Daniel and his mother move from New Jersey to California. Soon he finds out that a dark-haired Italian from NJ doesn’t really fit in with blond surfers, especially when he tries to date a cheerleader Ali. Daniel manages to avoid a few fights, but on one occasion he is surrounded by several boys, all members of the same karate club. Daniel faints from a knockdown, and this is when the old martial arts master Miyagi offers him help. Miyagi and Daniel learn that the boys are enticed to violence by their karate teacher, a former Vietnam veteran. Miyagi promises Daniel to teach him karate skills and starts to train him for the regional karate tournament to be held in a few months’ time. But when the training begins, Daniel doesn’t understand what the teacher is showing. It seems Miyagi is keener on having Daniel paint fences and wash cars than learn karate.