Cobra Kai

I have loved the Karate Kid trilogy ever since I was a child. When the first movie appeared in the theaters in 1984, I was a fourteen-year-old teenage girl living in a foster home.

My foster mother, a kind hearted woman, wanted to surprise my younger brother and me for my fourteenth birthday, so she took us to see the Karate Kid movie. I remember the day like it was yesterday because it was the first time I’ve ever been to a movie theater.

Going to the film was like winning the lottery for a kid like me; it just didn’t happen. The cast starring, Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi, Elisabeth Shue as Ali, Ralph Macchio as Daniel, William Zabka as Johnny, and Martin Kove as John Kreese, drew me into the plot, and I became memorized with the storyline. I loved the first one so much I had to see the other two films.

The first movie came out thirty-seven years ago, and as a big fan, I prayed someday there would be a follow-up film with the main characters. I’ve always wondered what their lives would have been like when they were all grown up.

There were many unanswered questions I wanted to know, so I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the new spin-off series Cobra Kai streaming on Netflix. I have to warn you if you’re a colossal Karate Kid fan like me, you might end up binge-watching the whole three seasons as I did.

The young superstars make the most challenging Martial art stunts look easy. Their dedication and training they have are evident on the screen. My daughter and I couldn’t put the remote down because of the storyline and the cast making it hard to do so.

I am amazed at the young talented martial artists in the cast this season. These kids: Mary Mouser, portrayed as Samantha, Tanner Buchanan, acted as Robbie, Jacob Bertrand performed as Moskowitz, better known as “Hawk," Xol Mariduena, described as Miguel and Peyton List, protrayed as Tory are unbelievably breathtaking to watch and have earned my utmost respect.

Before I go any further, I’m going to advise you to send any little kiddos out of the room before you start watching this series. The actors and actresses in the program are masters of their craft, making the fighting realistically graphic and vicious. I had to cover my eyes for some scenes.

I’m the mother of a child who studies kick-boxing, and I know it takes a long time to become an exceptional master, but they don’t even break a sweat and are flawless.

Professionals of the martial arts, these young actors and actresses have trained for years, so they’re significantly accurate with their moves, and I would like to remind everyone they know what they’re doing.

I beg of you; please do not try any of the stunts at home. You might be seriously injured. I feel better now getting the warning out of the way. I will explain why I think this dramatization is exciting and worth watching.

If you love the Karate kid's leading man, then you will love this show. The storyline revolves around the two main characters from the karate kid movies when they are adults. This program is excellent. The original actors, Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence, are the Cobra Kai stars. Their jaw-dropping performance as rivals will suck you in wanting to watch more.

I couldn't believe it! There are actual movie scenes uniquely entwined with the script as memories. The inserts depict the last thirty-seven years of the two main characters, so even a person who has never seen the films would understand the plot. I was shaking my head, and I think you will be too watching Daniel go through a mid-life crisis as his rivalry flares up again.

I was also thinking to myself, "grow-up," as I watched him reopened the Miyagi Dojo “free of charge, no payment required,” knowing Johnny couldn't compete with him starting the detestation between the two dojos all over again.

Their fight ripples down to their students, and they start feuding like their Sensei’s, with both Dojos throwing insults at each other whenever they're in the same room.

The men's behavior affects Daniel's daughter and her best friend's relationship. They are no longer friends, even though his daughter tries to patch things up. I became very frustrated with both men when they wouldn’t wake-up from the real problem, "themselves," acting like children.

Daniel, my favorite character, well, it’s a "competition," between him and Miguel, is not the same person he was in the original three films. He lives in Reseda with his mother.

Though his Mother, Lucille LaRusso, portrayed by Randee Heller, is still in his life. She puts Daniel in his place whenever he needs it. I love Daniel's mother, Lucille, because she still has her wits about her, and I don’t think she thinks anyone is good enough for her baby Boy. She's hilarious, and I was in stitches watching her.

Her son is now a self-confident wealthy man living in Encino and co-owns a car dealership with his gorgeous wife Amanda, portrayed by Cortney Henggeler.

His wife, Amanda, is the mother I've always wanted if I had one growing up. I think you're going to fall in love with her like I did because she’s a Mama bear if you mess with her kids, which Kreese soon found out.

The reason why I love this woman so much is Amanda stands up to him, even holding her own and she didn’t back down

She didn't even bat an eyelash when he sticks his finger in her face. Do you know what she does? No, I'm not going to tell you either, you'll have to watch to find out!

Amanda and Daniel have a lifestyle that I’m even jealous of, with two great kids, their daughter Samantha LaRusso, their son Anthony LaRusso played by Griffin Santopietro, and the family is very close.

His son Anthony has no interest in Karate which disappoints Daniel. His older sister, on the other hand, is like her father in a lot of ways.

Anthony's sister Samantha is like her father, but there is a lot of her mother. She's rich, gorgeous, and famous, which means she’s fallen in with the wrong crowd at school: they're bullies.

I love that this show deals with real-life issues, which opened up some for a few conversations with my daughter. She's thirteen, and it's hard to get her to listen sometimes. We talked about how Sam didn't know. Her new-found-friends started picking on her best friend, Aisha, portrayed by Nichole Brown, and why Aishia began to disapprove of Sam's new buddies.

Like her Dad, Sam is for the underdog and does not like bullies, and if you want to tick her off, be one, which is what her new boyfriend did while standing in line at the movies. Her father raised Sam with honor. His behavior upset her.

When he continued to be a tyrant, she became like her mother (which is the number one reason why I love her) and told him off, which opened up another conversation on what to do if you're ever in that situation with my thirteen-year-old. Sam dumped him! I was cheering when she told him off at the movie theater in front of all his friends. It was fantastic to watch, and I was chuckling because he didn't know what was coming to him.

The consequences of bullying have lasting effects on a child, which the producers shed- a- light on the subject. My daughter and I bonded over an "Aw, Ha," moment after watching Sam have panic attacks.

This young woman, Mary Mouser, is spectacular on the screen, and she is a must-see to watch. Mary’s talent as Sam is heartbreakingly decrying, convincingly shaking with fear percolating from her, hovering flashes form in her mind on the screen. What was the accident that caused the PTSD? You guess it, I'm going to leave it out, but be prepared to cry.

After witnessing her friend's accident that she was involved in herself, Sam begins to have PTSD, which I feel was a lesson for my child in the aftermath of being bullied. It hit home with my daughter, and I think it scared her because she opened up to me, which was nice. While witnessing another attack on her friends, Sam freezes and begins to panic.

Sam collapses, covering her face with her hand, ploddingly slithering to the floor, panicking, having flashbacks of her friend falling over and over again. Crying, my daughter and I had our talk about the after-effects of bullying. We watched Sam, who no longer wanted to do anything and was losing interest in all of her favorite things, which opened up another bonding conversation for me.

We cried even harder when Daniel noticed his daughter was no longer training or participating in the things she loves. I want to reach the screen and hug her, I was so sad, but everything works out in the end.

I love this man as a "Father" because he took her on a fishing trip for some Daddy, daughter time. Ralph and Mary’s heart to heart as father and daughter will make your own heart weep as she spills the beans and tells him what was going on.

Knowing Sam also has a love for the martial arts, Daniel helps her overcome her fear with training. He has everything a man could ever dream of, but he becomes lost within himself without Mr. Miyagi's guidance.

I am sorry to inform you the beloved Mr. Miyagi, the heart of the franchise actor Pat Morita died back in 2005. Don’t worry if you love Mr. Miyagi as much as I do; you will be happy to know the writer found a way to keep his memory alive by using clips from the other films immigrated with the show.

Along with Pat Morita, Rod Garrison died in 2019, soon after guests starring on the show having this program being his last two performances on the big screen.

Rob sneaked out of the hospital to hang out with his buddies for one more time. His last performance made me cry like a baby. Rest in Peace, Rod; I have been a massive fan of yours for most of my life thank-you for my teenage years. I'll never forget you. You are one of my favorite Karate Kids stars, along with Johnny.

I cried a lot for this particular episode, so I'm going to advise you to have a box of tissues on hand because of the chemistry between the seasoned cast members from the past with the new up-coming arrivals. I feel they will cleverly pull at your heartstrings, drawing you into the character’s history.

My daughter thought it was the coolest thing the original cast members were on the show. She watched the Karate kid movies independently, even though I’ve been trying for years to get her to. She’d always say, ”Awe, Mom, not that again."

It was nice to see the late Rod Garrison, as Bobby, Johnny, Ted O’Dell as Jimmy, and Ron Thomas as Tommy, Ted O’Dell as Jimmy, again in their original Cobra kai crew roles. Rob and the gang even had a fantastic fight scene against some young whipper-snappers half their age, and guess what? Once again, I'm not going to tell you!

I can't tell you how much I love the original cast members of the Karate Kid movies visits as guest stars. It makes the show feel real. Even the girl who started the whole rivalry between Johnny’s and Daniel’s ex-love Ali made an appearance.

Ali, played by the beautiful Elisabeth Shue, starred in Season Three when she went on a date with Johnny, and they picked up where they left off still friends.

Later on, they hooked up with Daniel and his wife, Amanda. The four had a sit-down about the good old days. Not only did Ali make a guest appearance, another one of Daniel's ex's made an appearance.

When Daniel made a trip to Okinawa, Mr. In Miyagi's home town he ran into his ex-girlfriend Kumiko, played by the gorgeous Tamlyn Tomita. I love the way the city is now. I couldn't believe my eyes.

I was excited when Kumiko, my favorite out of all of Daniel’s girlfriends, showed Daniel around the new and improved Tomi Village. I think you are going to be surprised by what it looks like now!

I love the flashbacks in the show. The movie clips make it feel like you’ve known the characters all their life. The little girl Daniel saved in Karate kid two made a guest appearance as well.

I was proven right. The little girl Yuna portrayed by Traci Toguchi ends up saving Daniel in the end. I’m not going to tell you what happens. I want it to be a surprise, but you’ll be shocked.

Along with Yuna, Daniel's rival Chozen portrayed by Yuji Okumoto, from the same movie, even made an appearance. Besides Kreese, he is one of the scariest bad guys of the karate kid franchise, and when he shows up, I was shocked and a little afraid for Daniel.

Do you want to know what this is about? No, I didn't think so, I could tell you but that would ruin the surprise for you. There is one man even scarier than Chozen. Every story needs a villain, and Kreese is what night terrors are made of.

This man, "Kreese," portrayed by Martin Kove, gave me nightmares when I was a kid. He's one of the main stars of the show. Thank goodness I'm older. I don't like having bad dreams.

I was terrified of Martin Kove when I was a child, and to tell you the truth, I still am. I really don’t think anyone else could play “John Kreese” better than him.

Martin Kove is an imposing man whose presence cascades out of the screen. His acting skills as a psychopath are quite convincing and petrifying to watch.

I was surprised. I think you will be too by the inside information in the form of flashbacks explaining how Kreese’s Army commander turned him into a psychopath. He’s back and up to his old tricks. You’ll be shaking your head saying, “Don’t do it,” just like I did when Johnny lets him back into Cobra Kai.

Martin as “Kreese” made my skin crawl as his character slowly starts to take over the Cobra Dojo right under Johnny and Danny's noses because they are too self-involved with themselves. I think maybe, just maybe, he might freak you out as he does me!

Don’t worry, the boys do figure out what's going on a little too late, but Johnny sooner than Daniel. You'd think he'd learn his lesson not to trust him, but I guess Johnny's a sucker when it comes to Kreese.

In one of the best fighting scenes that I’ve ever seen, Daniel and Johnny finally stand up to him. What happens, you may ask? I'm not going to tell you anything. I'm sorry, you’ll just have to watch the program to find out who wins between the three men. Let’s just say thank goodness for the kids.

I love Johnny the rich kid from Encino, Los Angeles, even though his life doesn't start great initially. He slowly spirals downwards after losing the All-Valley Karate tournament in 1984 against Danny LaRusso.

Still living in the past, his world slowly falls apart around him by a twist of fate; he is now in his fifties and no longer wealthy living in Reseda, Los Angeles. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster navigating through Johnny’s depression and alcoholism, dealing with his inner demons.

William Zabka’s acting skills have matured over the years as you see a different side of him stepping back into Johnny’s role. With ease, he will draw you in, slowly changing your mind about his character he portrays.

I have to tell you I became angry when Ed Asner starred on the show as Johnny’s antagonist, Stepfather, Sid Weinberg. The two iconic artists’ harmony will have you believe they are father and son.

Admittedly the dramatic duo’s performance had me in tears when I found out Johnny’s mother died. Sid is downright mean. He was left to his Stepfather for his only moral support, which there wasn’t any from Sid Weinberg because he didn’t want a Septson in the first place.

William’s ability to manipulate your emotions will have you rooting for Johnny even after discovering he abandons his wife and son before he was born. Shannon Keene, portrayed by Diora Baird, has substance abuse issues and ends and a bad influence on her son though she does put herself into rehab.

Shannon and Johnny’s son Robbie, played by the newcomer Tanner Buchanan has a very rocky relationship with his father. He is very angry at his father.

He even turns to the dark side for a bit just like Daniel did in Karate kid three. Kreese tries to dig his claws into him. Robbie’s not a bad kid. He’s just a “kid.”His Dad sadly abandoned him at birth. Tanner’s Robbie will have you wanting to hug him while you're crying.

Tanner will have you falling in love with him wanting his Character to find inner peace. When Robbie shows up without his father's knowledge and sees him with another kid, he becomes jealous, and he hatches up a plan.

He becomes friends with Amanda and gets a job at LaRusso's dealership.

Robbie then becomes friends with Daniel and begins training Mr. Miyagi’s form of Karate at Miyagi Dojo. Even though Robbie’s intentions are revenge, he slowly begins to form a close bond with Daniel. Knowing how it feels, I truly felt sorry for Robbie, and I wanted Daniel’s relationship to work out.

Daniel and Johnny keep their feud going when they find out Robbie hid the fact he was Johnny’s son. Fuelling the rivalry even further, Daniel’sJohnny doesn’t believe Danny didn’t know.

The connection between the two superstars is like Ralph had with his departed mentor and best friend, Pat Morita. You can feel their mutual admiration for each other on the screen. I jumped out of my seat, watching a twist that I didn’t even see coming! Johnny Lawrence becomes the show’s next, “Mr. Miyagi.

Yes, you read that right; Johnny’s character becomes Mr. Miyagi, not literally, but pretty darn close. I was shocked and couldn’t believe it either.

Like the original movie, Johnny saves an asthmatic teenager Miguel Diaz portrayed by the fantastic Xol Mariduena, from a pack-of-bullies. Becoming his “mentor,” taking on the legendary role with his flair. Xol Maridena is the new “Daniel” walking in Ralph Macchio’s shoes, the original Karate kid.

I’m going to tell you a secret. I was agitated at first. You see. I loved the duo Pat Morita, as Mr. Miyagi and Ralph Macchio as Daniel connection. I couldn’t imagine anyone being able to duplicate both men’s genuine respect for each other on the screen.

I have to hand it to William and Xol. Trying to fill such a part must have been terrifying. I know I would have been flipping out. The affection between the two co-stars and the actors’ perfectionism has swayed my thinking, and I am now a big Miguel Diaz fan who evolves with honor mixed with the Cobra Kai style.

Miguel is a lot like Daniel, raised by his Grandmother, portrayed by Rose Bianco, and his mother.

Miguel is a lot like Daniel, raised by an Ecuadorian single mother, Cameron Diaz, played by Vanessa Rubio. They are a very close-knit family living in Reseda.

Knowing the dangers of the area and seeing the bond between her son and Johnny, Cameron asks him to train Miguel, which gradually began their dramatic representation. I Love, love, love Miguel!

Some people are born geniuses of their craft, and that is what Xolo Mariduena is. This young man is something to watch. He has the hardest part to play in season three, which I'm not going to tell what it is, but his performance is a must-see and a tear-jerker. I felt really for this young man. He was bullied relentlessly at school.

Don't worry. Miguel deals with them, and if you want to know how and what he does, tune in to Cobra Kai and find out. It's well worth watching! Believe me, I know.

He may start as an asthmatic boy but he overcomes his affliction. His health improves enough for him to enter the All-Valley Karate tournament just like Johnny did back in 1984.

Showing off his abilities and skills as a master as He even did the same kick that took Johnny out of the tournament back when he competed, which upset Daniel. No brainer there!

He even won a few fights in the tournaments, which made Johnny really proud. I love watching this boy doing stunts that most people could only dream of doing. He even fights Robbie in the tournament. With the knowledge of a seasoned Masters, watching Xol and Tanner's artistry is a wondrous thing.

You’ll be sitting on the edge of your seats as Xol’s Miguel bounces around, hopping back and forth on his toes before he stations himself into a guard stance. Holding your breath, waiting for the fight to begin being glued to your television trying to pick who’s your favorite contestant. Who wins the fight? You'll just have to watch to find out.

The charismatic dialect between the veteran and his young apprentice with hilarious jabs they throw at each other will have you sitting on the edge of the sofa, not wanting to change the channel.

If you love fighting scenes, you’ll love when Johnny reopens Cobra Kai and tries to start training new students with honor, but with his same values he was taught by Kreese. Making amends, he teaches compassion towards others but still acting like a kid himself. He has a rough go at it. Two of Miguel's best friends, Demetri, and Moskowitz, join the Cobra Kai Dojo because they are tired of being bullied at school.

Though he switched to Miyagi Dojo because he does not like the way Johnny trains. Demetri is a scaredy-cat of everything and is hilarious. I love Gianni as Demetri. He is a great comedian and fun to watch. You’ll crack-up when Demetri comes on the screen. Demetri may be a scaredy-cat and a Klutz, but don’t let that fool you. Gianni Decenzo knows his stuff.

His skills in martial arts are evidently making the technical difficulties of the stunts look simple. That’s what makes “Demetri” so funny Gianni is great at what he does, but his acting makes him look like he doesn’t.

Demetri knows all of Moskowitz's secrets because he has been his best friend for years, but a rift begins between them when Moskowitz turns into Hawk overnight, changing his friend. Jacob, as "Moskowitz," is a self-conscious boy with a scar on his lip. He is shy, unimposing and Demetri’s best friend starting from grade school. His character is tortured every day by bullies.

In front of your eyes, Jacob transforms into a different person, “Hawk." He is down-right scary, so much so my thirteen-year-old daughter, who’s a martial artist herself, will not watch this young man.

He comes on and she leaves the room. Jacob freaks her out. He is that good of an actor. He plays the part as no one else can. She knows it's just a show, but his fighting scenes scare her to death. He's that good

You're going to be surprised when you’re watching the show for the first time but be prepared to gasp when you see Hawk. Even the cast members agree with my daughter. They think he's a great fighter, and he's amazing at stunts. They said so in an interview.

You should really watch the show and check him out. He's not just a great martial artist but a great actor as well. The scariest thing about Hawk is after he witnesses his friend's accident and freaks out. I was terrified of what this young man would do. He is the main reason why I advised you to send the kids out of the room.

I was flipping out because Jacob's grief-stricken Hawk is frightening as he condemns his Master to watch. Anger sweeps over him like a switch, and his eyes glaze, turning dark with cold, intense permeating stares informing him of the student's condition.

He then became strictly loyal to Kreese which is what scared the tar right out of me. I'm not going to show you what happens, but Miguel condemns Hawk right after the "thing" he does, and he was one of his best friends.

"I DO NOT APPROVE OF HAWK," but this boy, Jaboc Bertrand, amazes me. There are no words to describe how unbelievable he is. You have to watch the show. You're missing out if you don't, and there's a twist at the end with Hawk that you won't even see coming. I haven't even gotten the best part of the program yet. The teenage love drama.

If you're like me and you love the teenage squabbles and the drama that comes with it, you'll love when Miguel starts dating Samantha. Danial LaRusso's daughter, without his knowledge falling madly in love.

You guessed it, her father freaked-out when he found out Sam’s first love was his rival's star pupil. Tell you the truth: I would have too! You will want to see what happens. You should watch Daniel. He's not happy.

You're going to love all the drama when Danial never-ending with his feud, and the rivalry between the dojo breaks up Sam and Miguel, and she starts to date Robbie, who hates Miguel, beginning a love triangle.

Eventually, Miguel starts to date Tory. Who hates Sam which makes it into a four-way love spectacle. If you love drama as much as I do You'll love when Sam kisses Miguel at a party.

Electricity simmers between Xol and Mary representing, broken-hearted first loves as Sam unexpectedly kisses her ex-boyfriend Miguel while drinking at a party. Passionate current waves circulate. The two will have you believe he’s still in love with her. He is gradually pushing her away, stopping the kiss, breaking the lovesick wide-eyed connection portraying shock.

O.k. I was truly scared for Sam. Peyton’s bad girl persona is that convincing as anger radiates off of Peyton's Tory as she oversees the kiss. She hates Sam and it is quite clear by the superb acting skills of the beautiful Peyton List. I swear the part was made just for her. She is exceedingly persuasive in her role. In Tory’s mind, Sam has everything she wants and that is a dangerous thing.

Her broken-hearted Tory with an ax to grind will have you praying Sam isn't at school when she goes on the hunt. Do you know what happens when Tory finds Sam? Watch and find out there's a great fight scene. That's all I'm going to say.

I Love Peyton List as an actress, but she plays a violent street-girl too well. I love all of the young actors and actresses, but I felt Mary, Xol, Tanner, Jacob, and Gianni were exceptional, and they derived credit where credit was due. I think you will agree with me once you watch the show how amazing they are. I'm sorry to say I can't tell you anymore because if I do, I will be letting the cat out of the bag, so to speak, which comes to my conclusion

I love the Karate kids movies, and Cobra Kai is special because you don't normally get to see the original cast members of any movie you love as the stars of the show grown-up as an adult. Plus, you also see some movie clips combine with the show. If you love karate kid's movies as much as I do, or even if you've never seen any of the movies, I think you and you love action-packed drama Cobra Kai is the Show for you streaming on Netflix. I hope you do get a chance to watch Cobra. I really do think you're going to love it, but remember I told you to have a box of tissues because you're going to need it. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.