Karate Kid Crane Kick

hello this is Robert Mark Kamen, I have been training in Okinawan Goju Ryu and Tai chi Chuan since 1965. I am also the screenwriter who created and wrote The Karate Kid. Over the years I have been asked endlessly about the Crane kick and where it came from. And now with the emergence of the fantastic series on YouTube Red COBRA KAI even more people are asking. So I thought I'd clear it up once and for all. The answer is simple: I made it up!
it's a totally non practical technique that I invented because it looked good on film...and served it's purpose dramatically to give us that big and most satisfying climax to the film.
However, it never would have been sold as brilliantly as it was in the film were it not for a vastly talented and accomplished martial artist, Daryl Vidal. Pat Johnson, the fight coordinator, described to Daryl, who was doubling Mr. Miyagi on the pylon, what needed to be done and Daryl hopped up on the pylon and did it! No one was more surprised than I was when I saw how effortlessly Daryl sold this nonsensical technique. Forever in his debt.
I hope this ends the questions that have swirled around the technique for the past 35 years.

Hi Robert!

FYI, as you may already be aware, we are hosting our annual Chi I Do Group Training from Wednesday, March 6 through Saturday, March 9 in Chinatown, NYC. It would be great if you could stop by and catch up.

All the best,

Chris

And if anyone else is interested in the Group Training, just shoot me a private message.

Interesting, thanks for the insight!