Cobra Kai and the transformative power of mercy

I just finished watching the first two seasons of Cobra Kai – Netflix’s series that picks up the main characters from “The Karate Kid” from the mid 1980s. The show follows most centrally not Ralph Macchio’s Daniel, but Johnny Lawrence, the blond-haired antagonist to young Daniel-san. After his defeat in 1984’s “All Valley” Karate competition, Johnny’s life took a hard downward turn. We meet him, living in a run-down apartment and occupied with a bunch of odd jobs. Daniel, on the other hand, has become quite successful as a luxury car salesman with several dealerships.

After helping a young neighbor with an episode of bullying by showing off his karate skills, Johnny is encouraged to begin teaching karate, and he reopens his old dojo, called Cobra Kai.

The wall of the workout room announces their old creed: “Strike first; Strike hard; No mercy.” It was that “no mercy” that has resonated for fans of old movies, and Johnny embraces it to promote his new venture. In time, he recruits new students from the local high school, and he is now a sensei with his own pupils.

However, Johnny is not the one-dimensional villain from the old movies. He is an adult member of Generation X, trying to find his way in the world still. He grapples with the failures of his youth, and his less-than-ideal childhood. The old Cobra Kai folded because it was too strict, too violent, too merciless. Johnny learns that lesson, and we watch his character grow through the struggle that his self discovery entails. Johnny really is anyone of us.

His old sensei, John Kreese, enters the scene, and (like the devil) tempts Johnny to remake Cobra Kai as it had been. However, he realizes that there is only one way that path can end, and he resists his old master. Even when provoked by Daniel LaRusso, Johnny stands up and is “the better man.” He matures in a way 80s movies never allowed their antagonists, and it is seriously gratifying.

There’s a lot to this series, and for those of us who grew up in the 1980s this is binge-watching gold. However, one of the big themes in the story is mercy — and particularly how this mercy plays a role in forming a young generation.

The kids whom Johnny teaches don’t know anything about the 80s or the old All-Valley competition. They don’t know of the childhood rivalries that existed between LaRusso and Johnny (Daniel opens his own dojo after the style of Mr. Miyagi). They simply want to know how to make their way in their own complex world; and it’s time for the Generation Xers to be the grown ups. Daniel and Johnny struggle with this, but it is truly satisfying to see Johnny begin to transform into a mentor, setting aside his old hurts and moving forward.

This is a struggle for all of us. All adults are still trying to figure things out (don’t let the kids know this!). Growing up, we assumed there would be one day or moment when something “clicked” and we would know everything we need to change and run the world. We do not. Life is still a mystery and we are still the wounded people that try to do the best we can.

The good news for us is that Christ has shown us a way, and by following him more closely, by imitating him in his love and mercy, we can come to a level of peace with ourselves, our pasts and our futures; and we can share that vision with others. Young people are hungry for mentors. We are their hope, as much as they are ours. Like Johnny, we owe it to them (and ourselves) to overcome grudges and past hurts to help others not to make the same mistakes we do.

Cobra Kai has been a nice illustration of what can happen when we let go of the past and the devil’s desire to keep reminding us of it. I look forward to Season 3, and hope that this continues to play out. Until then, I think I’ll go wax my car….

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