A New Karate Kid Movie?
Welcome to the land of nothing-is-sacred (aka Hollywood).
Word got out that there is a new Karate Kid movie in the works. This film is projected to be a continuation of the Karate Kid storyline that will "borrow elements" from the originals (as opposed to being a strict remake). Slated for the lead role is Jaden Smith, 10 year old son of Will Smith.
Some other tidbits about the production-
"'The Karate Kid' will be produced by Jerry Weintraub (who launched the original franchise) and Overbrook Entertainment's James Lassiter, Will Smith and Ken Stovitz. It will be the second movie on which Will Smith and his 10-year-old son Jaden work together.
The shooting will start next year and the remake will be written by Chris Murphy. The movie will reportedly continue the plot of the 1984 hit and will go with the action in more exotic locations such as Beijing and other cities. China Film Group Corp. will co-produce in China.
Just like in any other karate movie, Jaden will play the role of a bullied kid who is eventually trained by a mentor in various and unexpected ways (remember the waxing method?) to finally beat the bullies." - EfluxMedia
Also -
"The part of Pat Morita's inimitable Mr. Miyagi has yet to be cast, but given Jaden's apparent inability to appear onscreen without pops by his side, don't be surprised when Big Willie's Dojo takes on Cobra Kai in this updated version." - Variety
I'm a fair guy, so let's start off with something I like about all this. Will Smith is a pretty fantastic actor. I've enjoyed Independence Day, the Omega Man remake (I Am Legend), and of course Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down...
Will Smith is great. And honestly, there is nothing wrong with his son either. He is a talented child actor. The problem is in the principle.
The Karate Kid Movies (1 and 2 especially) were a rare occurrence. They were films that brought together entertainment, culture, and martial arts in a way that had never been done before. I can't think of any other movie that tries harder to express real martial spirit (not just ass kicking).
Furthermore, the original movies were steeped in Goju-Ryu, a legitimate karate style. The training done by Daniel (paint the fence, sand the floor) were all taken within the context of Goju-Ryu kata. Amongst those kata, Tensho was utilized most predominantly. (Tensho shown below)
It's extremely rare for a movie writer who cares about moral message and historical relevance to get together with producers and film makers who care about the same thing.
That's why, when it happens, you appreciate it and leave it alone.
Or...if you're a Hollywood exec...you try to squeeze a couple more pennies out of it. like so:
The Next Karate Kid was a corny, canned remake of the original plotline, which was an especially bad idea because Karate Kid III was already a pretty corny, canned remake of the original plotline. The additional problem with Next Karate Kid is that they threw out all of the things that made Karate Kid plausible. Instead of focusing on Okinawa, now the focus was on mysterious Buddhist monasteries (real original) and proving that Hilary Swank, with a weeks worth of training, could beat up 6 or 7 dudes without breaking a sweat. Blech.
Unfortunately, it seems like Hollywood didn't learn from its failed resurrection attempts and will have another go at it.
Premature Predictions About The New Karate Kid:
Jaden will be 11-12 yrs old when the filming of this movie starts...what karate are we really going to see here? When I teach kids, I focus on very simple self defense techniques like foot stomping, shin kicking, and calling for help. What do you think Jaden is going to do? (Answer: spinning hook kicks while surrounded by 5 bullies).
Replacing thoughtful commentary between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi will be canned "lessons learned" moments.
Replacing a coming of age story will be super adventures to "exotic locations" and pouty "stop picking on me!" scenes.
Will Smith will be funny, entertaining, and maybe even a little moving...but it still won't excuse the fact that they chose to throw the original Karate Kid movies under the bus in order to get a little extra publicity and buzz.
***
Update - Jackie Chan slated to play Mr. Miyagi. Read about it here.
The Convocation of Combat Arts
Awhile ago I got involved with something called The Convocation of Combat Arts. This was a forum for martial arts blogs and their readers. The thing I liked about it was the mature approach that all the participants took to discussion. There was no childish name calling, trolling, newbie bashing, or any of that nonsense that you experience on many forums.
Recently, creator Nathan Teodoro of TDA Training moved the forum to a new site, located here. The new "COCA" utilizes ning, which is very functional, flexible, and easy to use. Now COCA has the ability to add friends, create groups, chat, and a bunch of other cool social media stuff.
If you're a martial arts writer, it might be worth checking out. If you're a reader, you might want to stop on by and see if there are any discussions going on that interest you.
Taking Martial Arts to Miami
*I'd like to send a quick thanks to Nathan over at TDA Training for featuring me in his TDA Blitz. He even posted up my logo, which was great. If you haven't checked out TDA Training yet (Although you probably have), I recommend it. Top notch stuff. *
Last time you heard from me I was reporting on some Elite XC shinanigans. Since then, I have been wheeling and dealing down in Miami Beach. I'd like to tell you a little bit about that trip, and about how my martial arts training affected the whole experience. Plus I'm going to include some sweet pictures. Like this one -
That was the view out of my hotel window, and I definitely enjoyed it. But let's start at the beginning...
The Call and the Flight
A few weeks ago I was at work when we got a call. It was an invite to present our company (ClassicWines.com) at the Miami International Wine Fair down in Miami Beach. This event is usually relegated to wineries and retailers, but we've been in touch with other businesses in Miami so it seemed like a natural extension to have us there as well. It was agreed upon and plans were put into motion.
Time went by quickly between the call and the event, and before I knew it I was double checking my carry-on and setting out for Philadelphia airport.
You may be surprised to hear this, but this was my first flight! Somehow or another, there's never been a time when I couldn't drive or take the train to my desired destination. Naturally, I was very precautious and made sure to check everything twice.
As I was going through security, the metal detector alarm went off. Three armed gaurds came running at me very quickly, trying to subdue me. I was able to roundhouse kick one in the face while tossing pens at the other two like shurikens. (Sorry, I thought this part needed a little extra spice).
No, I actually used martial arts to improve my mindset. In a situation that could be very stressful (crowded airport for the first time), I was able to calm my mind and absorb the commotion around me. This helped me navigate around wayward travelers and traverse security with speedy precision. In fact, when in a calm, focused state of mind, I also find that I am more pleasant and cheerful. The folks working at the airport no doubt appreciate a smile now and then amongst the grouchy passengers in a hurry.
Miami, and the Weather is Fine
My first flight went very smoothly and we arrived safely in Fort Lauderdale. With winter weather quickly bearing down on my native PA, sights such as these were very welcome -
and
On the Scene - Miami Wine Fair
When we got to the wine fair itself, it was easy to let myself slip into a little bit of intimidation. After all, there were a lot of wine-knowledgeable people in attendance. I wanted to blend into the crowd for awhile and not draw attention to myself. Unfortunately, I knew blending wasn't an option (Sorry Aikido folks, not this time).
In a self-pep-talk fashion, I reminded myself about the other stressful experiences I've overcome. After all, if I can pass my sandan testing in front of the watchful eyes of Hanshi Heilman and the Renshi Kai board, I can do this right?
So I went to it, and after my first few successful interactions, the ice wore off and I was ready to go. It reminded me a lot of sparring: as you are padding up before the first fight, doubts and fears are still running through your mind. Your body is still drumming up complaints, instinctively trying to keep you out of harm's way. Yet, after the clock starts and the match begins, anxiety melts away inside of mushin and kokoro.
Miami After Hours
Outside of the conference itself, I had a really great chance to sample Miami life. For example, the condo we all hung out at after the conference had this for a view -
The island you're looking at is where stars tend to buy their pads. I was not invited to that island.
The night life was equally as interesting. I'm sure you've heard from TV and word-of-mouth about South Beach being a very trendy, very club oriented scene. These rumors are true. We checked out some fantastic restaurants and they really do spare no expense. Very attentive, very courteous. Very loud 80s music (I guess it's ironically hip?)
One thing I learned about myself while doin-it-Miami-Vice-style is that I'm a very basic individual. I've spent many years through training trying to strip down the layers of myself that I didn't care for or that I thought needed improvement. Experiencing even a modicum of lavishness put me right out of my element.
After All Was Said and Done
This was a great, eye opening experience; but it was my initial intent to make it so. I wanted to walk into the airport, the city, the convention center, the restaurants, and the beaches with fresh eyes. I wanted it to feel new because it was new, and I didn't want to let myself get buried in all of the contingencies and worries that could have eaten away at me.
I wanted to own the moment.
