Things Kung Fu Panda taught us

Hey everyone!! Today I’m gonna talk about a movie series that gifted me with so much guidence and motivation. It’s none other than – The Kung Fu Panda!!

There are total 3 movies and each sequence delivers a astounding life lesson with excellent graphics. Every dialouges are hilarious, fun, encouraging and definitely worth noting it down. Here I’ll be sharing few of my favorite scenes, quotes and the beautiful message it gives to the viewers.

A short summary:

Po, the Panda, is shown as the ordinary and simple character with no apparent special skills. Mr. Ping, a goose, is Po’s adoptive father who runs a noodle shop in the valley. Po is passionate about learning Kung Fu and even childishly play with wodden toys of the furious five trained by the great master of China, Master Shifu. When a Kung Fu tournament is held for the elderly spiritual leader of the valley, Grand Master Oogway, comes to determine the identity of the Dragon Warrior. He is said to be the one capable of understanding the secret of the Dragon Scroll which contains the key to limitless power. Everyone in the valley expects the Dragon Warrior to be one of the Furious Five—Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane. To everyone’s surprise, Oogway chooses Po, who had accidentally stumbled into the tournament arena after arriving late via fireworks explosion. Considering his poor fighting skills, cowardness, childish behaviors and inability to focus on one thing, the other members gets irritated and loses hope. To some extend, the other members even disobey their master plan and go on their own ways to defeat the enemy.

Po’s self confidence is shuttered even more when shifu doesn’t accept him as a student to teach kungfu. Seeing his determination in learning and not giving up, Shifu finally accepts him as his student. Later, po goes rigorous training with Shifu who turns his weakness i.e, food as his ultimate strength. On the other hand, a furious evil Kung Fu warrior escapes from the prison for revenge and seeking endless power. In the end, Po defeats the treacherous and the most powerful snow leopard Tai Lung and brings peace to the valley.

1. Everyone are special. You just have to embrace your awesomeness

His fight moves always seem silly, awkward and hilarious compared to his other friends but that doesn’t mean he is foolish. He grabs the victory place each time and they are the result of wise actions.

Your background or where you came from doesn’t define who you are. You are special and you as just as awesome as everybody else.

I loved this particular scene when the villain laughs at him and say “You.. You are just a big fat panda to which Po instantly smirks and replies “I’m not a big fat panda, I am THE big fat panda”.

You shouldn’t be ashamed of who you are or how you look like. Love, accept and embrace yourself. That alone can give courage to solve any difficulties in your life.

2. There is no secret ingredient. It’s only you

Po asks his father about the secret ingredient that he uses in his famous best selling noodles but he insist on revealing it when the right time comes.
He is taken aback when he open and reads the dragon scroll (that only a true dragon warrior can read and it is said to have limitless power) to find out there is absolutely nothing. Soon after this incident, his father coincidentally reveals his secret ingredient too and that too is – Nothing.

Po: wait, wait. It’s just plain old noodle soup? You don’t add some kind of special sauce or something?

Mr. Ping: Don’t have to! To make something special you just have to believe in special.

Upon hearing this, Po finally realizes by opening his big eyes saying “There is no secret ingredient”. He looks into the dragon scroll again but this time he sees his own reflection. The page wasn’t blank. It was a mirror- reflecting himself.
The answer is you. There are no secret ingredients.
There are no magic fixes, pills, certificates, things that will make you more successful.
The answer is within you. You are the limitless power.

All the people sayings about him meant nothing. The things they said about why he is not good enough, why he cannot do it and why he will never succeed became meaningless when he understood his value. The power that we seek is all within oneself and the way he thinks.

3. Friendship and Teamwork is important

Even though the furious five members didn’t accept the panda as an dragon warrior in the beginning, they eventually saw the potential and power in him. Together with Po, they always made a perfect team. They believed and supported each other. As the movie series continues, we can see how much they get close with each other and starts sharing their personal problems and small happiness. Whenever they don’t agree with a single plan and part ways on their own, somebody gets kidnapped or hurt. That’s another important lesson to be learned. Sticking with friends during hard times is the wisest and genuine thing to do.

4. There are no accidents

When the master Shifu complains his master Oogway about choosing the dragon warrior was an accident but he smiles and states “There are no accidents” and asks him to believe. Everything happens for a reason. You should believe in yourself and the future.

5. Strength comes from being the best “You” you can be

This is my most favorite scene!! As an admirer of his master Shifu, Po always considered him the greatest of the great and wanted to be just like him.

Shifu : Oogway sat alone in a cave for 30 years asking one question “who am I?”. I’m lucky if I get 5 minutes before you interrupt…
Po: (interrupts) so now I have to sit alone in a cave for 30 years?
Shifu: Eventually. After you master teaching
Po: Teaching? There is no way I’m ever gonna be like you.
Shifu: I’m not trying to turn you into me. I’m trying to turn you into you.
Po: Turn me into me? Wait a second, that makes no sense. (as shifu wakes away) Almost there Shifu. Just a little more confusing and you’ll be the next Oogway.

Throughout the movie, he tries to figure out what his master actually meant by it. In the climax, when the whole panda secret village is in danger, they asks Po to teach them Kung Fu so that they could defeat their common enemy.

Po doesn’t know where to start and what to do because their family is known for only eating, dancing, rolling on grounds, hugging and he has no time left to teach. That’s when he realizes his master’s words and why he was never able to became like him. Because he was busy trying to be someone else. One has to believe in himself first and bring the best out of him. Thus he finally teaches the pandas and turns them into the best version of themselves. He teaches them to fight during dancing, destroy things while rolling, crack everyone’s bones while hugging, attack using foods and so on considering everyone’s unique talents.

Father: we can learn Kung Fu. We can be just like you
Po: (excited) Yesss!!
Father: We can?
Po: (with a huge smile) No. You can’t (does a happy dance) But you don’t have to be. That’s what shifu meant. I don’t have to turn you into me. I have to turn you into you.
Father: That doesn’t make any sense
Po: (happily) I know!! Thanks dad’s. I’m gonna do something I never thought I’d be able to do. I’m gonna teach Kung Fu.

With the help of the villagers after sucessful training, he finally defeat their enemy.

6. Live in the present

In the second part, Po lives his dream life being a dragon warrior but the troubled childhood past continous to follow him. Flashes of his hometown getting destroyed and parents being killed continuous to haunt him. The grief consumes and he gets stuck in the past, unable to find a way out of it.

“You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There is a saying: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”

– Oogway

With the wise words of his grand master, he finds peace and thus let go of his past in the very end.

This is an another important lesson that everyone needs to understand. Our past doesn’t define who we are. You gotta let go of that stuff from the past because it just doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is what you choose to be now.

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Everybody is Kung Fu fighting song by The Vamps

I legit fell in love with this song. Just like the panda, we all are Kung Fu fighting in this world. Fighting with none other than ourselves, trying so hard to find our strength, passion and destination in life. Just like the big foodie panda, we are lazy, clumsy, silly and makes countless mistakes. Like just how he hesitates to face his darkest fears, we too hesitate to take actions. But in the end, he still fights just like how we also fight to survive and that is an act of a true hero.

Have you watched this movie? Which is your favorite part? Comment and motivate others with your favorite Kungfu Panda quotes below!!

Signing off for today ✨