Nariyoshi Keisuke Miyagi (9 June 1925-15 November 2011) was a Japanese-American karate master. Born in Okinawa, he immigrated to the United States during the 1930s and served in the US Army during World War II, distinguishing himself in Europe and being awarded the Medal of Honor. After the war, he worked as a maintenance man, but, during the 1980s, he became a karate coach, teaching and coaching Daniel LaRusso, who won the 1984 and 1985 All-Valley Karate Tournaments.
Biography[]
Miyagi in his wartime uniform
Nariyoshi Miyagi was born in Okinawa, Japan on 9 June 1925, the son of fisherman and karate master Chojun Miyagi. He was childhood friends with Sato Toguchi, the son of the richest man in the village, and he persuaded his father to teach Sato karate as well. However, the two boys fell in love with the same woman, Yukie, resulting in Sato challenging Miyagi to a fight to the death over Yukie's affection, and Miyagi choosing to emigrate to the United States. He became a farm laborer in the cane fields of Hawaii, where he met his wife. During World War II, Miyagi and his wife were interned at the Manzanar internment camp, and Miyagi joined the US Army and served in the Japanese-American 442nd Infantry Regiment, receiving the Medal of Honor; meanwhile, his wife died in childbirth, haunting Miyagi for the rest of his life.
After the war, Miyagi purchased a private residence in Los Angeles, where he worked as a maintenance attendant at the South Seas apartment complex and cultivated a lush backyard garden. In 1984, he befriended his new neighbor, the young boy Daniel LaRusso, whom he trained in the art of karate to help LaRusso defend himself from bullies at school. Miyagi persuaded Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese to have his students lay off LaRusso for two months, until LaRusso could compete with them in the All-Valley Karate Tournament; Miyagi proceeded to coach LaRusso to victory over Cobra Kai in an upset. After LaRusso's mother moved to Fresno for her job, LaRusso stayed with Miyagi in Los Angeles.
In July 1985, Miyagi returned to Okinawa upon hearing that his father was on his deathbed, and LaRusso accompanied Miyagi there. This brought Miyagi back up against Sato, who insisted that they finally have their fight to the death; at the same time, Sato's nephew Chozen Toguchi became enemies with LaRusso. However, during a typhoon, Miyagi and LaRusso rescued Sato from his collapsed dojo, causing Sato to ask for Miyagi's forgiveness a day later. Daniel later spared Chozen after Chozen challenged him to a fight to death over the local girl Kumiko.
In September 1985, after the South Seas apartment complex was slated for renovation, Miyagi was left jobless and Daniel left homeless, so the two partnered to found a bonsai tree shop. However, Kreese and his old friend Terry Silver had the karateka Mike Barnes harass LaRusso into entering the 1985 All-Valley Tournament to give Cobra Kai a chance at reviving itself and opening up dojos all across the San Fernando Valley. Miyagi was upset when LaRusso accepted Silver's ruthless coaching, but LaRusso later came back to Miyagi after realizing that Silver was attempting to make him more violent and less mindful. Ultimately, LaRusso won the tournament by defeating Barnes, ensuring that Cobra Kai would remain defeated.
Over the next few years, LaRusso focused on his future and went on to become a successful car ownership dealer. In 1994, Miyagi briefly stayed in Boston to serve as caregiver to his former commanding officer Jack Pierce's granddaughter Julie, teaching her karate and how to handle her anger issues, and he helped defend her from a group of bullies calling themselves the "Alpha Elite". Miyagi died in 2011 at the age of 86.