Crane kick
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The crane kick or "crane technique" is a fictional karate move featured in the Karate Kid movies. It is used and/or referenced in The Karate Kid, The Karate Kid, Part II, and The Karate Kid, Part III. To use the move, the user puts both arms to his sides, raises his arms, and collapses his wrists over his head. The user simultaneously raises his left knee up to about stomach level. He waits for his opponent to come forward, then the user leaps off his right foot, simultaneously dropping his left foot to the ground, and kicks his opponent with his right foot.
The kick was used against an opponent only twice in the films. Once, in Part I, by Daniel La Russo (Ralph Macchio) in the final round of the "All Valley Karate Tournament" against John Lawrence (William Zabka);[1] and second, in Part II, by Daniel in the ancient castle in Okinawa, Japan against Chozen (Yuji Okumoto).[2] Daniel's instructor and friend, Kesuke Miyagi or affectionately, "Mr. Miyagi," (Pat Morita) taught Daniel the kick. Mr. Miyagi states that "If do right, no can defense."[3].
[edit] Karate Kid, Part II
The crane is used and referenced once in Part II. In one of the final scenes, Daniel is forced to fight Chozen, (Sato's - Danny Kamekona - finest student) in an honor match to the death: Daniel fighting for the life of Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita), who is being held at knife-point by Chozen; and Chozen for the dishonor Chozen believes has been cast upon him by Daniel throughout the movie. Before entering the arena, Mr. Miyagi warns Daniel: "This not tournament. This for real." Although Mr. Miyagi states that if properly done, the kick cannot be defended, Chozen defends the kick, by grabbing Daniel's right foot, and twisting Daniel to the ground.
[edit] Karate Kid, Part III
The crane is referenced twice in Part III. Daniel is training to defend his All Valley title against "Karate's Bad Boy" Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan). Daniel seeks out the help of Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), a karate expert who, unknown to Daniel, was a founding member of the Cobra Kai dojo and a Vietnam War buddy of John Kreese (Martin Kove), sensei and instructor at the Cobra Kai dojo. Silver has a hidden agenda to hurt Daniel and to exact revenge for Kreese against Mr. Miyagi. Silver solicits Barnes to fight for the Cobra Kai and to destroy Daniel in the tournament. Barnes accepts in exchange for an interest in Cobra Kai dojos.[4]
During Daniel's training, there is a derogatory reference to the crane technique:
| “ | Silver: . . . I'm teaching you techniques you don't have. Techniques you need to win the tournament. What, do you think you can rely on that crane crap?
Daniel: I did pretty well with it last time. |
” |
After Daniel tells Terry Silver that he doesn't want to fight in the tournament, the fact that Barnes and Silver were working together is revealed to Daniel. As Daniel and Barnes fight, Terry Silver mocks Daniel by saying "Do the crane, Danny-boy!" as Barnes punches Daniel in the stomach.
Daniel ultimately submits to Silver's aggressive techniques and does not use the Crane in the tournament. Daniel, however, reunites with Mr. Miyagi, and uses Seiunchin kata (the kata Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel in Part III) to defeat Barnes in the final round of the tournament.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Script Part I
- ^ Final Round of the All Valley
- ^ Castle fight
- ^ Script Part I
- ^ Practicing the crane, at 3:26 and 3:56.
- ^ Script Part III
- ^ Script Part III
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