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Parents' Guide to

Kiddie Kai

By Stephanie Morgan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

The Karate Kid meets Dance Moms to make questionable TV.

TV Discovery+ Reality TV 2022
Kiddie Kai: Poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

Set in The Blackbelt Byway, a region of the southeast United States with dojos on nearly every corner, KIDDIE KAI follows martial arts rivals as they bring their dojos to epic showdowns to create the next generation of champions.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This deep dive into the cut-throat world of kids' martial arts will be an eye-opening experience for most viewers. If Kiddie Kai is to be believed, martial arts has become a way of life for many in the Southeast U.S. ever since the craze swept the country in the 1980s (thanks to movies like The Karate Kid). Regardless of how big the rivalries truly are, the competing coaches and their dojos featured make for good TV. The classic battle between fighting with integrity and doing whatever it takes to win takes center stage here. (As do cheesy throwback 80's references like the shots of one coach cruising around town in his muscle car.) And though the drama plays as more esoteric than truly epic, it's still interesting to watch. The problem, of course, is that there are real kids at the center of it all, and finding entertainment in the pressure they're put under isn't a very good feeling. It is, however, a pretty good reason to skip this show and stick to the likes of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan for your martial arts fix.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the different styles of each of the coaches featured in Kiddie Kai. Which coach would you prefer? Which coach seems to have the most integrity? Why?

  • What are the benefits of competition? What life lessons can be learned from competing? How does it feel to win? To lose? How can losing motivate us to improve?

  • Talk about how stories are told in reality TV shows. Do you always see the full story? What are the producers' goals when shaping story lines?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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