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Summary
The first trailer forKarate Kid: Legendsdoesn’t just open a new chapter in the martial arts franchise; it also fixes one of its oldest problems. The upcoming film sets up a much-anticipated crossover between Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han from two separateKarate Kidfilms, while also merging them withCobra Kaiin a single shared universe.
This time,Karate Kid: Legendsfocuses on the story of Kung Fu prodigy Li Fong, who enters a karate competition reminiscent of the original films. Mr. Han seeks Daniel’s help to teach Li a new way to fight. As a result, themartial arts showdownis expected to feature a blend of two different fighting styles, hinted at by one particular line from the film’s trailer, which also serves as its tagline.
“Two Branches, One Tree”, Explained
Karate Kid: Legends’Theme & Tagline
From the recentKarate Kid: Legendstrailer, one line stands out:“Two branches, one tree.”The line is spoken by Daniel LaRusso to Li Fong as he hands him a headband with a tree embroidered on it. The branches in question are the two separate but interconnected martial arts of karate and kung fu. The trailer highlights this line because the movie is expected to revolve around how these two fighting styles come together to help Li Fong win the competition.
The film will likely give significant weight to this particular line, which might even serve as the overarching theme ofKarate Kid: Legends. This addresses a common criticism oftheKarate Kidfranchise’srecent addition. The 2010 reboot, starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, is undeniably popular, but it has often faced criticism from martial arts purists and fans alike. Despite featuring “karate” in its title, the film primarily revolved around kung fu.
HowLegendsFixes 2010Karate Kid’sProblem
Karate Vs. Kung Fu Criticism
From the trailer, it’s evident thatKarate Kid: Legendshas embraced this talking point and is likely to explore the relationship between the two fighting styles. It’s a common misconception that kung fu has nothing to do with karate. In fact, karate culture has deep connections to other forms of martial arts. One could even argue that kung fu isn’t a separate style of fighting, but rather a separate lifestyle or discipline. The term “kung fu” literally refers to any skill acquired through learning or practice.
In fact, Jackie Chan himself has acknowledged the confusion betweenkarate and kung fuin the 2010 remake. Ina 2010 interview with MTV, he confirmed that the film’s cast members often referred to it asKung Fu Kidbehind the scenes, and addressed how China might continue to call it differently. This turned out to be partly true, as the film’s title in the People’s Republic of China isThe Kung Fu Dream.
We just finished the movie, ‘Karate Kid’. Um, the ‘Kung Fu Kid.’ I don’t know [what it’s going to be called]. Probably ‘Kung Fu Kid’ in China and ‘Karate Kid’ in America. […] But mostly we’ve called it ‘The Kung Fu Kid.’
Connection Between Karate & Kung Fu
Similarities Between The Two Martial Arts
While it’s fair to say the 2010 film should have been calledKung Fu Kid, even if that’s a stretch, it’s still not too far removed from karate.Cobra Kaihas also faced similar criticism, with some claiming it’s not even karate but actually Tang Soo Do. However, the term Tang Soo Do itself is the Korean pronunciation of the original name for Okinawan karate. Similarly, in the 2010Karate Kid, it’s made clear that despite the movie being set in Beijing, northern China, Mr. Han’s kung fu originates from the south – precisely where the Okinawans would have learned their karate from.
Both kung fu and karate are arguably not single martial arts, but umbrella terms encompassing various fighting styles, with significant overlap between the two. In the Chinese language, people often say “kung fu” or “gong fu” without any martial arts implications. While karate is synonymous with “empty hand,” it was originally known for its weapons usage, such as sai, nunchaku, and others. In fact, somefamous karate katas, like Monk Fist or Southern Crane, are directly derived from Southern Chinese martial arts forms.
Miyagi-Han Relationship InKarate Kid
LegendsWill Explore Potential Connection
The line “Two branches, one tree” is an excellent summation of the relationship between karate and kung fu – kudos to whoever came up with it. It’s also a clever way forKarate Kid: Legendsto connect Mr. Han to Mr. Miyagi. Jackie Chan’s character clearly seems to be acquainted withthe original mentorand his relationship with Daniel, as he tells him,“Li means to me what you meant to Sensei Miyagi.“The film is likely to explore how Mr. Han’s kung fu and Miyagi-Do karate might have evolved from the same form, tracing back to when Miyagi’s ancestors were in China.
So, whether it’s between karate, Tang Soo Do, or kung fu, and how they’re represented in the originalKarate Kidfilms,Cobra Kai, or even the reboot, it’s ultimately a matter of which came first and how well they’re connected. While it’s natural formartial arts fansto care about naming conventions, it’s equally important for movies to clarify these distinctions and bring greater awareness to these art forms.
