# Karate Kid: What is the name of that posture? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400 "2007-05-09T15:13:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/1 "2007-05-09T15:13:14Z")
It’s gotten to be a cliche for “really badass” but it looks more like Tai Chi than any practical fighting pose. As I recall, it was on one foot with both arms up and hands sorta drooping. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/2 "2007-05-09T15:20:40Z")
Wasn’t it called the crane? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/3 "2007-05-09T15:48:21Z")
First time I saw that move in the movie, I was like: the only way you could get hit by that is if you ran straight at him. Cue final fight scene, where the biggest bad… runs right at Ralph Macchio who is _waiting_ in the posture. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/4 "2007-05-09T15:52:14Z")
[QUOTE=Edward The Head] Wasn’t it called the crane? [/QUOTE] [Yes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Karate_Kid). “The Crane Kick”. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/5 "2007-05-09T16:06:23Z")
[QUOTE=JohnT] First time I saw that move in the movie, I was like: the only way you could get hit by that is if you ran straight at him. Cue final fight scene, where the biggest bad… runs right at Ralph Macchio who is _waiting_ in the posture. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Yeah. . .and he basically leads with his chin. When Laruso tries it in KK2, the Japanese bad guy blocks it. But, Laruso uses the drum technique on him. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/6 "2007-05-09T16:23:03Z")
But isn’t the pose itself some kind of Tai Chi balance posture? ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/7 "2007-05-09T16:25:49Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone] But isn’t the pose itself some kind of Tai Chi balance posture? [/QUOTE] Nope. (And yes, tai chi is a martial art; it’s just that most people don’t approach it that way.) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/8 "2007-05-09T16:29:59Z")
[This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFlQNtL8F9s) is the way it should have ended. Filled to the brim with Zabka. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/9 "2007-05-09T17:07:13Z")
[The Crane appears to be useful in baseball, too.](http://www.sportsmogul.com/vbulletin2/attachment.php?attachmentid=7793&d=1175815796) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/10 "2007-05-09T17:28:58Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone] But isn’t the pose itself some kind of Tai Chi balance posture? [/QUOTE] from the earlier link: > [@](#): > > The “Crane kick” technique does not exist in any form of Karate or Kung Fu. It was specifically invented by Darryl Vidal - one of only three legitimate black belts on the cast or crew - for the film. Vidal has stated that the Crane kick has “very little practical application”. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/11 "2007-05-09T17:35:31Z")
The kick, yeah (I saw that before posting the OP), but I was asking about the pose. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/12 "2007-05-09T17:38:49Z")
[QUOTE=BMalion] from the earlier link: The “Crane kick” technique does not exist in any form of Karate or Kung Fu. It was specifically invented by Darryl Vidal - one of only three legitimate black belts on the cast or crew - for the film. Vidal has stated that the Crane kick has “very little practical application”. [/QUOTE] but, but, he said: “if do right, no can defend” so it must be real, it must be!!! ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/13 "2007-05-09T18:07:40Z")
Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/14 "2007-05-09T18:09:33Z")
[QUOTE=simster] but, but, he said: “if do right, no can defend” so it must be real, it must be!!! [/QUOTE] Next thing these so-called “experts” will be telling us is that you can’t become a black-belt through the fierce application of mad fence-painting and car-polishing skillz. Because, if so, I want my weekend back. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/15 "2007-05-09T18:09:36Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone] The kick, yeah (I saw that before posting the OP), but I was asking about the pose. [/QUOTE] I believe that the pose was all part of the crane-kick package. a _Crane-Suite_ if you will. I’ve studied martial arts for many years and the only time I’ve seen anything like that pose was in the movies. It reminds me remotely of some Tai-Chi stretches, but only remotely. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/16 "2007-05-09T18:26:00Z")
I have to say, as a parent, I’m rather glad it has “very little practical application”. As any mom of boys knows, it’s about the third “karate” move every little boy tries on his little brother. Thankfully, it sucks, and no one gets hurt or seriously scared except the cat who was hiding under the coffee table that the kid trying the crane move falls onto when he tries to kick. But it LOOKS badass, and that’s the most important thing in a Hollywood movie or when determining the hierarchy of playmates. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/17 "2007-05-09T18:30:58Z")
[QUOTE=MaxTheVool] Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it? [/QUOTE] NO SENSAJ!!! (yeah, I probably butchered the hell out of that spelling) NO MERCY!!! [sub]It never looked “badass” to me. Just really lame and dorky looking.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/18 "2007-05-09T18:43:49Z")
[QUOTE=BMalion] a _Crane-Suite_ if you will. [/QUOTE] Isn’t that where Frasier and his father live? > [@](#): > > I’ve studied martial arts for many years and the only time I’ve seen anything like that pose was in the movies. I studied martial arts for just a year back in the 70s and it’s even patently ridiculous to me! He is wide open, unbalanced, and cannot leverage a kick. > [@](#): > > It reminds me remotely of some Tai-Chi stretches, but only remotely. Thank you for verifying my suspicion, since I can’t find anything online that gets closer than “remotely.” ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/19 "2007-05-09T18:50:35Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] NO SENSAJ!!! (yeah, I probably butchered the hell out of that spelling)… [/QUOTE] Close: _sensei_ Now sand the floor. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400/20 "2007-05-09T19:43:27Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone] It’s gotten to be a cliche for “really badass” … [/QUOTE] Has it, though? I thought that most of the time when you see someone do it in a movie or something, it means that the person _thinks_ he’s incredibly tough, when in fact he is kinda pathetic. Am I wrong? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-kid-what-is-the-name-of-that-posture/403400.md?page=2)