When Cobra Kai was started on YouTube and transitioned to Netflix, I found myself enraptured. It was a delight to see the old vanguard of LaRusso and Johnny become senseis, and to see the future of Miyagi-Do and Cobrai Kai Karate. I became invested in Sam, Tory, Miguel, Hawk, Dementri, and the rest of the cast who navigated their High School years through Hi-yahs in Karate. I found Kreese to be a more menacing villain and his backstory in Vietnam and origins of Cobra Kai really added to the mythos of the Karate Kid franchise. However, by Seasons 4 and 5 my interest began to wain a bit.. the perpetual switching sides between Cobra Kai, Miyagi-Do, and Eagle Fang made it feel soap operatic. Season 6 though has re-engaged my interest, as our heroes and heroines, our sensies and dojos head to the Olympics of martial arts, The Sekai Taikai, which in this case takes place in Barcelona, Spain.
I had my reservations, another great tournament to watch Dan San and his Miyagi Do students get knocked down and then win at last moment, although Season 5 did have Silver's Cobra Kai win with Tory winning because of a bribe of the referees, so I guess I do not count that win. What this tournament highlights is a very important aspect of martial arts, the dangers. At then end of Season 2 we saw the Brawl that handicapped Miguel, and injured Sam, showing us that dark side of these arts, the trauma both physically and emotionally rippling into Season 3. At last that cautionary tale has returned to Season 6, as you begin to wonder, is it really wise to equip teens with fists of fury when their emotions are so erratic. This comes to crescendo, when the big bad student on a Resurgent Cobrai Kai that has trained under the founder in Korea and his protege Grand Daughter Kim Da-Eun, Kwon takes a Eujangdo (Tando equivalent knife) and tries to strike in a brawl of all the Dojos fighting at once in chaos at Sekai Taikai, and ends up impaling himself on the blade. This becomes a cliffhanger and set piece to remind us the dark side of martial arts, that if you train youths to fight, there are perils, they could be danger to others and themselves.
It is refreshing that discussion point has returned. We tend to think the Karate is so baddass, to quote Johnny, and if you do not like it your a pussycat. But Daniel LarRusso's Wife Amanda has been warning through the series how this Karate thing is taking over, and the dangers of the teens using these techniques, when her own home became brawl site in Season 3 Finale. Even Daniel San comes to a crisis of faith when he discovers in this Final Season that Mr. Miyagi fought in Sakai Takai in 1940's and killed his opponent (a la Bloodsport!). Daniel has a hard time forgiving his Old Sensei, when the Sekai Takai Host and Master of Ceremonies tells him it was a different time, which brings me to another important point. Judging people back in the past with our modern sensibilities is wrong. In Japan, in 1940's, Japan was fallen into Red Sun of violence and became like the Nazis, it was their dark hour in history, much like America's was in The Civil War. People in such times make mistakes, and commit sins, and if they are repentant, we need to have compassion. Most of us have never known the threat of an empire telling you to bring honor or die, and the threats to your family if you do not do your part. Miyagi was in that dark time, and Daniel San needs to give his Old Sensei a break, Miyagi atoned for his sins, and tried to help young people not have that spirit of Imperial Japan that raped Nanking, China; Miyagi tried to show Daniel San and others another way, to operate from a place of peace not anger, and while I do not condone the spirituality of Zen as a Christian, I do believe that martial arts is about self defense, not a license to pick fights and show off your moves; the greatest warriors never brandished their weapon lightly, they dreaded unsheathing or unholstering their weapon.
Daniel is shaken because his faith was in a mere man. Miyagi ends up disappointing him as all men do. I am reminded of Scripture, "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD." (Jeremiah 17:5). The LORD incarnate even lived this, "but Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person." (John 2:24-25). People can let us down, and disillusionment will follow, that is what happens to Daniel San who put his trust not in Christ The Rock, but on the sand that is man. He built a great castle of that sand, a dojo and discovers that the man he idolized does not measure up to his standards. This a great lesson in obeying those verses, in making only The Lord Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit the One in whom you trust. For they who are One will never fail in morality or commit acts that make you question them. God is Good and he cannot commit evil, but we humans can.
Sadly Johnny Lawerance's growth is rather for the most part a regression followed by some ascensions. He is ruled by his emotions, and its only when his wife to be and The Mother of his child is in danger does he step it up and talk to Miguel and act like an adult. Tory had some real growth, was even for first time on Sam's side in Miyagi Do, but the death of her Mother and end of her world leads her back to the quiver of Cobra Kai for the Sekai Taikai Tournament. Her falling from grace is majorly Daniel LaRusso's fault, by not letting her spar for the Captain spot in her hurt, which Johnny actually supports Toty and said to Daniel San, "when I lost my old man, I wanted to go ten rounds in the ring, she needed to express that like I did." That is a common theme in the show, Daniel's Miyagi-Do of mostly Defense is not the answer, and Johnny's Eagle Fang of mostly offensive is not the answer either, its the blending of the two disciples; when the two senseis are in harmony, like the yin and yang symbol, the students thrive and excel.
The Return of Silver was unexpected, since in Season 5 he tried to kill Senseis and was arrested. While I liked Silver being in Season 5, when he is in the series it puts Kreese in his shadow which I do not care for. I liked the idea of Kreese ascending in the dark side, him defeating The White Cobra and confronting that his weakness is Johnny Lawerance and trying to help the Founder of Cobrai Kai in Korea and his Grand Daughter make Cobrai Kai Great Again. Having Silver show up at Sekai Taikai and just have this super team that can beat both Miyagi Do and Cobra Kai felt unearned. I preferred Silver's Arch to end at his house in Season 5, when real Daitos (Katanas) were used and Senseis could have perished. I much prefer Kreese' arch and will he have a redemption or perish as a cobra that could never listen to a different tune of the (cobra) flute player than, "No Mercy."
Hawk and Dementri, the dynamite duo have themselves become estranged when Hawk decides to do something more radical than sport his USA colors Mohawk, he has decided not to go to MIT with Demetri, and the realization that they will not be the friends they have been because of going to separate universities takes its toll on the dyad. It is only at the climax, the Sekai Takai that they realizing this is the last time they will throw punches and give kicks together that they bury the hatchet. Robbie who has been with Tory (Victoria) finds himself torn when she turns back to the quiver of Cobras and gets a wrongful perception that she is with Kwon, and gets drunk and well beds an enemy named Zara. I felt this was a terrible arch for Robbie, he was screw up from the beginning like his Father Johnny, but has gradually under Daniel San's guidance found balance and even helped a brother of fellow prisoner named Danny. Having him regress feels stupid, what needed to happen is that he shows Tory he is not a wave crashing in wind like her, and be there for her, saying, "I know you are in pain, the loss of your mother fueling your actions, I am here and I am going no where." That would have set him apart from falling way back in growth, but alas there is still some more episodes in February 13th, 2025.
Ah there is the rub. I cannot complete my review because Netflix has decided to split releasing the episodes in three parts, and the final part won't be till next year. I must confess that was smart, it has you hooked and I am itching and quivering to see the end! I must confess there is some melancholy that this will be the conclusion, I have gone through some major seasons of my own life during seasons of Cobra Kai and feel in a way like this cast is family. I will miss them when they throw the last punch. In truth I watched Karate Kids films as a kid, but I was not hooked on them, for me it was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers that was karate shtick that got me. But Cobra Kai is my Karate Kid, I have gotten so invested in this series, and I hope it ends with a good message that will make young people realize, its all fun and games till someone gets hurt or dies.. then you realize martial arts is not art like painting, it is the art of fighting and originally killing. That should sober people to think on this season. Amen.
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