Karate is structured by discipline, by doing what is necessary for as long as it's necessary. Hanshi Shimabukuro has trained almost every day for 70 years; I've tried to do the same for almost 18.

True to its title, Karate Kid: Legends dutifully pays homage to its predecessors, even starting off with a clip from 1986’s The Karate Kid Part II featuring a young Macchio and Pat Morita.

Mr. Miyagi was known for waxing poetic. So the fact that “Karate Kid: Legends” has nothing to say is all the more disappointing. One of the most interesting aspects of the original “The ...