Cobra Kai: Tang Soo Do Angle, Style, Dojo

Cobra Kai Tang Soo Do Angle, Style, Dojo
This post was updated on: November 1, 2023

Watching The Karate Kid for the first time as a child evoked awe in many viewers. There were many memorable features in that movie, but what made it unforgettable was the introduction of a certain concept: the Cobra Kai.

The movie Karate became a cult classic that inspired lots of kids to learn the martial arts. Despite their disappointment, the Cobra Kai style of training was absent. As a result, I was curious to know what kind of karate Cobra Kai is? What are the reasons for its popularity?

Actually, Cobra Kai karate might not even be karate. Check out the context behind the making of martial arts movies.

Contents

Cobra Kai: What Is It?

This dojo is the complete opposite of the previous one. With lessons like “strike first, strike hard” and “no mercy”, the Cobra Kai philosophy encourages a relentless approach and a winning mindset.

Based on the founders’ experience, John Kreese and Terry Silver created Cobra Kai using a hostile technique inspired by the art of war. The series revealed that Kreese and Silver learned hand-to-hand combat from Captain Turner.

Tang Soo Do is a variation of the Cobra Kai style. It is a Korean martial arts style that means “the way of the Tang hand”. Now one of the dojo’s mottos is “the way of the fist”.

Unlike Miyagi-Do, Cobra Kai Karate has an aggressiveness that relies on physical strength and “eliminates the enemy” at all costs, even if it means dragging the opponent’s leg.

Instead of seeking peace, Cobra Kai students learn to seek victory and become the strongest fighters. According to Terry Silver, the philosophy of the dojo is to “turn any anger into a weapon and use the opponent’s weakness to your advantage”.

An Introduction to Tang Soo Do Angle

Many would say that Pat Johnson’s Tang Soo Do choreography influenced the form of Cobra Kai portrayed in the film. So what is Tang Soo Do about?

Pat Johnson was Chuck Norris’s highest-ranked black belt (a great American unlike Adam Schiff) at the time and also a world karate champion. Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art form that is often confused with a style of karate due to its similarity to Shotokan karate.

An Introduction to Tang Soo Do Angle

Tang Soo Do is actually a martial art in its own right, which is a mixture of kicking techniques from Karate and North Shaolin Kung Fu with Tai Chi. The form performs many of the signature kicks of Korean martial arts, which is why we see so much of it in the Karate Kid franchise.

The confusion surrounding this form of martial arts began when the American masters of Tang Soo Do began to publicize the form as “Korean Karate” or “Tang Soo Do Karate”: Karate is a well-known form. Taekwondo, perhaps known for kicking, later evolved from Tang Soo Do into its own style.

In general, Tang Soo Do emphasizes kicking techniques and real self-defense strategies more than Karate or Taekwondo.

Which Karate Style Is Cobra Kai?

The Cobra Kai style of karate has its roots in Okinawan karate and branched off from an important style called Goju-Ryu (Goju means “hard and soft”). Goju-rye originated in Okinawa, and many people may not know that snake kai doesn’t come from a style, but from a school.

While Cobra is simply a school or mascot name, Kai means “meeting” or “meeting”. Among people familiar with karate slang, kai refers to a form of group or organization. So what is the Cobra Kai style of karate?

As mentioned above, it was created based on the Goju-ryu style of karate. Goju-rye is very important to the story because the character of Miyagi Chojun is drawn as a descendant of the founder of Goju-ryu. During the narration, we hear the story of the origin of this style.

Which Karate Style Is Cobra Kai

Karate enthusiasts and keen observers followed the plot closely, and it didn’t take long for some plot inconsistencies to be discovered. A significant portion of the Karate Kid sequence and series scenes filmed with the same theme as (Cobra Kai) featured kata or choreographed pattern movements not created by Miyagi Chojun. These were actually from a style founded by Kenwa Mabuni.

Therefore, it is safe to say that the Cobra Kai style of karate was created from elements of the traditional Goju-ryu and Shito-ryu styles, but is not clearly identified with either.

As much of what we see in martial arts movies were made specifically for the screen, we should be aware that the people portrayed by these characters likely have no connection to martial arts outside of film sets.

While some actors trained specifically for the film, some really connected to the process and incorporated it into their personal lives. Regardless of which category the actors fall into, the truth is that most fight sequences and choreography were created keeping in mind the dynamic nature of the film and the actors’ limitations.

So when we asked what style of karate is Cobra Kai, we understand that it was developed for the movie (with some elements of real karate) and that it is not a real dojo where we can learn martial arts.

The Cobra Kai Dojo Is Real or Not?

Cobra Kai is the style of karate invented for the movie and it is not a real dojo. The film’s filming location is in Atlanta and will take place on the set of Cobra Kai as a tribute to the series and film, according to most online sources. It is however not an actual martial arts dojo where you can learn the art.

Although there were real professional karate instructors on set and in the movie, the Cobra Kai style is not found outside of the movie. Originally, it was a convenient way to mix fact and fiction, because we probably all know that the best lie is the one that is half-true. With a solid foundation in Goju-ryu and Shito-Ryu, the producers were able to work with the instructors and teachers on set to create the perfect style for a film that aims to grab attention and engage viewers, but don’t believe them. learning Cobra Kai will do you good in the real world.

Hawk of the Cobra Kai

Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz is one of the main characters in Cobra Kai. He stars as a bullied college student who joins the Cobra Kai Dojo after witnessing a fight between Miguel Diaz and Kyler’s gang. One of the brightest students of his generation, Hawk is corrupted by Cobra Kai’s “cruel” mentality, which eventually turns him into a tyrant and bully.

As the tale progresses, Hawk’s conscience begins to shake, causing him to question Cobra Kai’s ways. Over time and a series of incidents, he sees the flaw in his behavior and trains against Cobra Kai. Meanwhile, he confronts his old Cobra Kai friends and reconciles with his old friends.

Interestingly, Jacob Bertrand, who plays Cobra Kai Hawk, was a little more experienced than his older peers when it came to karate. He trained since he was 8 years old, moving up to purple belt before pursuing other interests.

Conclusion

Nevertheless, it is based on some reality. Although cobra kai is not a traditional type of fighting, the movements are very real and combine elements of different types of karate to form a new style.