The Famous Crane Kick From THE KARATE KID Was Such a Difficult Stunt It Almost Didn't Happen
There were so many things that went perfectly right in the 1984 movie The Karate Kid, namely the casting, the writing, and the chemistry onscreen that led to sequels and the fantastic series Cobra Kai that is currently on Netflix. There are so many memorable moments from the movie that people still talk about today, “wax on, wax off,” “Sweep the leg!,” and the ultimate tool of defeat, the Crane Kick. This was an awesome move, but according to the film’s star, Ralph Macchio, the made-up move was so difficult to execute, it almost didn’t happen.
In Macchio’s new memoir (via /Film), Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me, he talks about the Crane Kick, saying, "It worked so well on paper and paid off beautifully on the page, but in actual, practical reality, it was not so easy to achieve," Macchio wrote. "And at first, it was perfectly impossible to execute from script to screen." The move was described as LaRusso balancing on one leg due to the injury, then throwing a high front snap kick before landing back on the good leg that provided the kick. This meant the injured leg would never touch the ground. It's a beautiful idea, but as Macchio tells it, seasoned stuntmen and professional martial artists all attempted to pull off the crane kick, but nothing was working.
He went on to explain:
"No one could effectively stick the landing without seeming off-balance. If I remember correctly, there was even talk of doing it with wires to achieve the height necessary to throw the kick with enough time to return the good leg to the base position for landing."
Fortunately, an acrobatic martial artist named Darryl Vidal figured out how to make it work. Vidal appeared as one of Johnny Lawrence's semifinal opponents in The Karate Kid and doubled for Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi on the log at the beach when Daniel-san sees the technique silhouetted in the distance. "Darryl was a spectacular aerial martial artist, almost balletic in his fluidity," said Macchio. "His ability and technique created a seamless move and the blueprint for what Daniel-san needed to achieve." Macchio worked tirelessly with Darryl and martial arts choreographer Pat Johnson to learn the technique, ensuring that Macchio wouldn't need a stunt double to do the move for him. "That was not an option in my mind," he said.
As it turned out, the crane kick scene was shot somewhere around 30 times. "We shot it from multiple angles as well, sometimes in slow motion, sometimes super close for impact," he said. "Those shots were never used in The Karate Kid, only the low, wide angle." It wasn't until Cobra Kai that any of the other angles were revealed to the public. Macchio added:
"In 'The Karate Kid' itself, the moment was all about the victory for Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi's magic. The bully got his comeuppance. The crowd jumped to their feet cheering for their hero. Euphoria. To the victor went the spoils. Something iconic was born on that shooting day."
That’s for sure. There’s a reason why this movie has lived on as a favorite for so many fans. It’s been awesome to revisit the Karate Kid universe in Cobra Kai and see some of the footage from the movies that we never had before, and it’s especially cool to see the characters return and confirm their relationships and storylines in such a believable and in-depth way.
Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me is available now everywhere that books are sold.