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?

Goju-Ryu Karate is a traditional style of Karate that was pioneered by Chōjun Miyagi Sensei.  It translates to Hard-Soft style and requires dedicated and earnest practice to understand this principle which permeates throughout this Martial Art.

In most traditional Goju-Ryu Karate Schools, the syllabus is comprised of 13 kata. As this is a Martial Art that I spend much of my time training, I wanted to explore these kata and share the knowledge that I have acquired of these with you.  I’d like to share the important aspects of fighting and self-defence that one can learn from each kata. 

The Spirit of a Martial Artist is as important as physical prowess, fighting ability, and martial skills.  It is the Spirit that propels the Martial Artist to greater heights when the physical body tires and is seemingly incapable of pushing forward. 

In addition to the inner strength to help push past physical limits, the character of the Martial Artist is of paramount importance. A Martial Artist that possesses near perfect character is one that is enlightened through their Martial Arts training and experience.  This person is one that is reliable, honest and embodies the true nature of a Martial Artist.

The field of Martial Arts is diverse, and each Martial Art is predicated by unique philosophies. As a result, the skills and benefits that you may receive will differ from one Martial Art to another. It can be helpful to align your goals to the Martial Art that you want to learn as this will ensure that you maximise your fulfilment in the long-term.