sethstanley

I grew up in the 1980's. I talk at length frequently about the movies I love from that era – mostly the Indiana Jones movies and Back To The Future – but there are many others.

Over The Top.

Iron Eagle.

Iron Eagle II.

I love films that you feel that you can truly learn from, and the things I learnt the most all came from the The Karate Kid.

1) – You can cut a bonsai tree anyway you want and how it ends up is how it was supposed to look.

2) – If you're on the wrong end of a beating, there's a wise mentor/father figure waiting in the wings to teach you how to defend yourself (and fix your broken bike).

3) – You can learn the basic movements for karate by doing simple household chores and DIY – like waxing a car or sanding a floor. My folks really played on this after we saw the film for the first time, but unfortunately 'make a cup of tea', 'tidy your room' and 'put up a shelf' didn't really translate into moves I could use on the mean streets of Liverpool.

https://media.giphy.com/media/kewtvhA4tgH30DYKZr/giphy.gif

Jump forward 36 years and I find myself, albeit late to the party, glued to Netflix drama Cobra Kai. Originally featured on Youtube Red in 2018, it's finding a much bigger audience on Netflix and is quickly becoming a huge hit – a 3rd season is already greenlit for 2021.

The show is an absolute delight. It lets us peek in on the central characters from the first film – poor, new in California Daniel LaRusso and rich, popular, star student of the Cobra Kai dojo, Johnny Lawrence. Both vying for the affections of Ali (Elizabeth Shue) and for the title of champion at the All Valley karate tournament.

https://media.giphy.com/media/THI1edfrsDdIN1JgGY/giphy.gif

It pulls cleverly on music, dialogue, even clips from The Karate Kid to explain the background for newcomers, but as a fan of the film, it was the perfect balance of nostalgia and new content. These were characters I was keen to catch up with and see how they've been.

The twist here is that Johnny's life took a turn for the worse since defeat by Daniel in the tournament, and is now a down-on-his-luck handyman living on his own in Reseda (the poor area where Daniel lived). LaRusso lives in Encino (the posh part) in a big house, with his family, operating a very successful car dealership.

Old rivalries are re-kindled when Johnny decides to re-open the Cobra Kai dojo and Daniel starts to encourage local teens to join him at Miyagi-Do Karate – the beautifully tended gardens where Mr Miyagi put him through his paces in the movie.

https://media.giphy.com/media/Pn7adi2MU38Ql3ecdw/giphy.gif

It's a drama – full of good-looking high school kids, but the comedy comes thick and fast, mainly at the expense of Johnny Lawrence – played with deadpan perfection by William Zabka.

A perennial 80's man, trapped in time. Listening to Speedwagon, driving fast cars to score with 'hot babes' and aghast at the snowflake generation 'bunch of pussies' turning up to his dojo.

https://media.giphy.com/media/gHR2XHtRNiXofo5lwS/giphy.gif

Just as you think the show is going to be predictable and follow the pattern of The Karate Kid, it turns recognisable tropes on their heads. Johnny and Daniel are frequently at loggerheads, but you're never left thinking – that wouldn't have happened, or that character's action isn't very believable.

They're just two guys, both very likeable, both in turn showing sense one minute, and letting their rivalry drive their foolish actions the next. The key thing this time round is – though they're the elders guiding the youngsters, they're both savvy enough to learn the lessons that the kids can put on a plate for them too.

And just as I was willing to learn lessons from The Karate Kid as a youngster myself – I'm finding truth in Cobra Kai and I thought I'd share 5 positive life lessons that I've found in it with you now.

1 – It's all about balance

https://media.giphy.com/media/gkWLc3uVIWzqfpNHQs/giphy.gif

Daniel LaRusso is all about balance. When life is getting on top of him, or he has a decision to make and he's not sure how to proceed, he heads to the dojo to meditate. Soon enough, enlightenment strikes and he's ready to proceed.

I can't identify with this one enough. I don't meditate, but I run, I draw, write and play guitar. I'm pretty good now at knowing when life is starting to push and pull me, which one of those things will start to bring me back on track.

I don't pretend to have all the answers to the questions life asks of me, but I can sort most things out when I'm in tune with myself – I think we all have our own version of 'meditation' that helps bring an element of perspective back into our lives.

2 – Don't stand still, you'll get stuck in cement

Johnny Lawrence takes the Cobra Kai students into a cement mixer and makes them work together to turn the mixer manually. Hammering home the lesson that if you stand still, you get stuck.

This really resonated with me too. I have felt stuck in life at certain points. Particularly over the last couple of years, in jobs. I've joked in other posts that it's a mid-life crisis. I don't know if it's that or not, but I definitely have an increased desire to control my own future and not be tied down to the constraints of conventional employment.

I am constantly learning, moving and trying to keep the cement mixer turning so I don't get stuck – I worry about what might happen when it stops.

3 – Listen to both sides of a story

Cobra Kai is very much about what happens to Johnny and Daniel, but it's heavily weighted on Johnny giving his version of events from The Karate Kid. Initially in the film, it seems as though he is a bully making life miserable for Daniel. But his re-telling of how things happened is a convincing narrative.

There is a lot of re-imagined fiction out there these days: Wicked and Maleficent spring to mind – giving the antagonists from other works the opportunity to tell their side of the story.

And a work of fiction presents a weighted version of the truth in order for the events to pan out as an author intends. In our lives, especially those of us with kids (!) or complex adult relationships, have the opportunity to dig and investigate to validate our opinions, thoughts and feelings. We should always do that before jumping to any conclusions.

4 – Be ready to give people a second chance

Spoiler alert: John Kreese – the founder of Cobra Kai turns up after seeing Johnny make a success of the new dojo. Johnny initially sends him packing after Kreese turned on him when Johnny lost at the All Valley championships in The Karate Kid.

https://media.giphy.com/media/SWXMBr7d5VLmnJrs0Y/giphy.gif

But, persuaded by his top student Miguel, he decides to give Kreese an opportunity to demonstrate that he's changed his ways.

This really rings true for me. People make mistakes, they lose their way, they can upset you. Giving people a second chance is like pressing the reset button on a relationship. It's a way to test the water and see if it's possible to get things back on track.

But if you let people back into your life and it goes pear-shaped because they let you down or cause you pain again, I can't advocate a never-ending supply of forgiveness and sticking plasters. Cut them loose.

5 – There are different routes to the same destination

Cobra Kai's mantra of “Strike first, strike hard, no mercy” is a contrast to Miyagi-Do's rules of “ No 1 – Karate is for defence only. No 2 – First learn rule No 1. “

While LaRusso and Lawrence teach differently and have very contrasting views about methods, there is no doubt that they're both very effective.

And some of the kids trying out at Cobra Kai find Johnny's style too abrasive and end up heading for Miyagi-Do and Daniel's softer, more encouraging, patient teaching style.

But Johnny's unorthodox style encourages Eli, who has a scar from a cleft lip, to 'flip the script' and not lack confidence because of his scar.

Ultimately, Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai represent two routes to the same destination: increased confidence through knowledge of karate and the lessons it has to offer.

But equally – it applies to both Johnny and Daniel – they are heading for broadly the same spot on the snakes and ladders board, despite being on wildly different paths.

In Cobra Kai, as it is in life – it's wise not to look at how people around you are walking their paths. They are their paths, not yours. And if they're getting somewhere faster than you, or doing 'better' than you, attempting to emulate their success isn't necessarily the right option for you. You never know when they're going to land on a snake, or you're going to climb a ladder.

Travel honestly, in a way that suits you and take pleasure in owning your journey.

Well – I hope that's been enlightening. It's certainly helped me achieve balance by spending time writing it. Now back to real life – my presence is required elsewhere. I think there's a fence that needs painting.