An instant New York Times Bestseller! Since The Karate Kid first crane-kicked its way into
the pop culture stratosphere in June 1984 there hasn’t been a week Ralph Macchio hasn’t heard
friendly shouts of “Wax on wax off” or “Sweep the leg!” Now with Macchio reprising his role
as Daniel LaRusso in the #1 ranked Netflix show Cobra Kai he is finally ready to look back and
cele-brate the legacy of The Karate Kid in cinema pop culture and his own life. The result
Waxing On is a comprehensive look at the film that shaped Macchio as much as it influenced
the world. He shares an insider’s perspective of the untold story behind the scenes—the
innocence of the early days the audition process his experiences working with Pat Morita
Elisabeth Shue and William Zabka and so much more. He also takes readers through the birth of
some of the film’s most iconic moments including the creation of the famous crane kick and the
touching scenes that revealed Mr. Miyagi’s intriguing backstory. Ultimately the book centers
on Ralph’s indelible connection to the film itself focusing on the reason that the characters
and themes have endured in such a powerful way and how these personal experiences have
impacted Macchio’s life as well. It brings readers back to the day they met Daniel LaRusso and
Mr. Miyagi for the first time but also provides a fascinating lens into how our pasts shape
all of us and how they can come back to enrich our lives in surprising and wonderful ways.
