6 Mr. Miyagi Parenting Quotes
Played by actor Pat Morita in the movie The Karate Kid (1984), Kesuke Miyagi aka Mr. Miyagi captured the hearts of millions while training his pupil Daniel-san in the ways of Goju Ryu Karate-Do.
Mr. Miyagi’s words of wisdom are simple yet powerful. They resonate across cultures and can be applied to many obstacles that one may encounter in life. The great thing about it as it refers to Every Child Wins is that Mr. Miyagi’s quotes can be applied to parenting.
Mr. Miyagi Parenting Quote #1
“First learn stand, then learn fly. Nature rule Daniel-san, not mine.”Mr. Miyagi
Parenting can be overwhelming. If I listed all the potential things you could worry about, you would go crazy. So I won’t. 😉
What I will say is that sometimes we as people try to take on the whole world at once. We give, give some more, work hard, work even harder, and then we burn out. The bad part about burning out is we accomplish nothing during this time. We must first learn to stand.
Once standing becomes habitual, move to the next task.
There’s nothing wrong with mastering one skill at time. In fact, it’s preferred.
Mr. Miyagi Parenting Quote #2
“You trust the quality of what you know, not quantity.”Mr. Miyagi
K.I.S.S. (Keep it Super Simple).
Many of the people we admire and look to for inspiration really only mastered one thing 1st. But the quality of their work was so great that it inspired the world.
LeBron James knew basketball and did it well. Arnold Schwarzenegger knew bodybuilding and did that one thing well. Michael Jackson knew entertainment and inspired the world.
In this world of adulting, we’re constantly being suggested to. We get told that we need to “know” this skill or “know” that skill to be a successful parent, but you can be the best at your one skill and inspire the world to do the same.
Let us know your one skill in the comments below.
Mr. Miyagi Parenting Quote #3
“Remember, best block no be there.”Mr. Miyagi
A lot of times we put ourselves through great discomfort believing that it will make us stronger. This does in fact happen, however, it’s in areas that we never needed strength in anyway. So in other words, avoid unnecessary stresses.
If a task is weighing heavy on you beating you up every time, don’t just stand there. Flee. Flee from that task as fast as you can.
If the task must be done, barter with someone more qualified in that specialty to handle the task for you. A huge weight will be lifted, you will rejoice loudly, and you will be free to focus more on that enjoyable skill from number 2.
Mr. Miyagi Parenting Quote #4
“Lie become truth only if person wanna believe it.”Mr. Miyagi
Words are powerful. It’s a way to get a glimpse into what you really believe as well as tell the world what you want. Phrases like “I can’t do this anymore” or “I never get a break” are like mini prayers. The universe in its loving way will grant you just that.
But of course you know those negative phrases are lies. Being a parent has shown you that you’re capable of great feats. You are driven, focused, organized, and worthy of all the good things in life.
When you start to change your self-talk to that of what you truly want, then your whole world will change and you can set up new, positive beliefs.
Use this to your advantage.
Mr. Miyagi Parenting Quote #5
“No such thing as bad student, only bad teacher. Teacher say, student do.”Mr. Miyagi
Teaching and learning are very similar. You teach what you have learned, but you only truly learn through teaching.
If you are simply saying the words, but are not demonstrating them in your thoughts and actions, you are a poor teacher because you are a poor learner. A poor teacher will yield a poor student.
As a parent you are a shining example of how to be in this world. It is important that you both learn what you want to teach and teach that which you are learning. Together you and your student, in this case your child, can be great.
Mr. Miyagi Parenting Quote #6
“You stay focused.”Mr. Miyagi
Focus is the key ingredient that will help you reach your goals as a parent. To illustrate the power of focus let’s look at the sun. The same sun shines over a wooden park bench every summer day. However, the bench still stands unburned by the sun’s rays. Now take a magnifying glass and hold it in one spot, WOOSH! A hole is burned.
This lesson is closely related to that of #2. By tackling one thing at a time, you can give it your maximum focus. But by spreading yourself too thin, nothing ever really gets done.
“Stay focused parent-san. Focus! Parenting here and here, Atha-tha-tha-tha-tha-tha here and here.” This is what Mr. Miyagi would say to you if he were here now.
More Fun from the 1980s
If you were a fan of the original Karate Kid, chances are you will love the other recommended 80’s movies that kids will still love today.
Another thing of note, Youtube Premium has added the series Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues. Thirty years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, Johnny (the perceived bully) Lawrenceโs life has taken a rocky turn as he tries to forget a past that constantly haunts him. He seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. But the LaRusso-Lawrence rivalry of yesteryear is reignited when their lives become intertwined with the next generation of “karate kids”.
You can watch the first 2 episodes, but you’ll need to sign up for a subscription or a trial to Youtube Premium in order to watch the entire series.
