A timeless classic, The Karate Kid, is a franchise that continues to garner wide appeal to this day. While it's had its share of sequels and remakes that have attempted to capture the magic of the coming-of-age story that the original film brilliantly conveyed, none have come closer than the web series Cobra Kai in channeling the essence of what made the franchise resonate so deeply to fans all over the world.
Cobra Kai's sustained viewership on Netflix's top 10 is proof that the world craves the lessons taught through the lens of the show either for the sake of friendly competition, character-building or otherwise. Whether you're a lifelong fan of Daniel LaRusso's heart or have grown to admire Johnny Lawrence's unwavering intensity, the two foremost karate masters on the show each deserve merit in the way they teach the ancient martial art.
10 Johnny: Tough Love
Johnny Lawrence's approach to teaching karate is intense by today's standards. He doesn't coddle his students or tells them it's okay to fail, he outwardly rejects any signs of weakness and corrects them the only way he knows how.
Even though he does toe the line quite a bit, to the point of endangering his students' safety – (i.e.) taking them to a junkyard to be chased by dogs or putting them in a cement mixer, his intent is well-meaning, and he genuinely cares about making his students tougher and be "badasses" in their own right.
9 Daniel: Nurturing
Daniel LaRusso, on the other hand, has a more subdued approach. Similar to how Mr. Miyagi taught him, Daniel teaches karate from a peaceful frame of mind, and is thus, more interested in imparting life lessons in the process.
He tries to coax the best out of his students by inspiring self-growth, reflection, and maturity. Even though at times in the series, this approach has proven to be the less popular method of learning, it's nonetheless effective and arguably more beneficial for his students long-term.
8 Johnny: Training For Conflict
Johnny consistently pushes his students, often trying to break their wills and losing some of them in the process. He only does this, however, in order to build them up so they can withstand more rigorous training.
A perfect example of this is when he throws Miguel into a pool and makes him kick his legs in order to build enough strength to kick through wooden tiles. Also, he often pits his students against each other to test the skills they've learned for practical use.
7 Daniel: Training Through Chores
In one of the most iconic training sequences in cinematic history, Mr. Miyagi makes Daniel do mundane chores that seemingly have nothing to do with karate but are actually meant to develop muscle memory and drill blocking techniques while simultaneously teaching work ethic.
This then culminates in a sparring session that showcases the fruits of Daniel's labors that exemplify the principles of Miyagi-Do Karate. A similar sequence plays out in Cobra Kai between Daniel and Robby as the two develop a surrogate father-son relationship.
6 Johnny: Teaches Confidence
Probably the most redeeming aspect of Johnny's training method is his ability to bring out the confidence of his students by giving them a chance to overcome their insecurities. Of course, this doesn't always work out as some students can't handle the occasional verbal and physical abuse he puts them through.
But when it does, like in the case of Miguel who received the brunt of Johnny's harsh training, it raises their confidence to new levels, for better or worse.
5 Daniel: Teaches Patience
An integral part of Daniel's Miyagi-Do Karate style is an emphasis on being patient. He tests the patience of his students through the often tedious training menu he puts them through.
Daniel is a self-proclaimed "hothead" who had his patience tested quite thoroughly by Mr. Miyagi in the original movie series, and he revisits this principle when he begins his journey as a martial arts master for the next generation of Miyagi-Do students, particularly with Demetri whose neuroticism hinders his progression but Daniel's patience in teaching him eventually pays off.
4 Johnny: Encourages Initiative
Johnny challenges his students by pushing them past their comfort zones. As a result, this forces his students to face their own limitations and attempt to get past them.
This is exemplified in Eli whose lip deformity Johnny insults over and over that it pushes him to the breaking point. Eli perseveres past them, however, and takes initiative to "flip the script" and take on a new persona as Hawk, who ends up being one of the most endearing and complex characters on the show.
3 Daniel: Emphasizes Self-Defense
A prime principle of Miyagi-Do Karate is its use for defensive purposes only. This was ingrained by Mr. Miyagi in Daniel when he initially sought to learn karate as a way to get revenge on Johnny.
This emphasis toward peaceful resolution is the ideal purpose of learning martial arts and lends credibility to Daniel as the superior mentor. Its results are also hard to refute especially when Robby and Sam are able to fend off Hawk and several Cobra Kai members despite being outnumbering.
2 Johnny: "Strike First"
The foremost principle of Cobra Kai dojo is to "strike first." Johnny re-interprets this for life in general when he gives his students advice about getting ahead and taking charge of their own destinies.
He draws insight from his troubled youth of being an outcast who gradually becomes a "badass," and urges his students to do the same. Surprisingly, his philosophy works well as his students develop more assertive qualities as well as improve their personal lives on top of gaining fighting skills.
1 Daniel: Balance
The most important lesson that Miyago-Do Karate imparts on its students is a focus on keeping balance in all aspects of one's life, not just martial arts. Balance, of course, is important in a number of karate techniques but it's a principle that applies to life in general as well.
This contrasts from Johnny's approach of going "all in" in life, which can sometimes backfire. Instead, Daniel teaches his students to consider the weight of their decisions in relation to others, and that's a lesson that rings true for nearly all walks of life.