Chozen Toguchi
Chozen Toguchi is a fictional character in The Karate Kid franchise, who appears as the main antagonist of the motion picture The Karate Kid Part II, and a supporting character of the series Cobra Kai. He is portrayed by Yuji Okumoto, whose performance has received widespread acclaim.
In The Karate Kid Part II, the character is introduced as the nephew of Mr. Miyagi's best friend-turned-rival Sato, who comes into conflict with Daniel LaRusso throughout the film, eventually challenging him to a fight to the death, with Daniel overcoming him and ultimately sparing his life.
In Cobra Kai, an adult Chozen is shown to have repented for his past mistakes, and he makes amends with Daniel when the latter visits Okinawa during a trip to Japan, ultimately becoming a friend. Chozen then comes to the United States to help Daniel take down the aggressive karate dojo Cobra Kai, frequently misunderstanding American customs, and later fighting Cobra Kai sensei Terry Silver head-on. He eventually becomes a sensei of Miyagi-Do, where he helps the dojo fight in the global karate tournament, the Sekai Taikai.
Overview
Chozen Toguchi grew up in Tomi Village, in Okinawa Prefecture, and was raised by his Uncle Sato. It is implied that his father committed suicide when he was young. He and Kumiko were also childhood friends who used to play together. He also studied Karate under Sato, who was himself a student of Mr. Miyagi's father.As a child, Chozen would cheat during his Uncle Sato's Karate lessons. As a teenager, Chozen was quick-tempered, had difficulties with Kumiko, and was Daniel's rival. After his defeat, he was suicidal, but Sato and Kumiko helped him to recover and find purpose.
As an adult, Chozen became the Sensei for Miyagi-Do karate in Okinawa. He is on friendly terms with Kumiko and has romantic feelings for her. He never married and does not have children.
Early life
Chozen was raised by his Uncle Sato, as his father died when he was young. Early in his childhood, he was trained by Sato in Miyagi-Do Karate and quickly became his best student in his dojo. One day, Sato was holding a training session in which he had to repeatedly bang their fingertips into a bucket of sand. However Sato realizes that Chozen is cheating as he has placed a small pillow in the sand to soften the blow. Sato throws the pillow out and calls Chozen a coward telling him that "a man without honor is no man", and asking him whether he is a coward or a man. As he turns away, Chozen sneaks the pillow back into the sand and continues the drill. He also developed a friendship with Kumiko, a girl from Tomi Village, as they played hide and seek games together; Kumiko would always find him. As he grew older, however, he became more dishonorable and quick-tempered.''The Karate Kid Part II''
In 1985, Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi arrive at Tomi Village as Mr. Miyagi's father is dying. He tells Daniel that when he was young, he fell in love with a woman named Yukie, who was arranged to marry Sato. Upon announcing his intentions to marry Yukie, Sato challenged him to a fight to the death to save his honor. Rather than fight, however, Mr. Miyagi left the country, though Sato is still holding a grudge.In Okinawa, Mr. Miyagi and Daniel are greeted by Chozen, who takes them to meet Sato rather than to the village. Sato then threatens Mr. Miyagi, who dismisses it. Sato then allows them to go so that Mr. Miyagi can see his father, but after that he will return. Arriving at the village, Miyagi and Daniel are welcomed by Yukie and her niece Kumiko, and discover that Sato owns and runs the village. Mr. Miyagi also discovers that Yukie never married Sato because she still loves him.
After Miyagi's father dies, Sato gives him three days to mourn out of respect before their fight. Mr. Miyagi shows Daniel the secret to his family's karate - a handheld drum that illustrates the "drum technique", a block-and-defense karate move that Daniel begins to practice. Some time later, Daniel accidentally exposes corruption in Chozen's grocery business. Chozen accuses Daniel of insulting his honor and begins to harass him. After several encounters, their feud comes to a head when Chozen vandalizes the Miyagi family property and attacks Daniel. Daniel and Mr. Miyagi decide to leave and return to the U.S., but Sato threatens to destroy the village if Mr. Miyagi doesn't fight him, so a date is set. However, a typhoon cancels the fight, and Daniel and Mr. Miyagi rescue Sato, effectively ending the feud. When Sato sees a young girl trapped in the bell tower, he tells Chozen to help Daniel rescue her. As Chozen is too reluctant to do so due to his resentment towards Daniel, Sato helps Daniel rescue her instead and disowns Chozen who runs out into the storm.
The next day, Daniel and Kumiko approach Sato about hosting the upcoming O-bon festival in a ceremonial castle, to which he agrees and invites Daniel to join in the celebration. While Kumiko is performing a dance at the festival, Chozen ziplines into the presentation, takes Kumiko hostage, and demands to fight Daniel. Mr. Miyagi reminds Daniel that this isn't a tournament, this is for real and to the death. Daniel still agrees to go.
After an intense fight, Chozen overwhelms Daniel. Miyagi, Sato and the crowd respond by using handheld drums they brought to the celebration, inspiring Daniel. Seemingly confused, Chozen closes in for the kill, but Daniel is able to deflect Chozen's attacks and land counter-attacks using the drum technique. Daniel grabs the vanquished Chozen and threatens to end his life by saying, "Live or die, man?!" Chozen chooses death, but, remembering the way Miyagi handled Kreese earlier, Daniel honks Chozen's nose and drops him to the ground.
''Cobra Kai''
Season 3
Episode 4
In 2018, after Daniel learns that his business rival Tom Cole has convinced Doyona Industries to cut their business ties with LaRusso Auto Group due to Daniel's reputation being tarnished by Robby's affiliation with Miyagi-Do and actions against Miguel during the school brawl, he travels to Tokyo, Japan to try to persuade them not to. His attempt fails, however, prompting Daniel to travel to Okinawa and revisit old memories of Mr. Miyagi. He returns to Tomi Village to find that it has been turned into a mall and sees Kumiko dancing. They meet for tea and catch up on the past few decades. Daniel confides in Kumiko and tells her of his troubles with Doyona, as well as his loss of confidence in general.The next day Kumiko meets Daniel. While they talk in a bar, Chozen appears in the doorway.
Episode 5
Chozen approaches Daniel and Kumiko, and bows. The three then sit together in awkward silence, as Chozen says that he never married and has no children. When he leaves to get a drink for Daniel, Kumiko confesses that she invited him to meet Daniel, saying that he has changed since they last met. She then leaves them to spend the day together.Chozen takes Daniel to a mountain top, and Daniel recognizes it as the place where Karate was born through Miyagi Shimpo sensei. Daniel then tells the story that Mr. Miyagi told him, of Miyagi Shimpo sensei traveling to China and returning 10 years later with the "secret" of Miyagi-Do Karate. While Daniel is confident that Mr. Miyagi taught him everything, Chozen is skeptical and asks Daniel to follow him.
They arrive at the Miyagi-Do Dojo where Daniel finds original scrolls containing the family techniques. Chozen explains that Mr. Miyagi's father taught Sato, who then taught him. After Sato died, Chozen inherited all of the Miyagi family artifacts. However, Chozen suddenly takes the scroll from Daniel's hand, saying that Daniel is a foreigner who cannot take their secrets. When Daniel says that Mr. Miyagi treated him like a son, Chozen challenges him to a fight to see how much Daniel really knows. Daniel is then surprised to find himself beaten when Chozen uses unknown techniques, and Chozen tells him that Mr. Miyagi did not teach him everything.
Chozen then tells Daniel the real story behind Miyagi-Do Karate. Centuries ago, the Miyagi ancestors were at war with Japanese invaders, so they designed their own techniques designed to kill their enemies. Chozen suspects that Mr. Miyagi thought that Daniel would not be able to learn the more deadlier aspects that seemed to defy Mr. Miyagi's "self-defense" approach.
As they continue to fight, Chozen uses techniques that disable Daniel's arms and legs, leaving Daniel at his mercy. He tells Daniel that he has waited a long time for getting payback on Daniel, but instead comically honks his nose. Chozen then drops all pretense of anger and Daniel realizes that it was all a facade, as Chozen adopts a friendlier demeanor. He then explains to Daniel that the move he used was a pressure point technique and agrees to teach him these techniques. He tells Daniel: "If an enemy insists on war, then you take away their ability to wage it".
As they say goodbye, Daniel is utterly amazed at his new perspective of Miyagi-Do Karate, and says he understands why Mr. Miyagi never taught it to him. Chozen praises Mr. Miyagi, says he hopes he will be like him, and becomes overcome with guilt when he recalls his actions and how he treated Daniel three decades ago. He says that after their fight, he was suicidal, only rescued by the encouragement of Sato to prove himself, and that is what he has been doing ever since, becoming a sensei in Okinawa and passing on the teaching of Miyagi Do to his students. Daniel then says that he forgives him for the events of the past, and Chozen is grateful for it. He then offers Daniel the scroll, telling him "You keep for your collection".
At the end of Season 3, Daniel saves his own life by using these techniques against a surprise and murderous attack from Kreese.