Karate Kid II and Lessons in Mercy

Mr. Miyagi and Daniel La Russo returned for the second part of the Karate Kid franchise. This time, the movie began where it left off after Daniel defeated Johnny Lawrence in the All-Valley Tournament. Months later, Mr. Miyagi is asked to return home to his dying father and confront his past.

The second part of the trilogy took an interesting turn from its prequel, which began the franchise. Like the prequel, the second part gives viewers the message of mercy.

The Power of Forgiveness and Mercy

The film communicates to us that mercy is more powerful than vengeance. It is seen when Miyagi tells Daniel, "For a man with no forgiveness in heart, life is worse punishment than death".

Miyagi was challenged to put his words of wisdom to the test, as he had to seek forgiveness from Sato after the two had had decades' worth of feuds. After saving Sato during a storm, Miyagi and Sato ended the bitterness they had for each other and nurtured the friendship they once had.

At the center of this is humility. With humility, we learn the human condition. It keeps us grounded. Even many of the saints, like St. Augustine, understand that it is the most important virtue of all virtues.

True Strength Through Peace

For anyone who has learned karate may recall the first rule. That rule is that karate is for “defense only”.  The means of defense, balance, and humility. It teaches that power is best used to protect, not to destroy. 

Faith

One thing Daniel learned from Mr. Miyagi is to have faith. There were times Daniel struggled to focus and would easily give up. Yet, Miyagi would remind him to stop and focus (through a breath-in and out method) as a way to remain calm and regain faith.

In one scene, Daniel was rattled by disappointment from his senior prom. When Miyagi asks him for help in building a compartment for his home, Daniel is hesitant.  After regaining his focus and calming his mind, Daniel was able to help his mentor complete the construction.

The movie has remarkable cinematography, a good plot, and, as always, deep lessons that can be related to our faith journey.

The film may not be liked by many due to a lack of plot and lukewarm dialogue, yet every film can give us lessons to apply to our faith journey.