The Karate Kid's influence

[Rick]

I like Chan. He seems like a good guy. Now of course, it should be "The Wushu Kid"... but that's a marketing decision.

[Alcatraz]

.....I'm looking forward to the new one, with Jackie Chan. Should be fun.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

[Rick]

I saw the original Karate Kid the other day, and recognized the kata he starts performing in the middle of a tournament, at the end -- a very bad/jerky version of Seiyunchin. *Shudder*

I'm looking forward to the new one, with Jackie Chan. Should be fun.

[NightOwl]

Even so,   I remember Mrs Peel fighting upon occasion utilizing lots of kicks and leg techniques.   As I said though I didn't get to see the New Avengers as I was on active duty by then.  My Avengers were in Black and white.

Sincerely, NightOwl

[Alcatraz]

It was Peel's replacement, Purdey (played by Joanna Lumley) who was the Martial Artist in The New Avengers.

[NightOwl]

High Kimpatsu:

Welcome.  I used to watch the origianal series here in th states but by the time of the New Avengers was serving in the military.   I always wondered if Mrs Peel was practicing Savate though.

Sincerely NightOwl.

[Kimpatsu]

NightOwl, are you French?  I never even heard of Savate until fairly recently.  I wonder if kids growing up in France all know about it, though.

Savate was referenced in the New Avengers, if you're a sad old git who remembers the 1970s, like I am...

[bogirl]

Hey Sensei Tracy?  Since you were already a black belt in 1984 when Karate Kid came out -- what do you remember about the impact of it?  Sensei Dave swears that the movie created a flood of kids to dojos across the country, what do you remember about it?

We didn't teach kids under 8 years old at that time, and younger kids didn't really watch that movie.  It did bring in an influx of teens though.

[deckyrd]

So you trained in Scotland?  That's interesting...  I may have to write a follow-up paper to explore the differences in European training vs. American training...

Thanks for the idea!  You may just hear from me later on this! 

[Alcatraz]

I was 14 when the Karate Kid was released, and a 1st Kyu too boot, and a member of the Scottish under 18 WUKO training Squad.

So no, Daniel San had no influence on me whatsoever.

For the record, kids classes have been popular in Scotland and the UK since the mid/late 1970's.

I myself started training as a seven year old in 1977. 

[deckyrd]

Hey Sensei Tracy?  Since you were already a black belt in 1984 when Karate Kid came out -- what do you remember about the impact of it?  Sensei Dave swears that the movie created a flood of kids to dojos across the country, what do you remember about it?

[Chihua-ku]

I saw "The Karate Kid" when I was little and it was definitely an influence, but there was a small movie theater in my hometown that used to show old kung fu movies on Tuesdays (a double feature!). That was a bigger influence. Still, I liked it. Unfortunately, due to money reasons, it wasn't until I was over 30 that I started doing martial arts. What I would had given to have started younger...

And Brandon, since you asked, on my kung fu school is mostly adults, a few teenagers (5) and a few kids (just three). The turnout with the young crowd is quite high. Why? Perhaps because on my style there are no ranks and you do not get the red sash (black belt equivalent) until at least 10 years, and at our teacher's discretion. Ten years is a big commitment (and seems like a loooong time) at such a young age.

[Brandon]

I started training in 1992, when I was 7. I hadn't seen Karate Kid, but things like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 3 Ninjas, those sorts of movies and TV (whose popularity can be owed to more seminal things like Karate Kid) certainly influenced it.

Now that I'm older, I really love Karate Kid 1 and 2. (3 and 4 were utter garbage).

As for kids in the dojo, at my TSD school, there are way more kids than adults (feels like a damned day care center). The Shotokan group I am a part of is based largely on college clubs and a few private dojos, and so that's entirely adults.

There's a dojo near where I work that I would consider "traditional" in its spirit, though they teach a mix of 2 Okinowan styles and JuJitsu. They have childrens' classes, but it's a small school and I don't know it well enough to say what % of the students are adults or children.

I'm in favor of children learning martial arts, that's how I started and I'm extremely grateful to have had it in my life from an early age.

So here's a question, how do child/adult ratios compare between styles? My personal experience is that TSD, TKD, and American "asian flavored" mcdojos have higher numbers of kids. Shotokan and Japanese/Okinowan are more adult oriented.

[NightOwl]

Heinz 57  My mother's background is Arcadian french and a few years ago, I learned that there is a hispanic element.

There is also German, English and definately  American.

Sincerely, NightOwl

[Waxahachie]

NightOwl, are you French?  I never even heard of Savate until fairly recently.  I wonder if kids growing up in France all know about it, though.