Cobra Kai star Ralph Macchio thinks his Karate Kid kick belongs in the Smithsonian: 'It's cinema magic'

Daniel LaRusso won the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament with what would become the most iconic kick in history.

“It was a lot easier to throw it back then,” says Ralph Macchio. “It’s a piece of cinema magic, really is. It should be in the Smithsonian. It’ll never die. That stance, that pose, it’s known around the world. So it’s amazing I’ll always be connected to that.”

Macchio was a youthful looking 22 when he played plucky LaRusso in The Karate Kid and two sequels, taking on the school bullies with the help of bonsai-pruning karate master Mr Miyagi. Today, he still looks almost as youthful at 63.

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The last year has been “one hell of a blessed ride”. In November, Macchio was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he performed with Coldplay and starred in the video for their song, The Karate Kid. This week the final episodes of wildly popular series Cobra Kai are released and in May he’ll be back on the big screen in The Karate Kid: Legends.

The ride picked up again in 2018 after he was persuaded to re-enter the dojo for Cobra Kai. A rarity on TV, the show is infectiously fun, champions decency and comes with a fight scene per episode.

“Obviously I walk in the shoes of Daniel LaRusso,” Macchio says, explaining that he was initially reluctant to play him again on screen – hardly a conversation can be had without someone bringing up his crane kick within seconds (guilty) and he estimates that he has about six seconds to get out of a Japanese restaurant should a fly fly by, less he’s pressed into trying to catch it with a pair of chopsticks.

“I definitely was hesitant. I had said no to other really lame-ish ideas over decades of time. ‘Hey, what about The Karate Man? What about you have a kid?’

“It was a lot about timing. I had just seen the movie Creed, which demonstrated how you could enter the universe of Rocky without making Rocky VII. When I heard that John [Hurwitz], Josh [Heald] and Hayden [Schlossberg, the writers/producers] wanted to meet they were known more for R-rated stoner comedies like Harold and Kumar and Hot Tub Time Machine. So I was, ‘All right, show me what you got kids.’”

Their proposal flipped the original Karate Kid tale on its head. Plucky Daniel had grown up to be a successful businessman, his nemesis Johnny Lawrence struggling with alcohol.

“They were nervous,” Macchio remembers. “They said, ‘You’ll be a used car salesman and kind of a jerk at times.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah? You don’t have me at hello right now.’ We kept going. They started talking about their affinity for the original movies – they knew more about those films than I did – started talking about Miguel’s character as a millennial Daniel LaRusso. Samantha and that father-daughter relationship. Johnny’s estranged son Robbie and how Daniel would take him under his wing.

“I started to see where this karate soap opera could go. I knew I had to jump in and take the swim, I just had no idea what the temperature of the water would be.”

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Sixty-five episodes later, the series is loved by fans around the globe. And the final few episodes give it a knockout finale.

“It ends in a way that feels like a real tribute, an homage to a great 80s movie,” Macchio says, “Where you’re cheering and tearing up and getting goosebumps. I’m really proud. Really, really proud.”

Cobra Kai’s success is that the young actors playing the next generation of karate tutees are hugely charismatic and likeable. Macchio has become a “geeky dad” to them.

“I really enjoy sharing what I learned from the great Pat Morita [who played Mr Miyagi] or John Avildsen and Jerry Weintraub who directed and produced that film. I also gain such great inspiration from them, from their work ethic and them caring so much about the series.”

Macchio is perfectly placed to offer advice to young actors beginning their career as he is one of the rare young talents whose life wasn’t derailed by fame and the unpredictable rollercoaster industry.

“They have it tougher than we did,” he says. “Social media and everything is so instant, it’s really challenging. But every single one of them really has their head on straight. Without a doubt, they are wiser than I was at their age – and I was pretty grounded. So I’m a proud dad, no matter how hard I try to be young and cool.”

At the heart of Cobra Kai is the conflict that erupts when two ideologies and styles are set against each other. Cobra Kai with its mantra of STRIKE FIRST, STRIKE HARD, NO MERCY and Miyagi-do based more on the ‘wax on, wax off approach’.

“The Karate Kid is about finding balance: in martial arts, in life, in your diet, in your relationships. It’s a general good rule to strive for. You’ll be able to withstand any turbulence, if you’re well balanced.

“I think I certainly lean more Miyagi-do. You know, the best way to fight is by not having to fight and getting yourself out of conflict situations. Even if not physical – trying to have a level head and de-escalate situations.”

There will be more high drama and high kicks in Karate Kid: Legends, which unites Macchio with the star of the 2010 reboot and another martial artist who’s thrown a kick or two in his time, Jackie Chan. The film is released on 30 May and could be the start of a new chapter in the franchise.

“Listen, one thing the Karate Kid universe has taught us is never, say never, and doors are always open,” Macchio says. “Is there a Cobra Kai movie two years from now? Why not? Is there a spin-off concept that makes sense moving forward? Is there a Miyagi origin story that wants to be told? I think yes, yes and yes.”

Macchio is looking forward to whatever comes next, safe in the knowledge he has a place in popular culture.

“I certainly have a footprint in society with this journey I’ve taken. And in a world that is not always so pleasant, it’s nice to bring a little bit of joy.”

All episodes of Cobra Kai are on Netflix. Karate Kid: Legends is in cinemas from 30 May.

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