Ralph Macchio is reflecting on his crane kick from Cobra Kai season 5. While much of the series, a continuation of The Karate Kid franchise, focused on the rivalry between Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), recent episodes found the two fighting alongside each other. The crane kick, taught to Daniel by Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), has become a popular move following the original 1984 film, and season 5 saw Macchio's character use it during a head-to-head with Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith).
The battle between Daniel and Terry at the end of Cobra Kai season 5 led to a lot of excitement because of the crane kick's return. In a recent interview with Deadline, Macchio reflected on that scene, noting it required some work to pull off. The actor joked that he is not as flexible and revealed that there was no stunt performer used. Read Macchio's comments about bringing back the crane kick below:
"It took a little more work getting off the ground that quickly, you’re not nearly as pliable as you are 38 years ago. But I was determined and no stunt person was going to do it, so we got it up there."
The Significance Of Cobra Kai's Crane Kick
The crane kick was employed several times throughout The Karate Kid franchise, with Daniel having first used it against Johnny in the original movie. As mentioned, it was last shown in Cobra Kai's season 5 finale, "Head of the Snake." After confronting Daniel and several students at the dojo, Terry challenged him to a fight, claiming he would end Miyagi-Do. During their match, flashbacks from The Karate Kid Part III recounted the Quicksilver method, and when Terry's back was turned, Daniel used the crane kick to knock him out.
Upon his return, Terry became Cobra Kai's main antagonist, gaining control of the dojo and tormenting Daniel, even beating him one-on-one earlier in season 5. Their history goes back to 1989's The Karate Kid Part III, in which Terry, along with John Kreese (Martin Kove), sought revenge against Daniel and his sensei. Because Daniel used the crane kick to defeat him, in a moment reminiscent of past battles, their ongoing altercations may finally be over.
It is unclear whether Terry will be a part of the show's final season, but if not, that fight between him and Daniel did serve as a satisfying end to their feud. Despite any difficulty associated with performing the crane kick, Macchio seemed to pull it off, as longtime fans enjoyed the outcome of that scene. One of the more memorable moments from Cobra Kai season 5, it will be interesting to see if the series uses the move one more time.
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