John Travolta - A True Icon

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John Travolta is a living legend in Hollywood today. It was in the 70's that he shot to fame with a mesmerizing performance in "Saturday Night Fever", and the fact that he is till around acting speaks volumes about the abilities of the man and his acting talent. He started his career on American Television, and soon graduated to movies. It was the lucky break in Saturday Night Fever that was the turning pointy in his career, and he has never looked back since then.

There have been more than 50 John Travolta pictures till date and many have been major hits at the box office. SNF, which had 17 audio tracks, caught the imagination of the youth and there are people who say that there has not been a better movie in the genre of music till date. Another of John Travolta pictures which was a musical and also proved to be a success was Grease which was released in 1978. It created record of sorts with 5 Golden Globe nominations and is considered to be a great musical hit.

Since then he has worked in many hit movies like Urban Cowboy, Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty and Face off in which he played the role of an FBI agent who disguises as a terrorist to bring another terrorist out of hiding to gun him down. This movie has been critically acclaimed and catapulted Travolta as a serious actor. He followed this up with A Civil Action and The General's daughter. Travolta is a man with a mission. He was seen in From Paris with Love which was a comeback of sorts for this legend. He says that movies and Hollywood run as blood in his body and he will continue forever. There are many more John Travolta 2010 in the pipeline which his fans can see at the theaters soon.

The Karate Kid 2010 Movie - How to Watch it With Your Children

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There has been a fair bit of controversy surrounding the Karate Kid Movie 2010. Despite the debate as to whether this film is suitable for children to view, many youngsters will see it. As a kids karate sensei, I would like to make suggestions on how to view this movie, and how to discuss it with your child.
First off, violence sells in Hollywood. MMA is so popular because people want to see real fighting action, maybe even someone getting hurt. Sometimes more violence than necessary is shown to make a movie dramatic and sell tickets. The consequences of such violence are not shown either. Missing teeth, broken bones and other serious injuries are not portrayed accurately by Hollywood because it is too gory. The pain and trauma is also not shown because it is too confronting to viewers.
Realize that fighting is not the way to solve our problems. There are many better ways of resolving conflict other than violence, and the first is communication-talking it over. Could the differences between the characters in this movie have been resolved in a better way?
The bullies in this movie, like the original Karate Kid Movie, trained in dojos that taught glorification of violence. This is extremely rare in the martial arts world, but it makes the movie more dramatic, because there has to be a bad guy in this story to make it interesting. The vast majority of martial arts instructors teach respect and avoidance of violence.
The tournament in this movie, just like the first, is not even close to what an actual martial arts tournament is like. Realise there are rules in tournaments and they are designed to prevent injury. There is also mandatory protective equipment worn in tournaments. If tournaments were run like this no one would ever attend them.
Look for good in this movie. Try to find lessons to be learned about life in the story. Try to put yourself in the different actors' positions in this movie and see where they are coming from. Is there peer pressure amongst the bullies? Was the bully brainwashed by his instructor? Was he racist? Who taught him to be racist?
Try to see how another culture lives from day to day. Remember, different is not always better or worse-it is just different, and that differences in language, food, and customs is what makes life interesting. How interesting would the world be if we were all the same? Look for common threads as well, as there are many western influences in China today. Is the western way of life always the best? Look for the beauty in the scenic sense, and also in the people and how they live. Remember, the martial arts originated in this part of the world.
What lessons did you learn from this movie?

Australia's Youth Self Defence Karate was founded in 1994 by Kenpo Freestyle 5th Degree Black Belt, Matt Klein. After arriving from the U.S., Matt noticed a great need for fun and affordable activities for children in Sydney. He opened the first club specializing in martial arts for kids in Australia. The classes became an instant hit, with their high-energy, fun, and non-intimidating atmosphere.