Crane Kick

Daniel performing the Crane Kick

"What was that you were doing on those stumps over there?"
"Called crane technique."
"Does it work?"
"If do right, no can defense."
"Could you teach me?"
"Ah, first learn stand, then learn fly. Nature rule, Daniel-san, not mine."

―Daniel LaRusso and Nariyoshi Miyagi

The Crane Technique, also known as the Crane Kick, is a Miyagi-Do Karate technique.

Description

A scroll of the crane kick

"右脚の上に立つて、左脚を持ち上げ、翼を上げてバランス取リます。着地すると石足で、ジャンフしてキシクし 防御位置で腕を下げますが 相手は左足でキシク することを期待します。正しく行われた場合 防御はあリません。"

―Crane Technique Scroll

The karateka stands on their right foot, lifts their left leg, opens their "wings" and takes balance. The karateka jumps on their right foot and kicks, their arms will go down on guard but the opponent will expect a left-foot kick. If done correctly, there is no defense.

Film Series

The Karate Kid

Mr. Miyagi training

"Everything above your waist is a point. You can hit the head, sternum, kidneys, ribs. Got it?"

―Ali Mills to Daniel LaRusso

Nariyoshi Miyagi learned the crane kick from his father. While helping Daniel LaRusso train for the All Valley Karate Tournament in late 1984, he practiced the crane kick while standing on a stump. Daniel observed Miyagi perform the technique and used it against Johnny Lawrence, kicking him in the jaw after the latter lunged at him, in their match to win the tournament.

The Karate Kid Part II

Chozen countering the technique

"People are gonna be talking about that last kick for years."

―Referee to Daniel LaRusso

The tournament referee complimented Daniel's last kick to Johnny. Months later, during the O-bon festival in Okinawa, Daniel was challenged by Chozen Toguchi to a duel to the death. Daniel attempted to use the crane kick against him, with approval from Miyagi, but was countered by Toguchi. Chozen feigned lunging at Daniel, causing him to launch his kick too early.

The Karate Kid Part III

"Why do I have to do this with this thing?"
"Because it's a part of the training. Because I'm teaching you techniques you don't have. Techniques you need to win the tournament. What, do you think you can rely on that crane crap?"
"I did pretty well with it last time."

―Daniel LaRusso and Terry Silver

The crane kick was referenced by Terry Silver when he was training Daniel to defend his title in the 1985 tournament.

The Karate Kid (2010)

During one of the training scenes with the bamboo staffs, Dre Parker's silhouette takes the form of the Crane Kick from the original film.

Cobra Kai

Season 1

Miguel using the technique

"Oh, this is the guy whose ass you kicked."
"It was a really close match. But if you want to get technical, I kicked his face."

―Louie LaRusso, Jr. and Daniel LaRusso

A flashback to The Karate Kid when Daniel used the Crane Kick against Johnny was seen in Ace Degenerate. During the same episode, Johnny claimed the technique was illegal while he was at LaRusso Auto Group. The flashback was seen again in Molting. In May 2018, Johnny instructed Miguel Diaz to use the Crane Kick during the 50th All Valley Karate Tournament in Mercy.

Season 2

A flashback to Johnny being a victim of the kick face was seen in No Mercy.

Season 3

"Sensei Lawrence told me about how you beat him with an illegal kick."
"Hey, hey, hey, the rules state anything above the waist is legal. Besides, you used that same kick in last year's tournament, right?"

―Miguel Diaz and Daniel LaRusso

During his trip to Okinawa, Daniel was reunited with Kumiko and Chozen Toguchi. The latter showed him a scroll depicting the technique in Miyagi-Do. The technique was mentioned again in Feel The Night, when Miguel mentioned how Johnny told him how Daniel defeated him with the technique, which he considered illegal, but Daniel defended it by pointing out anything above the waist was legal, and that Miguel also previously used the technique in the 2018 tournament.

In a deleted scene of Feel The Night, Kreese tells Robby that from his perspective, Johnny didn't lose because of the crane kick; he lost because he was "in love," referencing his former student's feelings for Ali.

Season 4

Johnny mocking Daniel

The fourth season's episodes, First Learn Stand and Then Learn Fly, are references to Mr. Miyagi telling Daniel that one must learn the basics before learning advanced techniques. Johnny Lawrence assumes the crane stance in Then Learn Fly and Match Point, and a flashback to Daniel kicking Johnny was seen in The Fall.

Season 5

Daniel using crane technique

"My whole life was haunted by one stupid kick. I thought if I could go back in time, do things different, dodge it, block it, my life would be fixed. The kick wasn't the problem. I had to stop focusing on what was behind. Start looking at what was in front of me."

―Johnny Lawrence to Chozen Toguchi

The fifth season's finale Head of the Snake has Daniel using the Crane Kick on Terry Silver at the Cobra Kai Dojo just as Terry uses the trophy Tory Nichols won during the 51st Annual Karate Championships as a weapon which he gets kicked into the glass Cobra Kai logo behind him and then ends up on the floor next to the trophy & shattered glass remains of the Cobra Kai logo.

Season 6

LaRusso's victory over Silver, specifically the term "crane kick," was referenced by Miguel Diaz when trying to motivate LaRusso and Lawrence.

Users

• Mr. Miyagi's Father
• Nariyoshi Miyagi
• Daniel LaRusso
• Miguel Diaz
• Johnny Lawrence

Appearances

• The Karate Kid
• The Karate Kid Part II
• The Karate Kid Part III (mentioned)
• Cobra Kai
  • Season 1
    • Ace Degenerate (flashback, mentioned)
    • Molting (flashback)
    • Mercy
  • Season 2
    • No Mercy (flashback)
  • Season 3
    • Miyagi-Do (scroll)
    • Feel The Night (mentioned)
    • December 19 (mentioned; deleted scene)
  • Season 4
    • Then Learn Fly
    • Match Point
    • The Fall (archive footage)
  • Season 5
    • Head of the Snake
  • Season 6
    • Eunjangdo (mentioned)

Trivia

• In real life, the move was created by Darryl Vidal for The Karate Kid. It has been compared to a jumping front kick, a flying jumping kick (in karate, mae tobi geri), or a standing bicycle kick.
• Ralph Macchio used the Crane Kick in the Funny or Die video, "Wax On, F*ck Off."
• The Crane Kick has appeared and been referenced in numerous media throughout the years, including (but not limited to):
  • The Perfect Strangers episode "Karate Kids" (1987)
  • Side Out (1990)
  • The Simpsons episode "Dead Putting Society" (1990)
  • Family Matters episodes "Hell Toupee" (1993) and "She's Back" (1995)
  • Wayne's World 2 (1993)
  • Baywatch episode "Air Buchannon" (1994)
  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode "Love Hurts" featuring Pat Morita as Mr. Yoshi (1994)
  • Boy Meets World episode "The Thrilla' in Phila'" (1995)
  • Married... with Children episode "The Hood, the Bud & the Kelly: Part 1" (1996)
  • Mr. Wrong (1996)
  • Santa with Muscles (1996)
  • Jingle All the Way (1996)
  • Michael (1996)
  • Hercules (1997)
  • WCW Monday Nitro episode "El Paso City" (1998)
  • WCW Worldwide episode dated 14 February 1998 (1998)
  • The Secret of Mulan (1998)
  • Bug Juice episode "Boys-to-Men Talent Show" (1998)
  • P.U.N.K.S. (1999)
  • A Piece of the Action: Behind the Scenes of 'Rush Hour' (1999)
  • Jacka** episode "Cup Test" (2000)
  • Mulva: Zombie Ass Kicker! (2001)
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Unaired Pilot" (2002)
  • Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002)
  • Hansel & Gretel (2002)
  • Jake's Booty Call (2003)
  • Demon Summer (2003)
  • Knuckle Sandwich (2004)
  • Narco (2004)
  • The Breakdance Kid (2004),
  • Max & Paddy's Road to Nowhere episode "Episode #1.1" (2004)
  • Australian Pie (2005)
  • Malcolm in the Middle episode "Stilts" (2005)
  • Over There episode "The Prisoner" (2005)
  • Unaccompanied Minors (2006)
  • Turks in Space (2006)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
  • Sam and Max: Night of the Raving Dead (2008)
  • Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs & a Baby **(2008) Psych episode "Any Given Friday Night at 10PM, 9PM Central" (2009)
  • CHIKARA: King of Trios 2009 - Night I (2009), Baby on Board (2009), The Pool Boys (2009)
  • Take Me Home Tonight (2011),
  • Detention (2011)
  • Hollow (2011)
  • Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (2011)
  • Chikara JoshiMania Night I, (2011)
  • Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
  • Phineas and Ferb episodes "Tri-Stone Area/Doof Dynasty" (2012) and "Night of the Living Pharmacists: Parts 1 & 2" (2014)
  • Robot Chicken episode "Fight Club Paradise" (2012)
  • Con el culo al aire episode "Episode #1.2" (2012)
  • Atop the Fourth Wall episode "The Invincible Four of Kung-Fu & Ninja #1" (2012)
  • Mantera (2012) **That's My Boy (2012)
  • The Baytown Outlaws (2012)
  • Balas & Bolinhos: O Último Capítulo (2012)
  • Safety Dance (2014)
  • Worst Cooks in America episode "Surprise!" (2014)
  • The Goldbergs episode "Livin' on a Prayer" (2014)
  • Monsters: Dark Continent (2014)
  • The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon episode "Channing Tatum/Eddie Redmayne/Logic" (2014)
  • Pixels (2015)
  • Teen Titans Go! episode "Hey You, Don't Forget About Me in Your Memory" (2015)
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode "The Funeral" (2015)
  • La théorie du K.O. "Le club des ex" (2015)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
  • Chikara Aniversario: The Two Towers (2016),
  • GLOW episode "Slouch. Submit." (2017)
  • Chicago Fire episode "51's Original Bell" (2020),
  • Ring of Honor Wrestling episode "Episode #13.9" (2021)
  • WWE Raw episode "Episode #29.38" (2021)
  • Knuckles (2024) during the intro with Knuckles & Wade practicing it.
• Mixed martial artist Lyoto Machida used the Crane Kick against Randy Couture during UFC 129 and knocked him out. Machida credited learning this move from his father, Yoshizo Machida, a master of Shotokan Karate, while Steven Seagal recommended he use the technique in his fight against Couture, Seagal being a 7th-degree black belt in Aikido but has also been trained in Shitō-ryū Karate, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kendo, and Eskrima.
• The Crane Kick also appears in Saints Row the Third & Saints Row IV as a taunt called Daniel-San which is named after Daniel LaRusso himself, while the words spoken by the one of the voices of the customizable character makes a reference to Tommy and talks about putting people in a body bag which is based on the quote that was said in The Karate Kid by Tommy.

Gallery

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