Five Valuable Life Lessons from The Karate Kid

5. Oscar nods are not just for Ron Howard anymore.
Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Mr. Miyagi. That's great, but... he also played Arnold, the original owner of Arnold's Drive-in on Happy Days. I can't help feeling that for some people, this would be like watching Bob Saget get nominated for an Academy Award. Some reputations you just can't shake.

4. That strange old handyman in your apartment building would be a good role model for your troubled teen.
It all works out fine in the end, and Mr. Miyagi is something of a father figure, friend and mentor to Daniel-san, but this movie could have taken a decidedly more sinister turn. I'm sure that the 21st-century remake won't have quite as much immediate trust of strangers in it.

3. You can take as much time off school as you like if you're learning karate, or just doing some chores for your apartment's handyman.
I needed my wife to clue me in on this one. At one point, Daniel spends at least four whole days sanding the deck, painting the fence, then painting the house, then going fishing with Mr. Miyagi. Did no one from the school ever check in with his mother to find out what was going on? Was he on a Thanksgiving break and just too busy to spend time with his mother?

2. If you manage to kick him in the face, humiliating him in front of his sensei, the school bully will finally respect you.
Johnny and the Cobra Kai were a bunch of badasses on dirtbikes. After getting knocked down by Daniel at the end of the tournament, he grabs the trophy from the officials to give it to Daniel, saying 'You're all right, LaRusso.' Has anything really changed, except that Daniel managed to beat him? And now he's worthy of Johnny's respect?!

1. When you stand on one leg, you're invincible. Your opponent won't, for instance, take out your other, *good* leg.
This is really just ridiculous. 'If do properly... no can defense...' unless your opponent realizes that you're just standing on one leg! This is every bit as bad as when Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker used to swing around in a big circle while fighting Darth Vader. Sure, you look really cool, but you're leaving your back exposed! Am I the only one who sees the problem here?