The Next Karate Kid - Plot

Plot

Keisuke Miyagi travels to the city of Boston to attend a commendation for Japanese American soldiers who had fought in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. There, he meets Louisa Pierce (Constance Towers), the widow of his commanding officer, Lieutenant Jack Pierce. At Pierce's home, they catch up on old times and talk about Chinese food. Miyagi is then introduced to Pierce's granddaughter, Julie (Hilary Swank) an angry teenage girl who is full of pain, sorrow, and resentment because of the death of her parents in a car accident. Her anger and violent behavior have led to friction between her, her grandmother, and fellow students. She also sneaks into the school at night to care for an injured hawk, named Angel, whom she keeps in a pigeon coop on the roof.

Hoping to mend matters, Miyagi invites Louisa to his own house in California to spend time enjoying peace and quiet tending his garden while he stays in Boston and appoints himself as Julie's caretaker. At school, Julie meets and befriends Eric McGowen (Chris Conrad), a kindhearted security guard in training and a pledge for a shady school security fraternity known as the Alpha Elite. The members of this organization are taught to strictly enforce the school rules, even using physical force if necessary, by a vicious mentor, Colonel Dugan (Michael Ironside). In this group is Colonel Dugan's strongest and most aggressive student Ned (Michael Cavalieri), who makes repeated, indiscreet, bullying and unsuccessful sexual advances on Julie. Eric learns of Julie's hawk, Angel and promises to feed and water it while Julie is with Miyagi.

When Julie survives almost being hit by a car by jumping into a tiger position, she reveals to Miyagi that she was taught karate by her father who learned from her grandfather who was trained by Miyagi. The next time she sneaks into the school to feed her bird, she is detected by the Alpha Elite,and chased through the school. Julie hides in the cafeteria until Ned finds her. when she ran up the cafeteria stairs and Ned grabbed her leg. She hits a fire alarm with her backpack, causing Ned to let go of her. Escaping the school she gets apprehended by the police and gets suspended from school for two weeks. Miyagi takes this time to take Julie to a Buddhist monastery in order to teach her the true ways of karate.

At the monastery, Julie learns, through direct lessons, balance, co-ordination, awareness, and respect for all life. She befriends several monks including the Grand Abbot. Eventually, the monks hold a birthday party for her, giving her a cake and an arrow that Miyagi had caught while it was in flight in a demonstration of Zen archery.

Upon Julie's return to school, she finds that Angel is now able to fly, and is assisted by Miyagi in releasing her back to the wild. In preparation for the upcoming school prom, Miyagi then teaches Julie how to dance and also buys her a prom dress. While Julie goes to the dance with Eric, Miyagi and the Buddhist monks go bowling. A boastful and undisciplined local player challenges them, loses the match, and accepts their tutelage. Meanwhile, at the prom, under the orders of Colonel Dugan, the Alpha Elite bungee jump into the dance. When one of the members breaks his arm Ned angrily tells Eric to mind his own business.

Eric drives Julie home and kisses her. Ned follows them and damages Eric's car with a baseball bat. Ned then challenges Eric to a fight at the docks, a favored Elite hangout. At the fight, Ned is joined by Colonel Dugan and the rest of the Alpha Elite. They set fire to Eric's car, and severely beat him. Dugan disturbingly tells them to "finish it".

Before they can, Eric is saved by Julie and Miyagi. As they prepare to leave, Ned provokes Julie, who challenges him to a fight. She holds her own, using the karate she has learned, until Ned cheats by throwing sand in her face. Despite her disadvantage, Julie defeats Ned and turns her back on him. This prompts Colonel Dugan to desperately bully the rest of his group, urging them to continue the fight. Miyagi then challenges Colonel Dugan to fight. Miyagi wins the fight, and then departs, accompanied by Julie and Eric. He then reveals to Julie a tenet of his practice, at which he had hinted en route to the monastery: "Fighting not good. But if must fight, win." The film concludes with a scene of Angel flying freely above sunlit waters.