It was summer 1984 and I had just finished junior high and was entering the brave new world of high school in the fall. When Karate Kid hit the theaters I was quite anxious to see it and ready to give the theater my money. I have been a fan of martial arts movies for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching old kung fu movies and was a pretty big fan of Bruce Lee. In my teenage mind Karate Kid was the perfect movie! It had action, a great story and a very cute girl. I also thought it was pretty cool that the tournament in the movie took place on my birthday, December 19th. I can't say for sure how many times I have watched this film, but I will still stop and watch if I see it on TV.