Wednesday 5 August 2020

Who Performed The Karate Kid Crane Kick?

It’s been over 35 years since The Karate Kid was first released in theatres, but thanks in no small part to Cobra Kai, one of the most popular series to ever be released on YouTube, The Karate Kid is still top of mind for fans worldwide. About to release its third season, Cobra Kai sees Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) pitted against Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) once again, decades after their 1984 faceoff which ended with a crane kick fans will never forget.

Our first introduction to the crane kick, however, came from another iconic scene in the film, one in which Daniel observes Mr. Miyagi perform the crane kick from atop a wooden post on the beach. Pat Morita played the role of Mr. Miyagi in the film, but was he the one to actually perform the iconic kick? The answer, it turns out, is no.

The kick in question was in fact performed by Darryl Vidal, who is a 10th degree black belt and one of the most respected teachers in the world of Karate. Vidal did play a role in the film, but not one as significant as Ralph Macchio or his rival William Zabka. The film ultimately led to a tournament, and the semi-finalists included Johnny Lawrence, Bobby Brown, Daniel LaRusso, and a character credited only as "Karate Semi-Finalist." That unnamed “Semi-Finalist,” who showed off some flashy moves before being eliminated by Johnny, was played by, as you may have guessed, Darryl Vidal.

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