WAX OFF MR MIYAGI!

It was while I snoozed in the back seat of Deshy’s car dreaming about poppy fields that I heard the horrible news. Pat Morita had passed away at the ripe old age of 73. Pat had starred in Happy Days when they replaced the fat Italian Arnold but what I will always remember him fondly for is The Karate Kid. There were so many definitive films for me growing up in the 80’s like The Last Starfighter, Goonies, Raiders of the Lost Ark and above them all was The Karate Kid.

He played Mr Miyagi training the impulsive Daniel-san in the ways of “ka ra te”. Like a little Japanese Yoda he would impart pearls of wisdom to his protégé to teach him that karate was for self defence and never to be used in anger. That was unless, of course you were beating the shit out of other people in karate competitions.

This film had a profound effect on me. I remember spending hours trying to catch blowflys with chopsticks (I found it was much easier after you had sprayed them with Mortein). I spent days hopping around refining my crane technique and spent many an hour waxing my father’s car.

Thanks for teaching me that good always triumphs over evil. That playing an asian stereotype could almost snag you an Oscar and that doing chores could be fun.

Wax off Mr Miyagi……Rest In Peace