14/41

Avildsen shot hours of tournament footage from multiple angles

Synopsis

Decades after their 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament match, middle-aged Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence find themselves once again as martial arts competitors. During the filming of the original Karate Kid, the late director John G. The crew behind Cobra Kai dug through the studio vault and found a bunch of never-before-seen clips that they were able to bring into the series through flashbacks. One of them features Zabka’s real-life mother in the stands in various angles that weren’t seen until 2018.

Ralph Macchio told Uproxx that there are three brand-new angles to the famous crane kick

Many people believe that Miyagi’s name on his tombstone is a continuity error, as in Karate Kid 4 (1994) his name is listed as Keisuke, but it was actually previously shown on a sign that Chozen gave him in Karate Kid 2 (1986) as Nariyoshi. This means that The Next Karate Kid changed his name, while Cobra Kai kept the name he was previously given. Another interesting fact, however, is that the name given in Karate Kid Part II was not the original first name given to him. Miyagi.

I can’t believe how much I enjoyed Cobra Kai

In the film Karate Kid (1984), Miyagi’s first name is briefly shown on the dog tags attached to the keys to the 1948 Ford that Daniel was given as a birthday present, indicating that Miyagi’s first name is Hideo. Featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Anthony Mackie/Ralph Macchio/Kiry Shabazz (2018). I originally thought this was going to be some kind of kids show. It’s not, every fan of the original trilogy will love this.

He’s an absolute star here!

It’s set 34 years after the events of the first movie and the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It follows the down-on-his-luck Johnny Lawrence (William Zavala) as he tries to get his life back on track and opens the famous Cobra Kai dojo. This reignites his rivalry with the successful Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). I can’t say enough about how good Zabka is here.

I promise you’ll love it!

It’s a shame he hasn’t become a bigger star over the years because he seems like he could deliver here. Again, if you’re a fan of the original trilogy, watch this. I look forward to more seasons in the future.