How we did it
“Daniel is brave and doesn’t give up. If five karate experts on motorcycles were kicking my ass, I probably would have found another way to school.
Interviews by Ben Gilbert
Monday 18 September 2023, 1.09pm BST
Ralph Macchio, actor
I was a skinny kid and looked young for my age, which was hard. I got a role in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders as Johnny Cade. The reviews were positive: I was a young actor who felt good, maybe a little cocky. I got a call about a movie called “The Karate Kid” and I thought, “That’s a silly title. Is it a cartoon?” They sent me the script and I met the director, John G. Avildsen, at his apartment in New York.
John’s hallway was full of actors vying to play Daniel LaRusso, the film’s hero. Everyone made fun of the title. I immediately became defensive – in hindsight, I was already starting to take on the role. John had a camera with me as soon as I sat down. I came from a suburb of Long Island and accentuated my New York accent. This attitude contributed to Daniel’s transition from the East Coast to the West Coast in the film. He’s new in a city where everyone seems to have a BMW, cool sunglasses and blonde hair – and he wants to defend his roots. However, there was a big difference between us. Daniel is brave and doesn’t give up. If five karate experts on motorcycles were kicking my ass, I probably would have found another way to school.
From the first reading with Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi, Daniel’s mentor, there was an effortless lightness. It felt like we had been kissed by some soulful magic. Mr. Miyagi is the karate kid. He’s a human Yoda, a father figure, the secret ingredient that makes the film more than just a 1980s coming-of-age film.
Other than four jiu-jitsu lessons at age 10, I had no martial arts experience. Before filming, I was trained in Okinawan Gōjū-Ryu karate by Pat E. Johnson, who coordinated the fight scenes and played the main referee in the tournament at the end of the film.
I first saw the film at a preview at the Baronet and Coronet Theater in Manhattan. I still feel that rush, like sitting in the back row of a rollercoaster and seeing everyone’s heads and shoulders move together. The love affair between this child, his mentor and the audience continued to build. During the final fight scene, people jumped out of their seats as if their team had won the World Cup or the Super Bowl. When I left the theater everyone on Third Avenue was doing the Crane Kick.
Robert Mark Kamen, creator
Frank Price, chairman of Columbia Pictures and my mentor, chose a newspaper article about a nine-year-old boy who had received a black belt. He called me and said, “You know this stuff?” I said I did, but that this story was a load of crap and I had one of my own. I started karate at 17 after getting beaten up on the way home from the New York World’s Fair. My sensei was taught by Chōjun Miyagi, who founded the Okinawan Gōjū-ryū karate school.
I didn’t want to tell my life story. I wanted to make a film that captured the emotions I felt about karate and my feelings about what makes the perfect teacher. Who wouldn’t want a mentor who is non-judgmental, loving, and able to tear down anyone who hurts you? The training routine and principles in the script were all classic Okinawan Gōjū-Ryu karate. They were cinematic, but I knew the blocking system and came up with the “wax up, wax off” and “paint fence” elements to go with the movements.
Director John had won an Oscar for Rocky in 1977, but the parallels between the two films never occurred to me, although Sylvester Stallone still swears I cheated on him. John called me during the casting and said, “I think I have our child. Do you want to watch it?” The characters were all named after members of my family. Daniel LaRusso was originally called Daniel Webber, named after my nephew, who was of Jewish descent. When Ralph showed up, I thought, “This boy looks like a son of Italy if there ever was one.” So we changed his last name.
The chemistry between Pat and Ralph was instant. Pat had been on Happy Days and a few other things, but nothing had given any clue as to who he might be. He was an entertaining comedian with all the flaws that came with that, including depression and bad relationships. In real life, he didn’t have Mr. Miyagi’s wisdom – but when he filled the role, he became Mr. Miyagi.
• Ralph Macchio’s autobiography, “Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me,” is out now. The fifth season of The Karate Kid reboot Cobra Kai is on Netflix. A sixth season was announced this summer.
{{#Ticker}}
{{top left}}
{{bottom left}}
{{top right}}
{{bottom right}}
{{#goalExceededMarkerPercentage}}{{/goalExceededMarkerPercentage}}{{/ticker}}
{{Headline}}
{{#paragraphs}}
{{.}}
{{/paragraphs}}{{highlightedText}}
{{#choiceCards}}{{/choiceCards}}We will be in touch to remind you to contribute. Watch for a message in your inbox. If you have any questions about contributing, please contact us.