His poignant story of military service, and personal loss perpetuated by the country that he served. That is just part of Pat Morita's story. source In this documentary, lovingly finished, by Morita's wife we get to learn about his past, the ups, and the downs of his career.

Did Mr. Miyagi serve in the military?

Beginning in 1944, the regiment fought primarily in Europe during World War II, in particular Italy, southern France, and Germany. Mr. Miyagi served in the 442nd, an actual division of Japanese-American soldiers renowned for their exemplary bravery and conduct in battle.

Did Mr. Miyagi serve in ww2?

Miyagi fought against the Japanese Empire in the Second World War and while he was doing that his wife Mrs. Miyagi, gave birth to a son inside an internment camp and got sick and they didn't send any doctor to her so she and the son both died. Mr. Miyagi still won a medal of honour for being a war hero.

Was Pat Morita a real fighter?

Before filming The Karate Kid, Pat Morita was not a martial arts master. He did not have any experience in karate prior to making the films. However, that does not mean he and the rest of the cast were not placed under a training program.

Were Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita friends in real life?

Though the duo have only spoken highly of each other in the press, their friendship didn't kindle until years later — 2005, to be exact — when they reunited for the first time ever at Pat Morita (a.k.a. Mr. Miyagi)'s, funeral. “He caught my eye,” Ralph said in his memoir about the meeting.

Mr. Miyagi VS Cobra Kai | Halloween Fight | The Karate Kid | CLIP

How did Ralph Macchio react to Pat Morita's death?

Miyagi once said, “No such thing as bad student, only bad teacher. Teacher say, student do.” Well, it seems both Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio were good teachers and students. Macchio is now paying respect to the late Morita, penning an essay in tribute to his late sensei.

Can Ralph Macchio fight in real life?

Does Ralph Macchio, the actor from The Karate Kid, actually have any karate training in real life? Not by a long shot; though it should be noted that neither were cast to be great martial artists, and instead were hired to be amazing actors.

Could Pat Morita do karate?

Not before being cast as Mr. Miyagi, no. He did train with a reputable black belt for the films, a Tang Soo Do black belt/stuntman named Pat Johnson who befriended Chuck Norris at a tournament and would go on to study karate directly under Chuck Norris and teach at several of his gyms.

Could Pat Morita speak Japanese?

Often times he leaned into it, playing with different Asian accents, like how his Chinese accent for Arnold was supposed to be for a character originally meant to be Japanese. Many of his characters didn't have accents (Morita himself didn't have one and couldn't speak Japanese) but many did.

Was Pat Morita in Mash?

Morita had other notable recurring television roles on Sanford and Son (1974–1976) as Ah Chew, a good-natured friend of Lamont Sanford, and as South Korean Army Captain Sam Pak on the sitcom M*A*S*H (1973, 1974).

Did Mr. Miyagi have a child?

As a way of saying "thank you," Miyagi taught him karate (and Pierce taught him ballroom dancing). While still fighting overseas, he received a telegram informing him that on November 2, 1944, his wife and newborn child (who were still interned at Manzanar) died due to "complications arising from childbirth".

Is Mr. Miyagi's house real?

The iconic Mr. Miyagi's house (now demolished) was located at 20924 Gault Street in Canoga Park, Los Angeles. The Valley proved to be an ideal backdrop for most of the film, with its sunny beaches, beautiful coastlines, bright blue sky, and warm climate providing a perfect setting for some of the most memorable scenes.

Where is Mr. Miyagi buried?

What do Sonny Liston, one of boxing's all-time best, and Pat Morita, the Japanese-American actor who played Mr. Miyagi in “The Karate Kid,” have in common? Both are buried in Las Vegas area cemeteries.

How old was Pat in Karate Kid?

In 1984, the year the first Karate Kid was filmed, his character would have been around 59 years old. The actor, Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi was 52 years old in 1984. He died in 2005, at the age of 73.

Does Ralph Macchio know karate?

Apart from four jiu-jitsu lessons when I was 10, I had no martial arts experience. Before filming, I was trained in Okinawan Gōjū-ryū karate by Pat E Johnson, who coordinated the fight scenes and played the head referee in the tournament at the end of the film.

Was Mr. Miyagi a marine?

Mr. Miyagi's unit was the 442nd Infantry Regiment, one of the most highly decorated regiments in the history of the United States Armed Forces, including 21 Medal of Honor recipients.

Did Pat Morita know English?

He did not speak it as a child, but you can see here that he began learning it at some point. Here he writes his last name in Japanese, but not quite the way a native Japanese-speaker would. Pat Morita was a Japanese American, and his native language was English.

Did Pat Morita have a stunt double?

In the 1980s, Demura became involved in the Karate Kid series of films. He was the stunt double for Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi.

How old was Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid 1?

Miyagi Was 59-Years-Old In Karate Kid. At the start of The Karate Kid, it is 1984 when Daniel LaRusso and his mother moved into the apartment complex where Mr. Miyagi worked, making him 59 at the time.

How is Ralph Macchio doing?

He made a comeback, taking part in a TV show called Cobra Kai that successfully revived the Karate Kid story for a new generation of viewers on YouTube, then on Netflix. As recently as 2016, Macchio was able to mock himself at a charity event, revealing his secret to looking so young in middle age: “Not working.”

Are Ralph Macchio and William Zabka friends?

"For Billy and I, the depth and level of our friendship and our history together has just gone beyond, just like this show has," Macchio tells PEOPLE of working on Cobra Kai with Zabka.

Does Billy Zabka know karate?

He played Johnny Lawrence, the main antagonist to the title character and protagonist played by Ralph Macchio. He had no training in karate at the time but was an accomplished wrestler. His participation in the film inspired him to learn the martial art of Tang Soo Do and he later earned a second–degree green belt.

Did Daniel LaRusso actually know karate?

Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso

Macchio told us that his martial arts experience is more one as a servant to the martial arts. In other words, while he never entered karate's formal belt system, he's its greatest living ambassador (our declaration, not his).

Do any of the Cobra Kai cast actually know karate?

How Cobra Kai Shoots Fight Scenes With Untrained Actors. Though actors like Ralph Macchio and William Zabka have their Karate Kid days on their resumes, they haven't had the kind of formal training that would make them karate masters. The same is true for the younger cast members in Corba Kai.