The year is 1984; the dojo Cobra Kai taught us three things- strike first, strike hard, no mercy. Thirty- six years later these lessons are still being taught in the Netflix original series “Cobra Kai.”

The rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence from the original “Karate Kid” is still going strong. Nearly forty years later, Lawrence reopens the same Cobra Kai dojo that caused LaRusso to live in fear. This is the dojo that led him to Mr. Miyagi and the famed lines, “Wax on. Wax off.”

This series is based around the men’s rivalry. Same dojos, same rivalry, but new students with their own sets of drama and teenage problems. This show is filled with joy, love, loss and life lessons. The students learn how to stand up for themselves and embrace who they truly are. With training in Cobra Kai, the students gain self confidence and an entirely new outlook on life. Their success attracts the attention of LaRusso who does not want his high school torment to be lived again by his daughter. Besides the teenage drama, the competitions and fights are the highlight of the show for those who love hand to hand combat. The stress and thrill of the fight can be felt by the viewers. 

This show is for people who loved the original “Karate Kid.” It not only brings up the rivalry intertwined with new story lines and teen drama, but everything that made the characters who they are today. It tells the story of Lawrence’s childhood and explains why he was the way we saw him in the classic movie. Viewers can finally see his side of the story because even the most evil seeming villains have reasons behind their actions. 

The show is rated TV-14 due to language and smoking. The language used can be seen as offensive as can some of the messages portrayed in this series. 

This show has two seasons on Netflix. Strike first, strike hard, no mercy.