Mr. Miyagi was the heart and soul of The Karate Kid films and the father everyone wishes they had. He was patient and full of wise words and advice.
The Karate Kid is one film that helped make 1984 the greatest year in film, thanks in large part to the wisdom of Mr. Miyagi's quotes. After fleeing Okinawa for the United States, Miyagi went into quiet solitude before meeting Daniel LaRusso, a young boy tormented by bullies at his local high school. Throughout The Karate Kid film series, Mr. Miyagi became the father everyone wished they had, and his beautiful outlook on life in his thoughtful quotes wholly sums up his character. This is wisdom for the ages, all centered around the concept of finding balance in life and striving to maintain it despite hardships.
Though Mr. Miyagi might not be present in the Cobra Kai sequel series to the Karate Kid movies, there are enough Mr. Miyagi nuggets of wisdom to last a lifetime from the first three Karate Kid films. Ever the teacher, Miyagi was also a humble philosopher and a man of peace. When Daniel came close to the precipice, Mr. Miyagi knew just how to draw him back, and set him on the right path. He had advice about things not related to karate as well. This included dating, dealing with parents, schoolwork, and of course, the framework needed to create a stable foundation for a person's entire life. So many of the best Karate Kid quotes are courtesy of Daniel's sensei.
"If Come From Inside You, Always Right One."
The Karate Kid
Mr. Miyagi's first life lesson to Daniel came in the first film when the latter went to thank the former for repairing his bicycle. Mr. Miyagi invited him inside to show him how to trim Bonsai trees, hoping to capitalize on his curiosity in order to boost his self-confidence.
Right off the bat, Daniel doubted himself and was prepared to quit before he had even tried. Miyagi told him to focus within and trust himself. When Daniel asked if he knew whether the image of the Bonsai tree in his head would be the correct one, Miyagi replied with this Karate Kid quote. It was his way of saying that Daniel needed to be happy with himself, before expecting it of anyone else.
"You Trust The Quality Of What You Know, Not Quantity."
The Karate Kid
Daniel was constantly worried about not learning enough, but Mr. Miyagi was able to remind him that he needed to exercise patience. Patience was not always a virtue for Daniel. It was more important for him to learn the philosophy behind the martial art, as opposed to how to simply punch and kick well, and at first, he didn't understand that.
In the first film, Daniel was worried about facing off against the stronger opponent, Johnny. However, Mr. Miyagi reminded him that he had excelled beyond just technique and that all he needed was to trust his teachings, particularly the philosophy of karate. Mr. Miyagi's quote and teachings about patience eventually got through to Daniel since he used the same philosophy when teaching his daughter in Cobra Kai.
"One-To-One Problem, Yes. Five-To-One Problem, Too Much Ask Anyone."
The Karate Kid
Mr. Miyagi knew that fighting wasn't like it was in the movies. Even the best of the best could get overwhelmed by too many opponents, which is why it was important to exercise caution. When Daniel was being bullied by Johnny and his crew, he couldn't fight back, and not just for lack of skill.
Eventually, Miyagi agreed to visit Cobra Kai and confront the leader, Kreese, which kicked off one of the Karate Kid franchise's best rivalries. When asked whether Daniel could take care of himself, Miyagi replied with this Karate Kid quote, which was both true and also a jab at the cowardice of the Cobra Kai bullies. Daniel frequently fought alone while the Cobra Kai students fought in a pack, leaving Daniel the one at the disadvantage.
"To Make Honey, Young Bee Need Young Flower, Not Old Prune."
The Karate Kid
This is one of the funniest of Mr. Miyagi's quotes, as he wasn't afraid of poking fun at himself throughout the franchise. Daniel talked about the Halloween dance, and Mr. Miyagi asked him if he was planning to go, which he said no because he doesn't want to run into Johnny and the Cobra Kai students.
Mr. Miyagi told him he was spending too much time alone, to which Daniel replied that he's not alone because he has him. Mr. Miyagi knew better and realized that young kids needed to be around each other for social development, great memories, and of course, balance. Daniel might have loved his company, but Mr. Miyagi knew that Daniel had to live his life with his contemporaries as well.
"If Karate Used Defend Honor, Defend Life, Karate Mean Something. If Karate Used Defend Plastic Metal Trophy, Karate No Mean Nothing."
The Karate Kid Part III
Most of the third movie saw Daniel wanting to defend his All Valley title with no support from Mr. Miyagi, who didn't believe in fighting for the sake of a trophy. The first movie saw Daniel participate in order to learn how to protect himself and stand up to his bullies. Mr. Miyagi tried to tell him that the trophy wasn't important, and was hoping that he could persuade him not to be goaded into a fight. Daniel would later ignore this lesson to his own detriment, but he learned it in the end.
Of course, Mr. Miyagi's teaching about the trophy not being what's important would be very different in the Cobra Kai series. The All Valley trophy came to symbolize the victory of one teaching style over another in Netflix's sequel series. Winning the tournament became a way for Cobra Kai's corrupt senseis to spread their philosophy, and the series became about a way to take down those corrupt leaders. Mr. Miyagi might understand the trophy as a representation of putting a stop to a vicious cycle in that instance.
"First Learn Stand, Then Learn Fly. Nature Rule, Daniel-san, Not Mine.”
The Karate Kid
Impatience is a signature of youth, and Daniel was more concerned with learning how to stand up to his bullies, rather than taking the time to learn why. This came into practice during his training, when Daniel wanted to learn powerful karate moves early on, instead of taking the straight and narrow path.
Miyagi reminded Daniel with this Karate Kid quote that nobody can fly before they first learn how to stand. Similarly, a baby cannot run before it learns how to walk. Like all of Miyagi's wise quotes, they draw on basic notions of reality and the natural world.
"Man Who Catch Fly With Chopstick, Accomplish Anything."
The Karate Kid
One of Mr. Miyagi's hobbies seemed to revolve around his obsession with using a pair of chopsticks to catch a housefly. Such a feat was especially challenging, as houseflies are notoriously fast. Yet Miyagi tried for years to perfect this technique.
When Daniel asked him why he spent time on the pursuit, he replied with this Karate Kid quote, before following up with one of Mr Miyagi's absolute funniest lines. It was especially maddening then, that Daniel did it within his first few attempts. The look on Miyagi's face said it all, though he must also have seen a budding potential in Daniel.
"... Sometimes What Heart Know, Head Forget."
The Karate Kid Part II
Mr. Miyagi understood human nature, and a person's tendency to forget what was right. This usually manifests itself in people's tendency to rationalize actions that others recognize as wrong, immoral, or ill-advised. It's this rationalization that can lead people down a rabbit hole of personal troubles.
While basing decisions purely on emotion is a rash idea, it is equally foolhardy to allow pragmatism to be the sole deciding factor. Only a balance of facts and feelings leads people down the right path to making good life decisions. In this case, Mr. Miyagi is referencing Sato's behavior in one of The Karate Kid Part II's most matter-of-fact quotes.