Karate Kid: Legends — What does the tagline of the film mean for Cobra Kai? Explained

The tagline "Two Branches, One Tree" from the Karate Kid: Legends trailer has got fans of Karate Kid and Cobra Kai talking. It's a line Daniel LaRusso, played by Ralph Macchio, delivers to a young kung fu master named Li Fong.

The idea here is that karate and kung fu are like two different parts of the same tree — the two martial arts are separate but come from the same place. This theme is big because it shows that even though the two fighting styles are different, they're connected by belief, way of training, and the whole idea of martial arts.

It's a link between Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han, both important teachers. Read on to know what it entails and how it ties the franchise together.

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What is the meaning of “Two Branches, One Tree”?

The catchphrase "Two Branches, One Tree" is all about showing karate and kung fu are not as different as people might think. Although karate started in Japan's Okinawa and kung fu came from China, the makers of Karate Kid: Legends want to show us that they're closely related.

The idea here is that both martil arts belong to the family of East Asian fighting styles. Karate Kid: Legends drives this point home with characters such as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han, who show us that no matter how different the branches look, they're part of the same tree.

Daniel teaches Li Fong the basics of karate but Mr. Han comes along and throws in some of his kung fu expertise, making it clear that these two martial arts can work together. The idea of combining karate and kung fu in Karate Kid: Legends is to deliver a message to those who thought the 2010's The Karate Kid was a bit misleading.

The 2010 film was more about kung fu, even though it had "karate" in the title. Jackie Chan addressed the issue in a 2010 chat with MTV, and apparently, the cast even joked around calling the film, "The Kung Fu Kid". Karate Kid: Legends tries to make up for as much.

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The overlap between Karate and Kung Fu in martial arts

Karate Kid: Legends might tackle some of the confusion about karate and kung fu, but it's also a cool chance to dive into how these two martial arts are connected. At their core, both started as ways for people to protect and discipline. They come from old-school methods of fighting that were born in China and Okinawa.

Now, "kung fu" isn't just about martial arts, as many people believe. In Chinese, it actually means getting good at something through hard work. Karate would seem a cousin to kung fu because it grew from some of the early Chinese fighting styles, especially the ones that are about hitting and blocking.

The link between karate and kung fu is often ignored in movies and TV shows. The truth, however, is some of the karate routines, called katas, are borrowed from Chinese martial arts such as the Southern Crane and Monk Fist schools.

In Karate Kid: Legends, it is important to show these connections to give a clearer picture of the big martial arts family tree that Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han are a part of. These teachers come from martial arts backgrounds that are more alike than you might think, even though they come from different places.

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What is the connection between Cobra Kai and Karate Kid: Legends?

If you're into Cobra Kai, you might be curious about its link with Karate Kid: Legends. The upcoming movie, taking place three years after what goes on in Cobra Kai Season 6, takes a wider view of martial arts. They're leaving the neighborhood drama and dojo battles behind and going worldwide with the action.

So, what this tells us is that Li Fong's kung fu adventure won't be all about the latest goings-on in Cobra Kai, even though it's set in the same world. The story in Karate Kid: Legends is going to be more about the philosophies behind martial arts and how it brings together two fighting styles rather than falling back on the same old Cobra Kai lore.

Here's something neat for Cobra Kai fans: The bond between Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi is brought to the forefront. They've got a shared background that makes them like two sides of the same coin. This "two branches, one tree" idea is a way of showing how these two legends are connected, in a meaningful way.

Karate Kid: Legends is all about how Mr. Han's kung fu ideas might actually share some common ground with Miyagi-Do karate. It gives a backstory for Daniel and Li Fong's martial arts adventures. A Reddit thread says even though the film is set after the events of Cobra Kai, it doesn't tangle the current plotlines. Rather, it has its own chapter in the Karate Kid universe.

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Karate Kid: Legends opens in theatres on May 30, 2025