Miguel Diaz: My name is Miguel Diaz. I was in the school fight. I was the one kicked off the second floor. You know, uh… I thought I was gonna be paralyzed. I relearned how to stand. I relearned how to walk. And I want the tournament to continue.
Councilperson Roberts: We are very happy for your recovery, young man. But I’m afraid you don’t understand…
Sam LaRusso: Yes, he does. We’re the ones getting hurt. We’re the ones fighting. Our voices should matter the most. And we want a place where we can compete, fairly and safely.
Miguel Diaz: When I first moved here, I was bullied. I realized there’s no escaping it. Some kid will always want to steal your lunch money, give you a wedgie, or a swirlie. Instead of burying your heads in the sand, pretending that bullying doesn’t exist, or that you could get rid of it, you need to teach kids how to defend themselves.
Sam LaRusso: Physically and mentally. Because sometimes the scars you can’t see are the ones that hurt the most.
Miguel Diaz: Karate is about discipline. It’s about inner strength. It’s about confidence. Lessons you can use for the rest of your life. Look, I don’t know where I would be today, or who I would be today, if it wasn’t for my sensei. We don’t need this tournament to do cool kicks or sell tickets, we need it to show the bullies of the world that we’re not afraid. It’s called the “All Valley” because it’s for everyone, to give everyone the chance to show what they can do, to fight, to become a champion. And we deserve that chance.
