Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Custom image by Milica Djordjevic.
The martial arts sensei Mr. Miyagi was an essential figure in the life of Daniel LaRusso, who passed on essential lessons that he carried forward into Cobra Kai. While audiences first saw Mr. Miyagi as a maintenance man at the teenage Daniel’s apartment complex, throughout The Karate Kid franchise, he was revealed to be a highly skilled fighter who practiced the peaceful ways of Miyagi-Do. While many will know Mr. Miyagi’s famous quote of “wax on, wax off,” this was just the beginning when it came to this wise old mentor's essential lessons.
Daniel LaRusso learned many lessons from Mr. Miyagi that he taught to his own Miyagi-Do students through each season of Cobra Kai. While the more aggressive ideologies of rival senseis like Johnny Lawrence and John Kreese may have their merits, Mr. Miyagi’s non-violent and stoic philosophy has been the most consistent aspect of the entire franchise across film and television. While Mr. Miyagi’s actor, Pat Morita, had sadly already passed away by the time Cobra Kai began, his legacy looms large across the series.
10 Balance Is The Key To Success
Mr. Miyagi believed balance is essential
When Mr. Miyagi first took a young Daniel LaRusso under his wing in The Karate Kid, one of his most important lessons was on the importance of balance. Mr. Miyagi’s words of wisdom extolled that balance was not just essential for success in martial arts but was something that he should endeavor to achieve in all aspects of his life. This was encapsulated in his quote: “Balance is key. Balance good, karate good. Everything good. Balance bad, better pack up, go home. Understand?”
It was clear from the very beginning of Cobra Kai that Daniel carried this lesson forward his entire life and lived with a mantra appreciating the importance of balance. This was seen in the way Daniel balanced his relationship with his wife Amanda and two children, Samantha and Anthony; his work as the owner of a successful car dealership; and his newfound career as the sensei of Miyagi-Do, a dojo that takes its name from the lessons learned from Mr. Miyagi.
9 Patience Is A Virtue
Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel the value of patience
Few quotes are more famous in the Miyagiverse than the phrase “wax on, wax off,” which was a simple idea that Mr. Miyagi used to teach Daniel LaRusso the importance of patience in The Karate Kid. Although Daniel was at first frustrated by his mentor's training methods, which saw him continually wax a series of classic sports cars, by the time he got to his final confrontation, it was clear he had learned important lessons in the ways of martial arts.
By listening to Mr. Miyagi’s advice on the importance of patience and listening to a wise mentor’s guidance, he had subconsciously gained the fighting skills needed to emerge victorious. This was certainly something Daniel carried forward throughout his life, which was seen in the way he taught these very same lessons to his new martial arts students in Miyagi-Do on Cobra Kai.
8 Hard Work Pays Off
Mr. Miyagi believed in hard work
Another important lesson Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel LaRusso was based around the importance of hard work and that even if one does not feel like they are on track to achieve their goals, if they put the work in, they’ll get there in the end. Mr. Miyagi taught this to Daniel through his direction of “paint the fence,” a lesson that at first seemed like his wise old leader was trying to get free chores out of his young student but soon became essential in him overcoming adversaries like Johnny Lawrence at the Under 18 All-Valley Karate Championship tournament.
Much like the famous ethos of “wax on, wax off,” the idea that continually painting a fence will teach students the hand movements and skills needed to be a great fighter had serious merit. Daniel carried this idea forward into Miyagi-Do as he knowingly smiled when his new students, much like him before them, lamented that this work was pointless. However, the hard work always paid off, and those who took the time to heed this wise piece of Miyagi-Do knowledge always benefited from this lesson.
7 Focus On Defense Over Offense
Mr. Miyagi believed violence should be a last resort
While there were many differences between the peaceful teachings of Mr. Miyagi and the aggressive tactics of the Cobra Kai dojo, the most essential of these was a focus on defense over offense. Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel that violence should always be used as a last resort and that to become a true martial arts master, he must focus on defense. This alternate approach gave Daniel an edge against his opponents, who often valued brute force over the clever calculation of a defense-based approach.
This central difference in fighting philosophies carried forward into Cobra Kai and has been the most consistent source of conflict between Daniel and Johnny Lawrence. While the duo were once enemies, they also found value in each other's opposing ideologies and found ways to work together when Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do merged. Although Daniel has occasionally embraced Johnny’s more aggressive stance, he never lost sight of the defense-based practices he learned from Mr. Miyagi.
6 Respect For Others Is Essential
Mr. Miyagi even showed respect to his enemies
Custom Image by Dhruv Sharma.
Despite being a highly skilled fighter who was able to take out John Kreese and the rest of Cobra Kai's students with ease in The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi always showed respect for others. As a sensei of great dignity, Mr. Miyagi never talked down to people and ensured a respectful air at all times. While Daniel LaRusso sometimes found it difficult to keep his cool around his enemies, it was clear in Cobra Kai that he tried to deal with everyone he encountered, good or bad, with respect at all times.
In Cobra Kai, this was a very challenging endeavor as returning foes like John Kreese and Terry Silver consistently pushed Daniel to his limit as they belittled and provoked him. While Daniel sometimes lost his cool against those who frustrated him, he always remembered the stoic composure of Mr. Miyagi and found a way back to being calm. In a world as cutthroat and conniving as what’s seen in Cobra Kai, it’s not easy to keep a level head, but Daniel manages this for the most part.
5 Make Sure To Adapt In The Face Of Change
Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel to adapt to new circumstances
Image via Netflix
As Mr. Miyagi trained Daniel LaRusso in the ways of Miyagi-Do, one piece of wisdom he gifted him with was to make sure to adapt in the face of change. Across the original Karate Kid trilogy, Daniel faced many challenges, including his rivalry with Johnny Lawrence, new foes in Okinawa, and the manipulative tactics of Terry Silver. In order to overcome these difficulties, Daniel always needed to find new ways to adapt, and Mr. Miyagi was always on hand with a word of wisdom for each particular conflict.
While it’s true Mr. Miyagi was no longer around by the time we meet Daniel again in Cobra Kai, he still consistently reflected on how Mr. Miyagi would have advised him. As Daniel found himself running a competing dojo to stand up to Cobra Kai, he consistently adapted as he encouraged his students to give up violence and embrace a peaceful approach. There were many moments throughout Cobra Kai when Daniel needed to conjure the spirit of Mr. Miyagi as he adapted to each new situation.
4 Control Your Emotions
Mr. Miyagi was a calm and collected martial artist
Custom Image by Yeider Chacon
While the aggressive tactics of the Cobra Kai dojo involve always being on the offense and allowing anger to take over, Mr. Miyagi had a very different ideology. One of the most essential lessons that Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel LaRusso was to control his emotions and ensure he didn’t allow them to take over and make him lose focus. Although passion, sadness, and even anger have their place within the practices of Miyagi-Do students, they should never take over entirely and should instead be molded and controlled in ways that benefit the fighter.
Daniel has certainly kept this idea close to his heart in Cobra Kai, as he always told his students to look deep within themselves and truly investigate their feelings. By focusing on more meditative training methods than the other rival dojos, Daniel gifted his students with a calm composure that’s difficult to attain. While students like Tory Nichols allowed their complex emotions after the death of her mother to take over as she rejoined Kreese at Cobra Kai, Daniel’s philosophy would have been to look within for a peaceful solution to internal conflict.
3 Family And Tradition Matter More Than Winning
Mr. Miyagi believed in the importance of family
Custom Image by Yeider Chacon
Mr. Miyagi’s tragic backstory helped inform his decision to become Daniel LaRusso’s mentor, and in the process, the pair developed a father-son-type bond. As a World War II veteran whose wife and children died in a Japanese internment camp, Mr. Miyagi knew better than anyone that family and tradition mattered far more than winning. This was something Mr. Miyagi continually told Daniel throughout The Karate Kid trilogy, and his young student always knew that he would never be faulted for losing just as long as he tried his best.
In Cobra Kai, Daniel taught his students that winning was never the overall goal of their training, as what they were trying to build up through their karate practice was a sense of togetherness, a shared tradition, and found family. Daniel valued his wife and children greatly, but much in the same way Mr. Miyagi became a member of his family, his students were also welcomed into his life. Under Daniel’s leadership, Miyagi-Do was far more than just a dojo, as he valued family and tradition over winning.
2 Avoid Fighting Whenever Possible
Mr. Miyagi was a peaceful man
Miyagi-Do runs under the philosophy that students should avoid fighting whenever possible and always search for a non-violent solution to problems before embracing battle. This was seen in The Karate Kid as Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel LaRusso that a desire for vengeance would only lead to more problems for him. In The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi said, “Daniel-san, you look revenge. That way you start by digging two graves,” which encapsulated the soul-destroying consequences of unnecessarily seeking out violence.
Daniel’s desire to avoid violence has run through the entirety of Cobra Kai as he sought to find non-violent ways to deal with his conflicts with the likes of Johnny Lawrence, John Kreese, and Terry Silver. While peace occasionally prevailed, it’s also true that there were times when Daniel had no choice but to start fighting. However, on all of these occasions, Daniel could be proud that he heeded Mr. Miyagi’s advice and explored peace before unleashing his martial arts skills against his adversaries.
1 Mentorship Is A Lifelong Endeavor
Mr. Miyagi was always there for Daniel
Custom Image by Dhruv Sharma.
The beauty of Mr. Miyagi’s mentorship of Daniel LaRusso was that it ran far deeper than him being a simple karate teacher to a teenage pupil. Mr. Miyagi took his role in Daniel’s life very seriously and truly became like a father to him across The Karate Kid trilogy. By giving him guidance not just in martial arts but also in all aspects of life, Mr. Miyagi’s mentorship of Daniel ran through his entire life.
While it was sad to learn that Mr. Miyagi had already passed away by the time Cobra Kai began, his spirit ran through the entire show as his legacy loomed large over Daniel. Mentorship is a lifelong endeavor, and Daniel paid tribute to this by carving forward the Miyagi-Do tradition with his own dojo. Mr. Miyagi was an essential mentor through every stage of Daniel’s life and through his actions in Cobra Kai, Daniel's committed to being there for Miguel, Robby, Samantha, and all the other dojo members for the rest of his life.
Your changes have been saved
Cobra Kai is a sequel series continuing the narrative of the Karate Kid saga, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It focuses on Johnny Lawrence seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.
Release Date May 2, 2018
Finale Year November 30, 2024
Network Netflix , YouTube Premium
Character(s) Daniel LaRusso , Johnny Lawrence , Amanda LaRusso , Miguel Diaz , Robby Keene , Samantha LaRusso , Tory Nichols , Eli 'Hawk' Moskowitz , Demetri Alexopoulos , Kenny Payne , Carmen Diaz , Terry Silver , John Kreese , Frank (uncredited) , Xander , Corey , Tommy , Dentist , Difficult Customer , Waitress , Lucille LaRusso , Customer , Tow Truck Driver , Cop #1
Seasons 6
Writers Josh Heald , Ashley Darnall , Chris Rafferty , Bill Posley
Directors Hayden Schlossberg , Jon Hurwitz , Joel Novoa , Jennifer Celotta , Steven K. Tsuchida , Sherwin Shilati , Marielle Woods , Steve Pink , Lin Oeding , Michael Grossman
Showrunner Jon Hurwitz
English (US) ·