Karate Kid: Legends Featurette

Classical martial arts in MMA

(from Master Z's facebook page)

The evolution of martial arts in modern sports fighting is indeed fascinating. It's amusing to see how classical martial arts like Karate and Kung-Fu, once ridiculed or deemed "useless" by some, are now making a comeback in the arena.

The adaptability of fighters and the blending of different styles have led to a resurgence of interest in traditional martial arts. As I’ve mentioned before, once everyone got accustomed to the same moves, the classical techniques from Karate and Kung-Fu started to reappear, catching opponents off guard and scoring points.

This phenomenon highlights the importance of understanding the roots and principles of martial arts. Traditional martial arts like Karate, Kung-Fu, and Filipino martial arts, as well as Kenpo, offer a wealth of knowledge and techniques that can be adapted and applied in modern sports fighting.

The incorporation of classical martial arts techniques into modern fighting styles is a testament to the evolving nature of martial arts. As fighters continue to innovate and push the boundaries of what's possible, it's exciting to think about what other traditional techniques might be rediscovered and reimagined in the world of sports fighting.

Strong & Inspired,

- Master Z

 

Top 5 Bouts of Day 7 - HARU BASHO 2025 - Makuuchi Division

One of Japan's six big sumo tournaments that are held each year is going on right now in Osaka. There are several YouTube channels that show the tournament or show highlights. 

The YouTube channel "Don Don Sumo" is a good one because it shows the top 5 fights of the day and gives a good breakdown of what happened in each fight. 

The big tournaments of the year are as follows;

January (Tokyo): Hatsu Basho (New Year's Tournament)

March (Osaka): Haru Basho (Spring Tournament)

May (Tokyo): Natsu Basho (Summer Tournament)

July (Nagoya): Nagoya Basho

September (Tokyo): Aki Basho (Autumn Tournament)

November (Fukuoka): Kyushu Basho

Cobra Kai/Karate Kid documentary

Look for this next year sometime. 

Not sure where but I would imagine on Netflix.

Ryu wall art

Dang, this would be so cool to have hanging on the wall of your training or workout room. 

Why stop there, just put it in the living room for all to see!

https://brightroomy.com/street-fighter-ryu-gaming-5-panel-canvas-art-wall-decor/?gad_source=4&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx_rmyNyCjAMVjBBECB0SgTj2EAQYASABEgKiZ_D_BwE
 

Cobra Kai's Final Karate Kid Cameo Explained

(screenrant.com 2-14-25)

In what was one of the show's most surprising cameos, Cobra Kai season 6 part 3 brought back Daryl Vidal, a character who hasn't been since The Karate Kid in 1984. Cobra Kai has made a tradition out of featuring at least one additional character from the Karate Kid movies, so there was naturally an expectation that the show's final season would follow this trend. Based on the fact that the franchise had few characters left to reintroduce ahead of Cobra Kai's final stretch, much of the speculation regarding who could fill that role revolved around Hilary Swank's Julie Pierce, but the series ultimately chose a different course.

Rather than go with the biggest name still missing from Cobra Kai, the series featured not one, but two lesser-known characters from the films. The second segment of season 6 saw William Christopher Ford reprise his role as Dennis de Guzman, one of Terry Silver's henchmen from The Karate Kid Part III. For its final five episodes, the show went with an even more obscure character in Darryl Vidal, a competitor from the 1984 All-Valley Karate Tournament.

During the Sekai Taikai finals in Cobra Kai season 6 part 3, a character introduced as "Darryl Vidal" was brought on stage to serve as the referee. In universe, the decision was made to honor his status as the champion of the 1981 All Valley Karate Tournament, but as a brief flashback made clear, Darryl Vidal's importance goes beyond that. Although a minor character in the film, Vidal did serve an important purpose, in that he was the tournament participant that Johnny had to overcome in order to face Daniel in the finals.

Having bested a pair of Kreese's students with relative ease in the preliminary rounds, Vidal presented himself as a formidable fighter in the preliminary rounds. Stated by the announcer to be a student of the Locust Valley Karate Club, Vidal advanced to the semifinals, but didn't prove to be much of a challenge to Johnny. Vidal lost without scoring a point, and was therefore eliminated.

Losing to Johnny in the semifinals the extent of Vidal's significance to the film itself, but it wasn't necessarily his loss that made his cameo in the show seem so fitting; rather, it was the backstory crafted for him by Cobra Kai years before his return. Vidal has been brought up on multiple occasions when Bobby, Kreese, and Johnny reminisce about the All Valley. As it turns out, Vidal had at least two years of experience fighting Cobra Kai prior to the movie's story. In that time, he had fought Johnny, Tommy, and Bobby.

According to Kreese, Vidal was a "very skilled" fighter, so much that he actually beat Johnny in the quarterfinals of the 1981 tournament. However, the effort that Johnny put into the fight, despite being well below Vidal's level at that time, convinced Kreese that Johnny was "the real deal." As Kreese told Robby, Vidal was a "three-degree black belt," whereas Johnny had only recently been taken under Kreese's wing.

In that respect, Darryl Vidal played a crucial role in Johnny's development as a fighter, as that loss helped Kreese recognize his potential. Kreese has always been adamant about Johnny being the best student he ever had, and the amount of dedication he put into training him can in turn be traced back to this particular moment. It notably had an equal impact on Johnny, because Kreese said that he could tell that Johnny wouldn't allow such a defeat to happen again. Evidently, the loss served as motivation for Johnny, and may have been what prompted his back-to-back titles.

Darryl Vidal is a confirmed participant in three iterations of the All-Valley Karate Tournament in The Karate Kid: 1981, 1983, and 1984. It's unclear if he competed at all in 1982 when Johnny won his first of two championships. After beating Johnny during the latter's first year of competitive fighting, he went on to win it all, taking home the 1981 title. It's possible that he fought in 1982, but if he did, he obviously fell short of repeating. As for the 1983 tournament, it's known from the episode that reunited Johnny with his friends from The Karate Kid that Vidal was beaten by Tommy in the seminars. Based on the way Johnny explained it, Vidal was the expected winner.

A newspaper article from season 3 established that immediately after his loss, Vidal took place in a match to decide the 3rd place winner. Here, he lost to Bobby, who had lost his semifinals match to Johnny. Presumably, his return to the semifinals in the 1984 tournament marked the end of his competitive journey. From the looks of things, he was never able to recapture the glory he was able to achieve in 1981, with all three of his known defeats coming at the hands of Cobra Kai.

Interestingly, the Darryl Vidal character shares his name with the actor who plays him. The 1984 movie credited him as "Karate Semifinalist," but both the announcer and the tournament bracket provided his real name. Vidal also worked on the film in another capacity, specifically as a stunt double for Pat Morita during some of Mr. Miyagi's action scenes. The bit role of Johnny's semifinal opponent and the body double work made sense for Vidal, considering that he had no prior acting credits, but was sufficiently skilled in martial arts.

Having had only one acting role between The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai season 6 part 3, Darryl Vidal ultimately never developed an acting career, and focused more on being a martial arts instructor. But due to his small yet meaningful connection to The Karate Kid universe, it was fitting that Vidal be brought back for a cameo in some form. And though Vidal didn't feature heavily in the show, he did receive the distinction of being the show's final returning character from The Karate Kid movies.

https://screenrant.com/cobra-kai-season-6-part-3-darryl-vidal-return-explained/

Cobra Kai has come to an end

So, Cobra Kai season 6 is over and so is the series, overall the world is a better place thanks to Cobra Kai. 

Looking back I am thankful this series was made, it has brought the Karate Kid and its story and characters to a new generation. And we have more to look forward to with the new Karate Kid movie coming to theaters in May. You can bet I will be one of the first in line to see it.

So how was Cobra Kai season 6?

Well, at times they were struggling to find things to fill the episodes. Really Cobra Kai probably could have just gone with four seasons. The last couple of seasons were a struggle and it seemed to lose a lot of what made the first couple of seasons epic. 

But, oh well.

Overall it ended on a high note and wrapped up the story well. 

I liked the dream scene Daniel had with him and Mr. Miyagi fighting off the skeleton Cobras.

I liked seeing Daniel in a black gi at the final tournament.

I liked Daniel handing Johnny the trophy, that was awesome.

And the scene of Daniel and Johnny driving around LA in Mr. Miyagi's car was cool too.

There were a lot of dumb scenes that I was shaking my head about, and again with the F-bombs. Why? Seriously, they are not needed. But I won't get into the bad anymore, let's just let things lay where they are and remember the epic parts of the story.

As soon as the full series comes out on a BluRay box set I will be buying it, as I am sure most of y'all will too.

Cobra Kai never dies !!!

Mindset and Mental Toughness

(from Pablo Zamora's Facebook page)

A warrior's mindset is the foundation upon which their entire way of life is built. It's the mental and emotional framework that enables them to stay focused, motivated, and resilient in the face of challenges.

Mental toughness is the ability to consistently perform at a high level, even when faced with adversity, pressure, or stress. It's the capacity to remain calm, focused, and composed, even in the most intense or chaotic situations.

Key Elements of a Warrior Mindset

1. Clarity of Purpose: A clear sense of direction and meaning that guides one's actions and decisions.

2. Focus and Concentration: The ability to maintain attention and concentration, even in the face of distractions or obstacles.

3. Resilience and Adaptability: The capacity to bounce back from adversity, trauma, or failure, and to adapt to changing circumstances.

4. Self-Discipline and Self-Control: The ability to regulate one's thoughts, emotions, and actions, and to stay committed to one's goals and values.

5. Positive Self-Talk and Affirmations: The practice of using positive and empowering language to build confidence, motivation, and self-esteem.

Developing Mental Toughness

1. Embracing Challenges: Viewing challenges as opportunities for growth, learning, and self-improvement.

2. Practicing Mindfulness and Meditation: Regularly practicing mindfulness and meditation to build mental clarity, focus, and resilience.

3. Building Self-Awareness: Developing a deep understanding of one's thoughts, emotions, strengths, and weaknesses.

4. Cultivating a Growth Mindset: Embracing a growth mindset, and viewing failures and setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning.

5. Surrounding Yourself with Positive Influences: Surrounding yourself with positive, supportive, and like-minded individuals who inspire and motivate you.

Conclusion

A warrior's mindset is the key to unlocking their full potential. By developing mental toughness, clarity of purpose, and a growth mindset, warriors can overcome even the most daunting challenges, and achieve greatness in all areas of their lives.

Strong & Inspired,

- Master Z

Mark your calendars, if you haven't already

 

中国传统武术：小道童展示 武当 - 八仙棍

Notice the part where she imitates an old man or woman walking with a cane.

I wonder what Sensei Kreese is thinking

I found this photo today while surfing the web, I don't think I've seen it before. Kind of a funny expresion on Sensei Kreese's face, I wonder what he is thinking.