Finding Grace in Karate Kid II

I confess (it's good for the soul) that I wanted to take karate, move to Fresno, marry Ralph Macchio, visit Okinawa, and sing Glory of Love with Peter Cetera all because of Karate Kid II. Don't misunderstand me, the first installment of the trilogy had me at "hello Reseda." But the landscape and love stories captivated my pre-adolescent heart. I still remember sitting through the credits at the theater just to hear Peter sing the song...(You can imagine the disappointment I experienced during college when Peter was not at the Chicago concert I saw. No one told me he had left a decade before.)

I've been reliving that old flame again as I watched parts I & II this week.
(An attempt will be made to watch part III, but I remember a lot of disappointment with that one.) My memory served me correct in most places - except that Daniel never wanted to move to Fresno with his mom. After all these years, dreams of seeing Fresno...dashed!

However, there was theme that had flown over my head in 1986: the destruction of ungrace & the power of grace

Grace in the Karate Kid?
I know, I know...I never saw it. Sure the two old guys were at odds because of a love interest. Yeah, Sato's 'honor' had been tainted. But I never saw the fight between grace and ungrace.
Mr.Miyagi was an agent of grace, while Sato (closest childhood friend) was the victim of ungrace.
While Mr. Miyagi lived in peace - sad yes - but in peace, Sato lived in constant hatred - taking it out on his village. The former taught and exemplified "principle over passion" while the latter left a legacy of "no mercy."


......Part I...... {staying true to Karate Kid form}