"Mr Miyagi" of The Karate Kid is no more

Actor Pat Morita, best known for helping teach a boy martial-arts mastery through household chores as the wise "Mr Miyagi" inThe Karate Kid, has died. He was 73.

There were conflicting reports about the cause of the death. His daughter, Aly Morita said he died Thursday of heart failure at a Las Vegas hospital; longtime manager Arnold Soloway said the actor died of kidney failure at a hospital while awaiting a transplant.

His wife of 12 years, Evelyn, said in a statement that her husband, who first rose to fame with a role on the popular TV show Happy Days, had "dedicated his entire life to acting and comedy."

His role in the 1984 film, The Karate Kid defined his career. As Kesuke Miyagi, the mentor to Ralph Macchio's "Daniel-san," he taught karate while trying to catch flies with chopsticks and offering such advice as "wax on, wax off" to help Daniel improve his karate hand movements while doing his chores.

A generation of young fans mimicked Morita's famous "crane kick" technique from the finale of the movie. "Forever my Sensei," Macchio said, referring to Morita's role in The Karate Kid.

The role earned Morita an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor.