Nariyoshi Miyagi lived a long and interesting life that saw him fleeing Okinawa for the United States, where he became a highly decorated and esteemed military officer. After losing his wife and child to complications at birth, Miyagi went into quiet solitude before meeting Daniel LaRusso, a young boy tormented by bullies at his local high school.
Realizing how vulnerable Daniel was at such a young and chaotic age, Mr. Miyagi took him under his wing and taught him about the importance of having balance in life. Throughout The Karate Kid film series, Mr. Miyagi became the father everyone wished they had, and his beautiful outlook on life in his thoughtful quotes that wholly sum up his character.
Updated on April 1st, 2021 by Kristen Palamara: Mr. Miyagi continues to be one of the most influential mentor characters in modern cinema, even though the last time Pat Morita portrayed the role was in The Next Karate Kid in 1994. Many of his best quotes come from the original trilogy where Morita acted alongside Ralph Macchio, who portrayed his troubled mentee Daniel LaRusso. While The Karate Kid movies have always been popular since their release in the 1980s, a new generation of fans are being introduced to Mr. Miyagi's wisdom in the reboot series now on Netflix, Cobra Kai.
15 "If Come From Inside You, Always Right One."
In the first movie, Mr. Miyagi begins teaching Daniel how to trim Bonsai trees and he says that he doesn't want to mess up the beautiful little trees. Mr. Miyagi gives him this line of wisdom telling him to close his eyes and envision what he wants the tree to look like, and then start trimming.
Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel that it will be the right design and he will do the right thing because the design came from him. This is a small but incredibly motivational line.
14 "You Trust The Quality Of What You Know, Not Quantity."
Daniel is constantly worried about not learning enough but Mr. Miyagi is able to remind him that he needs patience and it's more important to learn quality karate instead of knowing a little about a lot of techniques.
Daniel is mainly worried about facing off against the stronger opponent Johnny in the first movie and Mr. Miyagi reminds him that he has learned quality karate and should be confident that he can hold his own in a fight.
13 "To Make Honey, Young Bee Need Young Flower, Not Old Prune."
This is more of a funny line from Mr. Miyagi as he was known for making jokes and wasn't afraid to poke fun at himself throughout the franchise. Daniel talks about the Halloween dance and Mr. Miyagi asks him if he's planning to go, which he says no because he doesn't want to run into Johnny and the Cobra Kai students.
Mr. Miyagi tells him he's spending too much time alone, which Daniel replies that he's not alone because he has him. Mr. Miyagi says that he shouldn't be hanging out with an old prune like him all the time, which was enough to convince Daniel to go to the dance.
12 "If Karate Used Defend Honor, Defend Life, Karate Mean Something. If Karate Used Defend Plastic Metal Trophy, Karate No Mean Nothing."
Most of the third movie sees Daniel wanting to defend his All Valley title with no support from Mr. Miyagi because his mentor doesn't believe in fighting in a tournament purely to fight in the tournament. The first movie saw Daniel participate to learn how to protect himself and stand up to his bullies.
Mr. Miyagi tries to tell him that the trophy isn't important and is hoping that he can persuade him not to care about it and not to give in to the Cobra Kai bullies, and it's good, wise advice for him.
11 "First Learn Stand, Then Learn Fly. Nature Rule, Daniel-san, Not Mine.”
As usual, Daniel wants to jump into learning karate techniques that he's not ready for and Mr. Miyagi is quick to share words of wisdom with him instead of trying to teach him something that could get him hurt.
Daniel sees Mr. Miyagi doing a crane kick at the beach and asks Mr. Miyagi how he's able to do that and if he could teach him how to do that. Mr. Miyagi tells him he needs to slow down, learn balance and learn the basics before he can move on to more complicated techniques like the crane kick.
10 "... Sometimes What Heart Know, Head Forget."
Mr. Miyagi understands human nature and a person's tendency to forget what is right. This usually manifests itself in people's tendency to rationalize actions that others recognize as wrong, immoral or ill-advised. It's this rationalization that can lead people down a rabbit hole of personal troubles.
While basing decisions purely on emotion is a rash idea, it is equally foolhardy to allow pragmatism to be the sole deciding factor. Only a balance of facts and feelings leads people down the right path to making good life decisions. In this case, Mr. Miyagi is referencing Sato's behavior.
9 "Daniel-San, You Look Revenge That Way, You Start By Digging Two Grave."
Revenge has been called a sucker's game, and for good reason. It's a movement fueled by rage, ego, and a desire to inflict pain on the person(s) who inflict pain on others. Miyagi knows that the best form of revenge is simply living well and forcing your enemies to re-examine their own path in life.
He also knows that those who pursue revenge, no matter how justified it may seem, face the risk of personal self-destruction. Even in the most extreme cases, revenge rarely leaves a person satisfied. On the contrary, it can leave them feeling empty, hollow, and worse off than they started.
8 "Here Are Two Rules Of Miyagi-Ryu Karate. Rule Number One: Karate For Defense Only. Rule Number 2: First Learn Rule Number One!"
Mr. Miyagi wi a staunch opponent of anyone who teaches martial arts for the sake of personal empowerment, ego, or glory. He knows that karate is designed for self-defense only, and his mantra stands in opposition to all forms of teaching that openly encouraged aggression and violence, such as Cobra Kai's methodology.
Miyagi-Ryu karate focuses on two rules that are brazenly simple yet deceptively wise. Miyagi's ancestors knew full well that it was one thing to say martial arts were for self-defense but quite another to put it into practice. By constantly reminding oneself about the true nature of karate, one is better suited to using it for the purpose it was intended.
7 "It's Okay To Lose To Opponent! Must Not Lose To Fear!"
The old saying "the only thing to fear is fear itself" is common, but most people still fall victim to this emotion throughout their lives. Fear goes far beyond the monster the under bed. It can manifest itself in fear of emotions, fear of success, or fear of the unknown.
Mr. Miyagi knows that Daniel was full of fear, and he has every reason to be. However, the secret to winning in life is to admit one's fears and still go on fighting. Losing to an opponent in the ring is nothing compared to losing to the voice inside one's own head.
6 "Never Put Passion In Front Of Principle. Even If You Win, You Lose."
This is a lesson that many people forget, especially in these turbulent and troubled times. Passion can be wonderful, but it can also be a corrosive substance that destroys everything it touches. It's quite alright to feel passionate about a goal or a cause, but if left unchecked, it can warp and destroy the best of intentions.
Miyagi understands that principals were everything. "Win, no matter what" is a recipe for self-corruption and darkness. Turning a blind eye to injustice for the sake of the so-called "greater good" is an evil mandate. Principles are virtuous for a reason, and to shove them aside in favor of blind emotion is immoral.
5 "For Man With No Forgiveness In Heart, Life Worse Punishment Than Death."
Mr. Miyagi has Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese literally on his knees after confronting him in the parking lot of the All Valley Karate tournament. Kreese rages against his students and belittles them for losing, and Johnny Lawrence gets the worst of it with a chokehold that could have ended with him in the hospital, or worse.
Without landing a single punch, Miyagi manages to overcome Kreese and humiliate him in front of his students. When Daniel asks why he didn't just kill him, Miyagi responds with this quote, and he clearly isn't talking about Kreese.
4 "No Such Thing As Bad Student, Only Bad Teacher. Teacher Say, Student Do."
Teachers help shape the minds and ideas of our youth, and when this establishment is corrupted, society pays the price. As people in positions of high esteem and authority, teachers are widely regarded as the final word in their respective fields, and challenging bad rhetoric can prove difficult.
Mr. Miyagi is quick to point out that students follow the guidelines and principles laid down by their teachers. The suggestion is to look at the root cause of the problem rather than the student's behavior and question the lessons they've been getting. Nobody is perfect, and teachers are prone to folly, just as students are.
3 "Walk On Road, Hmmm? Walk Left Side, Safe. Walk Right Side, Safe. Walk Middle, Sooner Or Later ... Get Squish Just Like Grape!"
When Mr. Miyagi asks Daniel if he was ready to begin his training, he responds with "I guess so." It's a prime opportunity for Miyagi to teach him a life lesson about the foolishness of being lukewarm. His illustration is colorful and humorous but nevertheless apt. Either commit fully to something or don't bother.
He follows up the illustration with "Same with karate. You karate 'yes,' or you karate 'no.' You karate 'guess so,' squish just like grape. Understand?" It is a solid take on the wisdom laid down by the Jedi Master Yoda in Star Wars who famously said "Do, or do not! There is no try.'"
2 "Karate Here [Touches Head]. Karate Here [Touches Heart]. Karate Never Here [Touches Gut]! Understand?"
Mr. Miyagi knows full well that Daniel stood at a crossroads in his life. He is a boy without a father, being bullied at a high school he didn't want to go to, in a state he never wanted to live in. If left unchecked, his anger will get the better of him and potentially drive him down a very dangerous path in life.
When Miyagi agrees to teach Daniel karate, he immediately tries to get through to him with this quote that talks specifically about the need to use the heart and mind, rather than the "gut." It's the latter that could lead to danger, if anger, rage, and impulse drive his training.
1 "Lesson Not Just Karate Only. Lesson For Whole Life! Whole Life Have A Balance, Everything Be Better."
Mr. Miyagi uses karate as a vehicle not just for self-defense but also as a philosophical lesson. In contrast to Cobra Kai's focus on rudiments, techniques and aggression, Miyagi-Ryu karate is more spiritual in nature. It encourages its students to slow down and see life beyond the context of the dojo.
Without Mr. Miyagi to guide Daniel at such a pivotal and vulnerable moment in his life, Daniel could have fallen by the wayside with disastrous results. By teaching him to find balance in every aspect of his life, Mr. Miyagi is able to mold Daniel's spirit and help him find a harmony that has been missing up until that point.
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