“Im afraid of him arite!”

I know. I really despise how they weakened Daniel's character in this movie. Daniel whining on the mat about how he is afraid and wants to go home makes no sense at all because:
1. In the previous film, Daniel won a DEATH MATCH against a Japanese Karate Master. Daniel should not be afraid of some punk kid in some kiddy tournament after this. Daniel should have returned to America Strong, Assertive, Confident, and able to stand up for himself and fight his own battles and hold his own against opponents.
2. It was also out of character for Daniel. For example, in the first film, after Bobby injured his leg, Daniel asks Miyagi to fix leg for him so he can continue fighting, saying that if he doesn't go on, he will never have balance in life. Daniel is adamant about continuing, and doesn't cry about wanting to go home despite his injured leg. Another example, In Part 2, Daniel fights Chozen to the death. Daniel is willing to put his life on the line and does not back down from the fight. Daniel in the first 2 films is a kid who refused to back down with things got tough, a major contrast to the version of Daniel that we see in Part III.