The Karate Kid has made a comeback thanks to the latest flick starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. The film, which is a new take of the 1980’s original starring Ralph Macchio as Daniel and Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi, diverges from the original in many ways. Although it sticks to the general plot of the original, one very important difference between the films is the style of martial art portrayed.

While in the original movie Mr. Miyagi teaches Macchio’s character Daniel Larusso about the art of Karate, the new film actually takes protagonist Dre Parker through the process of learning Kung Fu. This means that the new flick should more appropriately be re-named “The Kung Fu Kid”.

The average movie goer may not know the differences between the two styles, but they are not as similar as some would believe. It was so notable, that the screenwriters had to put it in a scene: “You mean like karate?” “It’s not karate Mom, it’s Kung Fu!” says the young Dre to his mother.

Karate in it’s modern form originated in Japan. It is characterized by short, choppy movements that are powerful and rigid. In the original film, this history was complemented by Mr. Miyagi’s character: a World War II veteran who fought against the Germans and who’s wife and son were sent to the Manzanar Relocation Camps where many Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans were sent during the war. As a young boy in Okinawa, Mr. Miyagi learned his craft from his father, who was a fisherman and martial artist.

Kung Fu originated in China and is a much more fluid type of martial art than Karate. In fact, it is much smoother and resembles a sort of dance in its complexity and beauty. Still it is an effective form of self defense as it is swift and powerful. The new version of the movie centers around this style for a couple of reasons: it is a fresh update to the classic tale and it is a perfect match for actor Jackie Chan’s cumulative talents. Chan has studied, practiced and performed Kung Fu in cinematic settings in the United States for years and in many ways his commercial success has paved the way for this remake.

Martial arts lessons akin to both films include the use of muscle memory methods, which are illustrated as repetitive chores in both versions. Neither student is wise that they are actually learning the fundamentals of blocking in their respective arts and a confrontational fight with their masters forces them to use what they’ve subconsciously learned; by then it’s sunk in and their counter blocks are reactive.

In the original, the method was introduced through the iconic “wax on, wax off” scene. The purpose is unknown to the audience until the later confrontation.

Chan instills the same in Jaden via a similar tedious demand: that he hang up his jacket, throw it down, put it on, take it off and then repeat. This also helps the young Dre progress in his kung fu training, albeit secretly, by teaching him kung fu’s blocking basics.

All in all, the values remain the same: both masters agree that neither martial art is meant as a pure avenue of violence, but rather a way to sustain a connection with oneself and the balance of the world around them.

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