The Crane Kick of the Karate Kid is nothing short of iconic. It is one of the most memorable Martial Art movie scenes from my childhood and was certainly a contributor to my interest in Martial Arts. I have no doubt that that the Crane Kick put both Karate and Martial Arts on the map in the 80s.
One of our readers posed a very insightful question to me about the Crane Kick of the Karate Kid. Brandon was curious about how practical the Crane Kick would actually be as it is highly telegraphed and leaves one immobile. I also agree with him that the Crane Kick is likely a Mae Tobi Geri (jumping straight kick). However, the most thought-provoking part of his question was about the core values behind the movie. Was The Karate Kid really about being a Martial Artist rather than being about a specific style or technique?