Ralph Macchio Breaks Major News About His Karate Career

Ralph Macchio is known for his role as the "Karate Kid" in the movie series that has turned into a hit television show, but how does the 63-year-old actor fare off of the screen?

It turns out that the star of "The Karate Kid" and "Cobra Kai" has some major karate news of his own to share.

On Tuesday, April 8, Macchio announced some big news of his own in the karate space. The longtime Hollywood star has reached a serious milestone in the world of karate.

Macchio, who first starred in "The Karate Kid" when he was 23 years old in 1984, is now officially a black belt in his early 60s. It typically takes three years of intense training to reach black belt, which is usually considered the highest honor in the karate world.

Macchio announced the big news during an interview with the Associated Press. He made the announcement alongside fellow actor Ben Wang, who is co-starring in "Karate Kid: Legends."

"I am, I am a black belt now," Macchio admitted.

"I'm just going to have to start to break that news."

Macchio admitted that following the movies, which came out in the 1980s, he grew a bit tired of karate. However, he got back into it during the "Cobra Kai" show, which has gone for six seasons.

"After the movies, I was like, this kind of hurts, getting kicked. I can find something else. Let's take up piano, guitar, tap dancing," he joked.

"But going back to it and as I'm aging so slowly, or trying, it's really great to do the martial arts. Not necessarily the combat, but just even the katas and exercises and the breathing and all of that. It's a way of life. And I've gained more respect for it now as an adult than I did as a kid."

Ralph Macchio finally holds a black belt in karate. Four decades after he first played Daniel LaRusso, Macchio stars alongside Ben Wang and Jackie Chan in this summer's "Karate Kid: Legends." pic.twitter.com/GASLrCz8ba

— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) April 8, 2025

Macchio is set to star in "Karate Kid: Legends," an upcoming film that will feature his longtime character, Daniel LaRusso, along with new people in the "Karate Kid" universe.

It's set to hit theaters on May 30.