History Recap / TheKarateKid1984

The next day, Daniel finds his bike out of the dumpster and repaired. He goes to Mr. Miyagi's workshop and finds out that the maintenance man had repaired it for him. Miyagi is also pruning bonsai trees and invites Daniel to try it. Daniel is resistant but Mr. Miyagi convinces him that it's a relaxing hobby. Mr. Miyagi also shares some of his own personal history with Daniel, and how he learned about pruning bonsai trees from his father while living in Okinawa, Japan.

Ali and Daniel both decorate the school gymnasium for an upcoming Halloween dance. Daniel, however, chooses not to attend; when Miyagi asks him why, Daniel says he doesn't have a costume. Mr. Miyagi also senses that Daniel lacks confidence in himself, and fashions a costume for Daniel consisting of a shower head and curtain. Daniel arrives at the school and meets with Ali, dancing briefly with her. A prankster at the dance smashes a raw egg on Daniel's head and he goes to the bathroom to clean up. Johnny and his gang are also in the bathroom, wearing face paint and skeleton outfits, and rolling marijuana joints. Daniel rigs a prank, dangling a hose over Johnny and turning on the water, dousing his enemy. Johnny rushes out of the bathroom after Daniel. Ali briefly stalls them by tripping Johnny and spilling all the other Cobra Kais to the floor. Daniel rushes out of the school and nearly makes it over the fence at the apartment complex when the Kais catch him and begin to beat him seriously.

Daniel and Mr. Miyagi go to Cobra Kai the next day, and watch as Kreese shows off his unorthodox methods of teaching. Among other things, he punishes a student who falls out of sync in throwing jab punches by making him do 60 pushups on his knuckles, while having Bobby spar one of his green belt students, Robertson. He lectures his students that an opponent is also the enemy and deserves no mercy. When Johnny notices that Daniel and Miyagi are in the room, Kreese interrupts his class and confronts the visitors. Kreese scornfully dismisses Miyagi's request that his students leave Daniel alone and wants Daniel to fight Johnny immediately. Miyagi wants the odds to be more even for Daniel and counter-proposes that Daniel fight Kreese's students in the All-Valley Under-18 Karate Championships, being held on December 19th. Kreese, impressed by Miyagi's negotiating tactics, likes the challenge and agrees. Kreese also agrees to enforce a follow-up request by Miyagi that his students leave Daniel alone until the tournament so he has time to train, but warns that if Daniel does not show up at the tournament, the harassment will be allowed to resume, which will then include Miyagi.

Miyagi takes Daniel to his home to begin his training. Out in front of the house are a dozen classic American cars. Miyagi tells Daniel that they'll have to make a pact: Miyagi will instruct Daniel and Daniel will not question his method. When Daniel agrees, Miyagi hands Daniel a sponge and orders him to [[WaxOnWaxOff wash and wax all the cars]]. Miyagi's instructions are very specific; Daniel will only use the sponge and waxing cloths by moving his hands and arms in wide circles. He will also breathe deeply, in through his nose & out through his mouth. In the weeks that follow, Miyagi gives Daniel further chores to complete with similar instructions on technique: sanding a walkway that leads around Miyagi's backyard (landscaped to be a Japanese garden), painting the fence that surrounds his property and painting his house.

Daniel [=LaRusso=] (Creator/RalphMacchio) is a 16 year old teenager who has moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles after his widowed mother, Lucille (Randee Heller), gets a new job. Daniel is unhappy at having to move, make new friends and leave his old friends behind, but he promises Lucille he'll do his best to make a new life in California. Daniel quickly makes a new friend, Freddy Fernandez (Israel Juarbe) at the apartment complex. When the faucet at their new apartment breaks, Daniel goes to see the maintenance man, Nariyoshi Miyagi (Creator/PatMorita), who is attempting to catch a fly with chopsticks. He seems annoyed at being interrupted but assures he will get to them in due time. Freddy invites Daniel to a beach party where he spots a beautiful blonde named Ali Mills (Creator/ElisabethShue).

Although Daniel has some basic knowledge of martial arts via some YMCA self-defense classes, he decides he needs a refresher. While he exercises, Mr. Miyagi comes in to fix the sink and comments on Daniel's attempts to learn from a book. He also inquires how Daniel could fall off a bicycle without sustaining any injuries to his arm. When Daniel meets Lucille for lunch he notices a karate dojo, [[ThugDojo Cobra Kai]], across the street from the restaurant, and decides to check it out after Lucille returns to work. Cobra Kai's sensei, ex-Special Forces soldier John Kreese (Martin Kove), runs the dojo like a boot camp, instilling his students with a Draconian philosophy he refers to as the Way of the Fist: "Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy". When he sees Johnny, Tommy, and Bobby among Kreese's students, he nervously leaves, but not before being noticed by Johnny.

Johnny notices Daniel scoping them out, so he and his friends sideswipe Daniel as he's biking home, causing him to fall down a hill. Daniel is mildly injured but more scared and humiliated. Arriving back at home, Lucille sees him tossing his wrecked bike in a dumpster. Daniel, angry at how his life has been disrupted with the move, tells his mother he wants to move back to New Jersey. As they walk away, Miyagi emerges from his workshop, having heard their conversation.

The next day, Daniel finds his bike out of the dumpster and repaired. He goes to Mr. Miyagi's workshop and finds out that the maintenance man had repaired it for him. Miyagi is also pruning bonsai trees and invites Daniel to try it. Daniel is resistant but Miyagi convinces him that it's a relaxing hobby. Miyagi also shares some of his own personal history with Daniel: he learned about pruning bonsai trees from his father while living in Okinawa, Japan.

Ali and Daniel both decorate the school gymnasium for an upcoming Halloween dance. Daniel, however, chooses not to attend; when Miyagi asks him why, Daniel says he doesn't have a costume. Miyagi also senses that Daniel lacks confidence in himself, and fashions a costume for Daniel consisting of a shower head and curtain. Daniel arrives at the school and meets with Ali, dancing briefly with her. A prankster at the dance smashes a raw egg on Daniel's head and he goes to the bathroom to clean up. Johnny and his fellow students from Cobra Kai are also in the bathroom, dressed like skeletons and rolling marijuana joints. Daniel rigs a prank, dangling a hose over Johnny and turning on the water, dousing his enemy. Johnny rushes out of the bathroom after Daniel. Ali briefly stalls them by tripping Johnny and spilling all the other Cobra Kais to the floor. Daniel rushes out of the school and nearly makes it over the fence at the apartment complex when the Kais catch him and begin to beat him seriously.

Yelling about how enemies deserve "no mercy", and ignoring Bobby's protests, Johnny winds up for a brutal kick and misses when Mr. Miyagi climbs over the fence and pushes Daniel out of the way. Johnny and his gang attack Mr. Miyagi, who easily defeats them, including Johnny, leaving them all on the ground and writhing in pain. Miyagi takes Daniel to his workshop and places a medicinal bandanna on his head and gives him strong tea to drink. Daniel is amazed that an older man is skilled in karate and asks Miyagi to teach him. Miyagi mentions that the Cobra Kais' problem is not their own doing but must be their sensei's, for "no such thing as bad student, only bad teacher". Miyagi suggests that Daniel talk to their teacher; Daniel refuses, thinking he'll be beaten again. Miyagi is reluctant to get involved but agrees to teach Daniel and also agrees to go with him to the Kais dojo and speak with their sensei.

Daniel and Miyagi go to Cobra Kai the next day, and watch as Kreese shows off his unorthodox methods of teaching. Among other things, he punishes a student who falls out of sync in throwing jab punches by making him do 60 pushups on his knuckles, while having Bobby spar one of his green belt students, Robertson. He lectures his students that an opponent is also the enemy and deserves no mercy. When Johnny notices that Daniel and Miyagi are in the room, Kreese interrupts his class and confronts the visitors. Kreese scornfully dismisses Miyagi's request that his students leave Daniel alone and wants Daniel to fight Johnny immediately. Miyagi wants the odds to be more even for Daniel and counter-proposes that Daniel fight Kreese's students in the All-Valley Under-18 Karate Tournament, being held on December 19th. Kreese, impressed by Miyagi's negotiating tactics, likes the challenge and agrees. Kreese also agrees to enforce a follow-up request by Miyagi that his students leave Daniel alone until the tournament so he has time to train, but warns that if Daniel does not show up at the tournament, the harassment will be allowed to resume, which will then include Miyagi.

Daniel goes on his first official date with Ali. When he arrives, driven by Lucille, at Ali's house, he finds that her parents are quite wealthy and live in Beverly Hills. Daniel is incredibly nervous and embarrassed, especially when Lucille's car won't start and they have to push-start it. However, the date with Ali at the Golf 'N Stuff is enjoyable and his embarrassment melts.

In the tourney ring, Daniel squares off and beats his first opponent. He continues to advance his way through the preliminary rounds, much to his own surprise. In the higher rounds, Daniel faces off against some of the Cobra Kais. After Daniel defeats Robertson, Tommy and Dutch, he's matched up against Bobby for the semi-finals. The winner of this match will face off against Johnny, who advances to the finals by scoring three unanswered points against Darryl Vidal. Kreese orders Bobby to use an illegal kick to deliberately injure Daniel's knee, taking him out of the competition. Though disgusted, Bobby reluctantly complies, severely injuring Daniel and getting disqualified in the process. Daniel is taken to the locker room where a medic tells him he won't be able to finish the competition. Daniel is devastated, but Ali, Lucille, and Miyagi all tell him that he made his point, and further fighting isn't necessary. However, after both women have left, Daniel asks Miyagi to use acupressure to fix his knee, like he did for his shoulder during training. Though Miyagi initially reiterates Lucille's comments that Daniel has nothing left to prove, Daniel insists he will never be able to achieve his life's balance if he knows his tormentors have gotten the best of him. Miyagi agrees and, using a pain suppression tactic, partially heals Daniel's leg.

As the sun goes down, the party is crashed by Ali's ex-boyfriend, local troublemaker Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), accompanied by his flunkies, Tommy (Rob Garrison), Bobby Brown (Ron Thomas), Jimmy (Tony O'Dell), and Dutch (Chad [=McQueen=]). The three come riding in on their motorcycles, and after menacingly circling around the bonfire a few times, Johnny dismounts and argues with Ali. He breaks her stereo, prompting Daniel to stand up to him. Johnny gets territorial, and beats up Daniel, giving him a black eye. Daniel is humiliated and refuses Ali's help when she seems concerned. He attempts to hide the eye injury from Lucille by wearing sunglasses to school; when this fails, he lies and tells her that he fell off his bicycle. Daniel receives further humiliation during the soccer tryouts at his new school, when Bobby deliberately slide tackles Daniel, prompting a pissed off Daniel to tackle him and punch him in the face, which gets him expelled from the field.

As the sun goes down, the party is crashed by Ali's ex-boyfriend, local troublemaker Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), accompanied by his two flunkies, Tommy (Rob Garrison) and Bobby Brown (Ron Thomas). The three come riding in on their motorcycles, and after menacingly circling around the bonfire a few times, Johnny dismounts and argues with Ali. He breaks her stereo, prompting Daniel to stand up to him. Johnny gets territorial, and beats up Daniel, giving him a black eye. Daniel is humiliated and refuses Ali's help when she seems concerned. He attempts to hide the eye injury from Lucille by wearing sunglasses to school; when this fails, he lies and tells her that he fell off his bicycle. Daniel receives further humiliation during the soccer tryouts at his new school, when Bobby deliberately slide tackles Daniel, prompting Daniel to tackle him and land a punch to his face, which gets him expelled from the field.

Although Daniel has some basic knowledge of martial arts via some YMCA self-defense classes, he decides he needs a refresher. While he exercises, Mr. Miyagi comes in to fix the sink and comments on Daniel's attempts to learn from a book. He also inquires how Daniel could fall off a bicycle without sustaining any injuries to his arm. When Daniel meets Lucille for lunch he notices a karate dojo, [[ThugDojo Cobra Kai]], across the street from the restaurant, and decides to check it out after Lucille returns to work. The dojo's sensei, ex-Special Forces soldier John Kreese (Martin Kove), runs the dojo like a boot camp, instilling his students with a Draconian philosophy he refers to as the Way of the Fist: "Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy". When he sees Johnny, Tommy, and Bobby among Kreese's students, he nervously leaves, but not before being noticed by Johnny.

The next day, Daniel finds his bike out of the dumpster and repaired. He goes to Miyagi's workshop and finds out that the maintenance man had repaired it for him. Miyagi is also pruning bonsai trees and invites Daniel to try it. Daniel is resistant but Miyagi convinces him that it's a relaxing hobby. Miyagi also shares some of his own personal history with Daniel: he learned about pruning bonsai trees from his father while living in Okinawa, Japan.

Yelling about how enemies deserve "no mercy", Johnny winds up for a brutal kick and misses when Miyagi climbs over the fence and pushes Daniel out of the way. The Kais attack Miyagi, who easily defeats them, including Johnny, leaving them all on the ground and writhing in pain. Miyagi takes Daniel to his workshop and places a medicinal bandanna on his head and gives him strong tea to drink. Daniel is amazed that an older man is skilled in karate and asks Miyagi to teach him. Miyagi mentions that the Kais' problem is not their own doing but must be their sensei's. Miyagi suggests that Daniel talk to their teacher; Daniel refuses, thinking he'll be beaten again. Miyagi is reluctant to get involved but agrees to teach Daniel and also agrees to go with him to the Kais dojo and speak with their sensei.

Daniel and Miyagi go to Cobra Kai the next day, and watch as Kreese shows off his unorthodox methods of teaching. Among other things, he punishes a student who falls out of sync in throwing jab punches by making him do 60 pushups on his knuckles, while having Bobby spar one of his green belt students, Robertson. He lectures his students that an opponent is also the enemy and deserves no mercy. When Johnny notices that Daniel and Miyagi are in the room, Kreese interrupts his class and confronts the visitors. Kreese scornfully dismisses Miyagi's request that his students leave Daniel alone and wants Daniel to fight Johnny immediately. Miyagi wants the odds to be more even for Daniel and proposes that Daniel fight Kreese's students in the All-Valley Under-18 Karate Tournament, being held on December 19th. Kreese, impressed by Miyagi's negotiating tactics, likes the challenge and agrees. Kreese also agrees to order his students not to touch Daniel until then, but warns that if Daniel does not show up at the tournament, the harassment will be allowed to resume, which will then include Miyagi.

Ali asks Daniel to meet her for another date. Daniel goes to Ali's parents country club where he sees Ali dancing with Johnny. When Johnny spots Daniel, he forces Ali to kiss him. Daniel, ashamed, goes to leave and runs into a waiter, who spills a tray of food on him, drawing laughter from everyone who sees the accident. Ali, furious, punches Johnny and leaves, which Daniel does not see happen.

In the tourney ring, Daniel squares off and beats his first opponent. He continues to advance his way through the preliminary rounds, much to his own surprise. In the higher rounds, Daniel faces off against some of the Cobra Kais. After Daniel defeats Tommy and Dutch, he's matched up against Bobby for the semi-finals. The winner of this match will face off against Johnny, who advances to the finals by scoring three unanswered points against Darryl Vidal. Kreese orders Bobby to use an illegal kick to deliberately injure Daniel's knee, taking him out of the competition. Though disgusted, Bobby reluctantly complies, severely injuring Daniel and getting disqualified in the process. Daniel is taken to the locker room where a medic tells him he won't be able to finish the competition. Daniel is devastated, but Ali, Lucille, and Miyagi all tell him that he made his point, and further fighting isn't necessary. However, after both women have left, Daniel asks Miyagi to use acupressure to fix his knee, like he did for his shoulder during training. Though Miyagi initially reiterates Lucille's comments that Daniel has nothing left to prove, Daniel insists he will never be able to achieve his life's balance if he knows his tormentors have gotten the best of him. Miyagi agrees and, using a pain suppression tactic, partially heals Daniel's leg.

Daniel returns to the ring moments before Johnny is about to be named winner by default. Needing three contact points to win, both square off. The match is a seesaw battle, with neither able to break through the other's defense. The match is halted when Daniel scores his second point using a scissor-leg technique to trip Johnny, delivering a blow to the back of Johnny's head that gives him a nosebleed. While wiping away the blood, Kreese directs Johnny to sweep Daniel's injured leg. Johnny is baffled at the order, but reluctantly agrees. The match resumes, and Johnny quickly scores two points to tie the score. He eventually seizes Daniel's leg and deals a vicious elbow, doing further damage and getting himself a warning for illegal contact. Daniel, standing with difficulty, assumes the "Crane" stance, and with an approving look from Miyagi, waits for Johnny to make his move. Daniel kicks out with his leg and connects with Johnny's chin, scoring a third point and winning the match and title. As he's carried around on the shoulders of the other competitors, Johnny, having gained newfound respect for his nemesis, presents the trophy to Daniel himself, while Miyagi looks on proudly.

Daniel and Miyagi go to Cobra Kai the next day, and watch as Kreese shows off his unorthodox methods of teaching.

lectures his students that an opponent is also the enemy and deserves no mercy. When Johnny notices that Daniel and Miyagi are in the room, Kreese interrupts his class and confronts the visitors. Kreese scornfully dismisses Miyagi's request that his students leave Daniel alone and wants Daniel to fight Johnny immediately. Miyagi wants the odds to be more even for Daniel and proposes that Daniel fight Kreese's students in the All-Valley Under-18 Karate Tournament, being held on December 19th. Kreese, impressed by Miyagi's negotiating tactics, likes the challenge and agrees. Kreese also agrees to order his students not to touch Daniel until then, but warns that if Daniel does not show up at the tournament, the harassment will be allowed to resume, which will then include Miyagi.

As the sun goes down, local troublemaker Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and his flunkies, Tommy (Rob Garrison) and Bobby Brown (Ron Thomas), crash the party on their motorcycles. After menacingly circling around their bonfire a few times, Johnny dismounts and argues with Ali, revealed to be his ex-girlfriend. He destroys her stereo, prompting Daniel to stand up to him. Johnny quickly reveals that he knows martial arts, and he easily beats up Daniel, giving him a black eye. Daniel is humiliated and refuses Ali's help when she seems concerned. He attempts to hide the eye injury from Lucille by wearing sunglasses to school; when this fails, he lies and tells her that he fell off his bicycle. Daniel receives further humiliation during the soccer tryouts at his new school, when Bobby deliberately slide tackles Daniel, prompting Daniel to tackle him and land a punch to his face, which gets him expelled from the field.

Although Daniel has some basic knowledge of martial arts via some YMCA self-defense classes, he decides he needs a refresher. While he exercises, Mr. Miyagi comes in to fix the sink and comments on Daniel's attempts to learn from a book. He also inquires how Daniel could fall off a bicycle without sustaining any injuries to his arm. When Daniel meets Lucille for lunch he notices a karate dojo, Cobra Kai, across the street from the restaurant, and decides to check it out after Lucille returns to work. The dojo's sensei, ex-Special Forces soldier John Kreese (Martin Kove), runs the dojo like a boot camp, instilling his students with a Draconian philosophy he refers to as the "Way of the Fist", which emphasizes ruthlessness and ferocity. When he sees Johnny, Tommy, and Bobby among Kreese's students, he nervously leaves.

Johnny notices Daniel scoping them out, so he and friends sideswipe Daniel as he's biking home, causing him to fall down a hill. Daniel is mildly injured but more scared and humiliated. Arriving back at home, Lucille sees him tossing his wrecked bike in a dumpster. Daniel, angry at how his life has been disrupted with the move, tells his mother he wants to move back to New Jersey. As they walk away, Miyagi emerges from his workshop, having heard their conversation.

Ali and Daniel both decorate the school gymnasium for an upcoming Halloween dance. Daniel, however, chooses not to attend; when Miyagi asks him why, Daniel says he doesn't have a costume. Miyagi also senses that Daniel lacks confidence in himself, and fashions a costume for Daniel consisting of a shower head and curtain. Daniel arrives at the school and meets with Ali, dancing briefly with her. A prankster at the dance smashes a raw egg on Daniel's head and he goes to the bathroom to clean up. Johnny and his fellow students from Cobra Kai are also in the bathroom, dressed like skeletons and rolling marijuana joints. Daniel rigs a prank, dangling a hose over Johnny and turning on the water, dousing his enemy. Johnny rushes out of the bathroom after Daniel. Ali briefly stalls them by tripping Johnny and spilling all the other Cobra Kais to the floor. Daniel rushes out of the school and nearly makes it over the fence at his home when the Kais catch him and begin to beat him seriously.

Yelling about how enemies deserve "no mercy", Johnny winds up for a brutal kick and misses when Miyagi appears and pushes Daniel out of the way. The Kais attack Miyagi, who easily defeats them, including Johnny, leaving them all on the ground and writhing in pain. Miyagi takes Daniel to his workshop and places a medicinal bandanna on his head and gives him strong tea to drink. Daniel is amazed that an older man is skilled in karate and asks Miyagi to teach him. Miyagi mentions that the Kais' problem is not their own doing but must be their sensei's. Miyagi suggests that Daniel talk to their teacher; Daniel refuses, thinking he'll be beaten again. Miyagi is reluctant to get involved but agrees to teach Daniel and also agrees to go with him to the Kais dojo and speak with their sensei.

At the Cobra Kai dojo the next day, Daniel and Miyagi watch as Kreese lectures his students that an opponent is also the enemy and deserves no mercy. When Johnny notices that Daniel and Miyagi are in the room, Kreese interrupts his class and confronts the visitors. Kreese scornfully dismisses Miyagi's request that his students leave Daniel alone and orders Daniel to fight Johnny immediately. Miyagi wants the odds to be more even for Daniel and suggests that Daniel and the Kais match up at the All-Valley Under-18 Karate Tournament on December 19th. Kreese, impressed by Miyagi's negotiating tactics, likes the challenge and agrees. Kreese also agrees to order his students not to touch Daniel until then, but warns that if Daniel does not show up at the tournament, the harassment will be allowed to resume, which will then include Miyagi.

Miyagi takes Daniel to his home to begin his training. Out in front of the house are a dozen classic American cars. Miyagi tells Daniel that they'll have to make a pact: Miyagi will instruct Daniel and his student will not question his method. When Daniel agrees, Miyagi hands Daniel a sponge and orders him to [[WaxOnWaxOff wash and wax all the cars]]. Miyagi's instructions are very specific; Daniel will only use the sponge and waxing cloths by moving his hands and arms in wide circles. He will also breathe deeply, in through his nose & out through his mouth. In the weeks that follow, Miyagi gives Daniel further chores to complete with similar instructions on technique: sanding a walkway that leads around Miyagi's backyard (landscaped to be a Japanese garden), painting the fence that surrounds his property and painting his house.

In the tourney ring, Daniel squares off and beats his first opponent. He continues to advance his way through the preliminary rounds, much to his own surprise. In the higher rounds, Daniel faces off against some of the Cobra Kais. After Daniel defeats Tommy and Dutch, he's matched up against Bobby for the semi-finals, with the winner facing off against Johnny, who has advanced by scoring three unanswered points against Darryl Vidal. Kreese orders Bobby to use an illegal kick to deliberately injure Daniel's knee, taking him out of the competition. Though disgusted, Bobby reluctantly complies, severely injuring Daniel and getting disqualified in the process. Daniel is taken to the locker room where a medic tells him he won't be able to finish the competition. Daniel is devastated, but Ali, Lucille, and Miyagi all tell him that he made his point, and further fighting isn't necessary. However, after both women have left, Daniel asks Miyagi to use acupressure to fix his knee, like he did for his shoulder during training. Though Miyagi initially reiterates Lucille's comments that Daniel has nothing left to prove, Daniel insists he will never be able to achieve his life's balance if he knows his tormentors have gotten the best of him. Miyagi agrees and, using a pain suppression tactic, partially heals Daniel's leg.

Daniel returns to the ring moments before Johnny is about to be named winner by default. Needing three contact points to win, both square off. The match is a seesaw battle, with neither able to break through the other's defense. The match is halted when Daniel uses a scissor-leg technique to trip Johnny, delivering a blow to the back of Johnny's head that gives him a nosebleed. While wiping away the blood, Kreese directs Johnny to sweep Daniel's injured leg. Johnny is baffled at the order, but reluctantly agrees. As the match resumes and the score ties 2-2, Johnny seizes Daniel's leg and deals a vicious elbow, doing further damage and getting himself a warning for illegal contact. Daniel, standing with difficulty, assumes the "Crane" stance, and with an approving look from Miyagi, waits for Johnny to make his move. Daniel kicks out with his leg and connects with Johnny's chin, scoring a third point and winning the match and title. As he's carried around on the shoulders of the other competitors, Johnny, having gained newfound respect for his nemesis, presents the trophy to Daniel himself, while Miyagi looks on proudly.

Daniel [=LaRusso=] (Creator/RalphMacchio) is a 16 year old teenager who has moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles after his widowed mother, Lucille (Randee Heller), gets a new job. Daniel is unhappy at having to move, make new friends and leave his old friends behind, but he promises Lucille he'll do his best to make a new life in California. Daniel quickly makes a new friend, Freddy Fernandez (Israel Juarbe) at the apartment complex. When the faucet at their new apartment breaks, Daniel goes to see the maintenance man, Nariyoshi Miyagi (Creator/PatMorita), who is attempting to catch a fly with chopsticks. He seems annoyed at being interrupted but assures he will get to them in due time. Freddy invites Daniel to a beach party where he spots a beautiful blonde named Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue).

Johnny notices Daniel checking them out, so he and friends sideswipe Daniel as he's biking home, causing him to fall down a hill. Daniel is mildly injured but more scared and humiliated. Arriving back at home, Lucille sees him tossing his wrecked bike in a dumpster. Daniel, angry at how his life has been disrupted with the move, tells his mother he wants to move back to New Jersey. As they walk away, Miyagi emerges from his workshop, having heard their conversation.

The next day, Daniel finds his bike out of the dumpster and repaired. He goes to Miyagi's workshop and finds out that the maintenance man had repaired it for him. Miyagi is also pruning bonsai trees and invites Daniel to try it. Daniel is resistant but Miyagi convinces him that it's a relaxing hobby. Miyagi also shares some of his own personal history with Daniel: he learned about pruning bonsai trees from this father while living in Okinawa, Japan.

At the Cobra Kai dojo the next day, Daniel and Miyagi watch as Kreese lectures his students that an opponent is also the enemy and deserves no mercy. When Johnny notices that Daniel and Miyagi are in the room, Kreese interrupts his class and confronts the visitors. Kreese scornfully dismisses Miyagi's request that his students leave Daniel alone and orders Daniel to fight Johnny immediately. Miyagi wants the odds to be more even for Daniel and suggests that Daniel and the Kais match up at the All-Valley Under-18 Karate Tournament on December 19th. Kreese likes the challenge and agrees. Kreese also agrees to order his students not to touch Daniel until then, but warns that if Daniel does not show up at the tournament, the harassment will be allowed to resume, which will then include Miyagi.

On the day of the tournament, Ali and Lucille join him. At the registration desk the official asks what degree of belt Daniel has attained. Miyagi tells the official that Daniel is a black belt and slyly steals the official's belt from his bag sitting beside the desk, giving it to Ali. In the locker room while dressing, Daniel is confronted by some of the Cobra Kais led by Dutch, one of Kreese's top-ranking students. One of the referees orders the Kais out.

In the tourney ring, Daniel squares off and beats his first opponent. He continues to advance his way through the preliminary rounds, much to his own surprise. In the higher rounds, Daniel faces off against some of the Cobra Kais. When Daniel defeats Tommy and Dutch, he's matched up against Bobby for the semi-finals, with the winner facing off against Johnny, who has advanced by scoring three unanswered points against Darryl Vidal. Kreese orders Bobby to use an illegal kick to deliberately injure Daniel's knee, taking him out of the competition. Though disgusted, Bobby reluctantly complies, severely injuring Daniel and getting disqualified in the process. Daniel is taken to the locker room where a medic tells him he won't be able to finish the competition. Daniel is devastated, but Ali, Lucille, and Miyagi all tell him that he made his point, and further fighting isn't necessary. However, after both women have left, Daniel asks Miyagi to use acupressure to fix his knee, like he did for his shoulder during training. Though Miyagi initially reiterates Lucille's comments that Daniel has nothing left to prove, Daniel insists he will never be able to achieve his life's balance if he knows his tormentors have gotten the best of him. Miyagi agrees and, using a pain suppression tactic, partially heals Daniel's leg.

In the tourney ring, Daniel squares off and beats his first opponent. He continues to advance his way through the preliminary rounds, much to his own surprise. In the higher rounds, Daniel faces off against some of the Cobra Kais. When Daniel defeats Tommy and Dutch, he's matched up against Bobby for the semi-finals. Kreese orders Bobby to use an illegal kick to deliberately injure Daniel's knee, taking him out of the competition. Though disgusted, Bobby reluctantly complies, severely injuring Daniel and getting disqualified in the process. Daniel is taken to the locker room where a medic tells him he won't be able to finish the competition. Daniel is devastated, but Ali, Lucille, and Miyagi all tell him that he made his point, and further fighting isn't necessary. However, after both women have left, Daniel asks Miyagi to use acupressure to fix his knee, like he did for his shoulder during training. Though Miyagi initially reiterates Lucille's comments that Daniel has nothing left to prove, Daniel insists he will never be able to achieve his life's balance if he knows his tormentors have gotten the best of him. Miyagi agrees and, using a pain suppression tactic, partially heals Daniel's leg.

Daniel returns to the ring moments before Johnny is about to be named winner by default. Needing three contact points to win, both square off, and after several tense rounds the score is tied at two each. Daniel tries a high kick which is caught by Johnny, who, under orders from Kreese, plants an elbow in Daniel's injured knee. Daniel, despite being in pain, is undeterred and lines up for the final round. He takes up the crane technique pose and with an approving look from Miyagi, waits for Johnny to make his move. Daniel kicks out with his leg and connects with Johnny's chin, scoring a third point and winning the match and title. As he's carried around on the shoulders of the other competitors, Johnny congratulates him and hands him the championship trophy. Daniel celebrates his triumph and sees Miyagi nearly smiling.

Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) is a teenager who has moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles after his widowed mother, Lucille (Randee Heller), gets a new job. Daniel is unhappy at having to move, make new friends and leave his old friends behind, but he promises Lucille he'll do his best to make a new life in California. Daniel quickly makes a new friend, Freddy Fernandez (Israel Juarbe) at the apartment complex. When the faucet at their new apartment breaks, Daniel goes to see the maintenance man, Kesuke Miyagi (Pat Morita), who is attempting to catch a fly with chopsticks. He seems annoyed at being interrupted but assures he will get to them in due time. Freddy invites Daniel to a beach party where he spots a beautiful blonde named Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue).

As the sun goes down, local troublemaker Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and his flunkies, Tommy (Rob Garrison) and Bobby (Ron Thomas), crash the party on their motorcycles. After menacingly circling around their bonfire a few times, Johnny dismounts and argues with Ali, revealed to be his ex-girlfriend. He destroys her stereo, prompting Daniel to stand up to him. Johnny quickly reveals that he knows martial arts, and he easily beats up Daniel, giving him a black eye. Daniel is humiliated and refuses Ali's help when she seems concerned. He attempts to hide the eye injury from Lucille by wearing sunglasses to school; when this fails, he lies and tells her that he fell off his bicycle. Daniel receives further humiliation during the soccer tryouts at his new school, when Bobby slide tackles Daniel, prompting Daniel to tackle him and land a punch to his face, which gets him expelled from the field.

Although Daniel has some basic knowledge of martial arts via some YMCA self-defense classes, he decides he needs a refresher. While he exercises, Mr. Miyagi comes in to fix the sink and comments on Daniel's attempts to learn from a book. He also inquires how Daniel could fall off a bicycle without sustaining any injuries to his arm. When Daniel meets Lucille for lunch he notices a karate school, the Cobra Kai dojo, across the street from the restaurant, and decides to check it out after Lucille returns to work. The dojo's sensei, ex-Special Forces soldier John Kreese (Martin Kove), runs the dojo like a boot camp, instilling his students with a Draconian philosophy he refers to as the "Way of the Fist", which emphasizes ruthlessness and ferocity. When he sees Johnny, Tommy, and Bobby among Kreese's students, he nervously leaves.

While riding home that night on his bike, Johnny and his friends sideswipe Daniel on their motorcycles, causing him to fall down a hill. Daniel is mildly injured but more scared and humiliated. Arriving back at home, Lucille sees him tossing his wrecked bike in a dumpster. Daniel, angry at how his life has been disrupted with the move, tells his mother he wants to move back to New Jersey. As they walk away, Miyagi emerges from his workshop, having heard their conversation.

Ali and Daniel both decorate the school gymnasium for an upcoming Halloween dance. Daniel, however, chooses not to attend; when Miyagi asks him why, Daniel says he doesn't have a costume. Miyagi also senses that Daniel lacks confidence in himself, and fashions a costume for Daniel consisting of a shower head and curtain. Daniel arrives at the school and meets with Ali, dancing briefly with her. A prankster at the dance smashes a raw egg on Daniel's head and he goes to the bathroom to clean up. Johnny is in one of the stalls, dressed like a skeleton (the other Cobra Kai are as well) and rolling marijuana joints. Daniel rigs a prank, dangling a hose over Johnny and turning on the water, dousing his enemy. Johnny rushes out of the bathroom after Daniel. Ali briefly stalls them by tripping Johnny and spilling all the other Cobra Kais to the floor. Daniel rushes out of the school and nearly makes it over the fence at his home when the Kais catch him and begin to beat him seriously.

Yelling about how enemies deserve "no mercy", Johnny winds up for a brutal kick and misses when Miyagi appears and pushes Daniel out of the way. The Kais attack Miyagi, who easily defeats them, including Johnny. Leaving them all on the ground and writhing in pain, Miyagi takes Daniel to his workshop and places a medicinal bandanna on his head and gives him strong tea to drink. Daniel is amazed that an older man is skilled in karate and asks Miyagi to teach him. Miyagi mentions that the Kais' problem is not their own doing but must be their sensei's. Miyagi suggests that Daniel talk to their teacher; Daniel refuses, thinking he'll be beaten again. Miyagi is reluctant to get involved but agrees to teach Daniel and also agrees to go with him to the Kais dojo and speak with their instructor.

At the Cobra Kai dojo the next day, Daniel and Miyagi watch as Kreese lectures his students that an opponent is also the enemy and deserves no mercy. When Johnny notices that Daniel and Miyagi are in the room, Kreese interrupts his class and confronts the visitors. Kreese scornfully dismisses Miyagi's request that his students leave Daniel alone and orders Daniel to fight Johnny immediately. Miyagi wants the odds to be more even for Daniel and suggests that Daniel and the Kais match up at the All-Valley Karate tournament a few weeks from then. Kreese likes the challenge and agrees. Kreese also agrees to order his students not to touch Daniel until then, but warns that if Daniel does not show up at the tournament, the harassment will be allowed to resume, which will then include Miyagi.

Miyagi takes Daniel to his home to begin his training. Out in front of the house are a dozen classic American cars. Miyagi tells Daniel that they'll have to make a pact: Miyagi will instruct Daniel and his student will not question his method. When Daniel agrees, Miyagi hands Daniel a sponge and orders him to wash and wax all the cars. Miyagi's instructions are very specific; Daniel will only use the sponge and waxing cloths by moving his hands and arms in wide circles. He will also breathe deeply, in through his nose & out through his mouth. In the weeks that follow, Miyagi gives Daniel further chores to complete with similar instructions on technique: sanding a walkway that leads around Miyagi's backyard (landscaped to be a Japanese garden), staining the fence that surrounds his property and painting his house.

With each new chore, Daniel's frustration grows at the seeming lack of any karate training and Miyagi's minimal praise of his work. One night, after finishing the painting of Miyagi's house, Daniel expresses his frustration to his teacher. Miyagi tells Daniel to show him how he washed and polished the cars. When Daniel tells him his shoulder aches too much, Miyagi uses acupressure to relieve the tension and orders Daniel to show him the motions he'd been using to do the chores. Daniel quickly realizes that the chores (which are essentially Daniel's "fee" for the lessons) were also practice for defensive moves, exercises to build muscle tone, his reflexes and proper breathing technique. After a few minutes of practice, Miyagi suddenly yells and throws several punches and kicks at Daniel, all of which Daniel blocks easily. Miyagi also shows Daniel how to bow to his opponent, making sure Daniel looks his opponent in the eye, both for defense and to convey respect.

Daniel goes on his first official date with Ali. When he arrives, driven by Lucille, at Ali's house, he finds that her parents are quite wealthy and live in Beverly Hills. Daniel is incredibly nervous and embarrassed, especially when Lucille's car won't start and they have to push-start it. However, the date with Ali is enjoyable and his embarrassment melts.

On the day of the tournament, Ali and Lucille join him. At the registration desk the official asks what degree of belt Daniel has attained. Miyagi tells the official that Daniel is a black belt and slyly steals the official's belt from his bag sitting beside the desk, giving it to Ali. In the locker room while dressing, Daniel is confronted by some of the Cobra Kais led by Dutch, one of Kreese's top-ranking students,. One of the referees orders the Kais out.

In the tourney ring, Daniel squares off and beats his first opponent. He continues to advance, much to his own surprise. In the higher rounds, Daniel faces off against some of the Cobra Kais. When Daniel defeats Tommy and Dutch, Kreese orders Bobby to use an illegal kick to deliberately injure Daniel's knee, taking him out of the competition. Though disgusted, Bobby complies, severely injuring Daniel and getting disqualified in the process. Daniel is taken to the locker room where a medic tells him he won't be able to finish the competition. Daniel is devastated, but Ali, Lucille, and Miyagi all tell him that he made his point, and further fighting isn't necessary. However, after both women have left, Daniel asks Miyagi to use acupressure to fix his knee, like he did for his shoulder during training. Though Miyagi initially reiterates Lucille's comments that Daniel has nothing left to prove, Daniel insists he will never be able to achieve his life's balance if he knows his tormentors have gotten the best of him. Miyagi agrees and, using a pain suppression tactic, partially heals Daniel's leg.

Daniel returns to the ring moments before Johnny is about to be named winner by default. Needing three contact points to win, both square off and after several tense rounds the score is tied at two each. Daniel tries a high kick which is caught by Johnny, who, under orders from Kreese, plants an elbow in Daniel's injured knee. Daniel, despite being in pain, is undeterred and lines up for the final round. He takes up the crane technique pose and with an approving look from Miyagi, waits for Johnny to make his move. Daniel kicks out with his leg and connects with Johnny's chin, scoring a third point and winning the match and title. As he's carried around on the shoulders of the other competitors, Johnny congratulates him and hands him the championship trophy. Daniel celebrates his triumph and sees Miyagi nearly smiling.