Why Cobra Kai Characters Shout “Aits!” Before Fighting

Cobra Kai follows Daniel LaRusso’s former nemesis, Johnny Lawrence, as he reopens Cobra Kai dojo 34 years after the events of the original film and includes plenty of nostalgic callbacks to The Karate Kid. Like The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai has introduced karate to a new generation, and many of The Karate Kid‘s original cast returned for Cobra Kai. Besides Cobra Kai‘s cast, the series has something else in common with the original movie: many of the techniques and principles taught in Cobra Kai are based on authentic martial arts. This includes several different styles of karate.

After reopening Kai dojo, Johnny began teaching karate to a new set of characters in Cobra Kai, adapting the style he had been taught. Johnny explains aspects of karate when he takes Miguel on as his student, immediately answering questions that viewers unfamiliar with karate might want to know. He explains his title as “sensei,” and that his clothing is called a “gi.” The language used in Cobra Kai reflects real martial arts, and one of these details is the way the characters shout “aits” before fighting.

“Aits” Is An Expression Of Spirit In Karate

Different Forms Of Karate Are Shown In Cobra Kai

The word “aits,” is known as a “kiai,” which is a shout that accompanies an assault in many Japanese martial arts. The word is known as an expression of spirit: a combination of “ki,” meaning “spirit” or “energy,” and “ai” for emphasis. A kiai is designed to focus energy while releasing tension from the chest and upper body. Though different martial arts disciplines can use different kiais, “aits” is a commonly used one, and as martial arts schools tend to stick to one kiai, it is realistic to see Johnny’s students all using “aits.”

Cobra Kai students learn a different style of karate from the one Daniel learned from Mr Miyagi in The Karate Kid. Mr Miyagi’s teachings focused on defense, while at Cobra Kai dojo, Johnny was taught differently from Daniel, as his sensei, John Kreese, focused on attack. Kreese prioritized aggression and promoted a “no mercy” rule, basing his style on a versatile Korean subset of karate called Tang Soo Do. Johnny has also adapted Tang Soo Do in Cobra Kai, but he disregards Kreese’s cruelty and emphasizes respect and development, which are important to Tang Soo Do.

Cobra Kai’s Authentic Karate Details Made The Karate Kid Series Even Better

Cobra Kai Has Enough Attention To Detail

Karate is generally a strike-based martial art, which emphasizes kicking and punching as opposed to grappling. While the characters in Cobra Kai occasionally incorporate grappling into their sparring, most of the strikes they use are based on real karate techniques. Though fighting tournaments are central to Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid, the study of karate focuses heavily on self-development and self-control. By featuring this often-misunderstood aspect of karate while developing its characters, Cobra Kai shows respect for the martial art, rather than treating karate as just another fight. This authenticity makes Cobra Kai even better.

Later Cobra Kai seasons explored the origins of both Mr. Miyagi’s style and the Cobra Kai teachings, especially through flashbacks. For example, in season 5, we see Kreese and Silver training with Kim Sun-Yung in Korea. Cobra Kai showrunners have also been optimistic about the potential for a Mr Miyagi-focused prequel, which, depending on how far back it is set, could show Mr Miyagi learning karate himself.