good it is not best, you need to see the opponents entire body at all times head to toe. Maybe it's just because of your youth, or my great love for powerful movies like this that I feel wronged by your review, I'm not satisfied with your review, and in my opinion you came off like a know it all. The Karate Kid deserves more props than this, it's a fantastic tale of honor, friendship, courage, and victory!

Enjoyed this😎

Nearly 4000 comments precede this. Still, I had to say how much I enjoyed you sharing your take on "The Karate Kid." As another respondent said, you could have savaged the scenes you remarked on but you were respectful of your audience and I believe you did appreciate the movie. My first viewing of the movie was in the fall of 2021. I tend to be a bit disappointed when I view a blockbuster decades after its first run, but this film did not disappoint. It was a simple story well done. Again, thank you for sharing this with us.

"Pat Morita moves so smooth for his age"... Yeah, he was 52 years old. One year older than Tom Cruise is now.

You’re really close, Yusuke. Cobra Kai was revealed to be based of Tang Soo Do, whereas Miyagi-Do is Goju Ryu based. It’s a fun movie to watch. I personally enjoy Karate Kid 2

Loved this sensei’s reactions! For me, that final kick scene (no matter how effective it really was or not) is one of the greatest cinematic moments ever!

I saw this one when I was a kid more than 20 times. I still love it and I get really emotional every time I see it. It's one of the best movies in life, because it's about friendship, honor, and courage.

"Never take your eyes off your opponent, even when you bow." Bruce Lee "Enter The Dragon"

I laughed at when he said pretty smooth for Pat’s age. I’m 45 and he wasn’t much older than me during this movie!

Hits you right in the feels.

You should definitely check them ALL out. The one with Jayden Smith is very well done also. My absolute favorite is the original one you featured in this video.

"Heave-ho!" is as close as English gets to "Yoisho!", though the meaning isn't one-to-one. "Yoisho" is written in hiragana, so the etymology has likely been lost. But "Heave-ho" comes from the Germanic verb "to lift", so not really the same but it works in this instance.

I love these movies so much. There is so much I learned from them. Even if they bow to formally, it taught me how big respect is by making eye contact. For all that may be wrong in the films I feel there was a lot of good that still came from them. It’s also what pushed me to finally become a martial artist.

Your kindness and generous gentleness makes you strong. Thanks for your review. Ps, the chopsticks scene reminds me of the "Crocodile Dundee" shaving scene, haha.

Outstanding commentary.

The actor that played Vidal is a 3rd degree black belt in real life I believe

I was 16 in 1985 when the movie came out and it remains one of my favorite franchises. Mr Miyagi is stil a real legend, even here in Europe ;)

Awesome commentary!

I really loved hearing yer take on this movie. This is my favorite one of the series. I began to take karate just a few years after this came out, while i was living in florida. I guess i was about 25 when i first started. And my sensei used to call me Karate Kid cause i was originally from New Jersey like Daniel, and i used to love it. Because i had such fast hand speed, he would sometimes use me to demonstrate a new move or technique he wished to show the other students. And i also think he used me because there was no hostility in my heart when it came to sparring. In other words, with my hand speed, I was able to just place my facial strikes near the my opponent's face, without actually hitting him, or only hitting them very lightly. And my sensei was so impressed when he saw me do this, and asked me why i did not follow thru. And i told him that when you are sparring, hits to the body do not escalate the tension so much as hits to the face do. So i told him i would hold back, so that i could focus more on my form and not so much on contact. And i also wished only to show my opponents/fellow-student, that I was fully able to strike them in the face anytime i wanted, but chose not to. Some of the other students eventually picked up on my way of fighting and began to do it themselves. But then one day he told me i had to follow thru in order to see how myself as well as the other students would measure up in a real life street fight, so that he could better measure my progress and theirs. But he always respected the fact that i was so much focused on form. And that is because I love cultures and traditions from other lands, always have. And I simply loved the art itself and i had a great deal of respect for it, and for my instructor as well. Usually, whenever our teacher was working with us, he would stop about halfway during our class, and go into the other room to get a soda. Then, whenever he came back into the Dojo, I would always be the one to say, "Sensei on deck! Kai!" And then we would all come to attention and bow of course. No one else would ever do that but me. And i think that he really loved the fact that I was not all about the physical part of it, but that i was very interested in and respectful of the actual art form itself and showed great courtesy towards him, my fellow students and any other teachers we worked with. While most of the other students were all about points, seeing if they were better than their fellow students, you know stuff like that. I never did advance beyond a yellow belt however. Mostly because i did not stick with it that long. maybe like 5 or 6 months. I really miss doing it now. However, i am 30 years older, disabled and no longer able to practice the moves like i once did. Much respect to you my friend, and what you have achieved.