The Karate KID is a 1984 American martial arts drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Ralph Macchio, PAT Morita, Elisabeth Shue, and Noriyuki 'PAT' Morita. The film follows Daniel LaRusso, a teenager who learns karate from Mr. Miyagi, a Japanese handyman and karate master. The Karate KID was a commercial success upon its release and has since become a cult classic. The film spawned three sequels and a remake in 2010. The crossword solution for the term THE KARATE KID is KID, which is a 3 letter word.