Kevin Lazzari | Special to the Fitzhugh
The Karate Kid is one of the most referenced 80s movies compared to all the movies produced in that time period.
How many times has someone you know said, “Wax on, wax off,” when they are describing a certain skill that demands precise hand-eye coordination? I bet every kid that worked at a car wash in the 80s was told by their supervisor to be like the karate kid.
The movie was made possible because the writer based the story on real life experiences. Robert Mark Kamen was beaten up by a gang of bullies and decided to learn martial arts to defend himself. His first sensei taught martials arts that were to be used for violence and revenge. Robert then decided to study under an instructor that taught a softer style of martial arts. The script must have been easy to write just based on those two instructors alone.
Having studied a few different martial arts I know how great it is to find an instructor that is without ego and there for their students. Your life changes when you find a sensei that shows you how to look at confrontation in a different light. Each karate kid movie has inspired generations of individuals to study martial arts which I find inspirational.
There are five karate kid movies to date and a six in the development stage. The concept still continues with the Cobra Kai TV series with two seasons to its credit. Thirty-six years later we can turn on our TV and see the original stars of the Karate Kid following the original storyline in the hit show Cobra Kai. If you love the Karate Kid movies you have to watch Cobra Kai. Strike first, strike hard, no mercy and go binge watch Cobra Kai.
Kevin Lazzari, owner of Video Stop, is reviewing movies for the Fitzhugh.
Karate Kid (1984) is available on DVD, Blu-ray and for digital download.
