Sorry if I'm reposting something that another person said, but I got bored, and skipped to the end of the thread [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Anyway, I think a lot of people are either overestimating Haku, or underestimating Kakashi. I haven't gone back to see the old episodes, but the way I remember it, Kakashi didn't say that Haku could beat him. Just that he couldn't defeat the demonic ice mirrors. And of course, Kakashi would see that move coming and kill Haku before he could whip it out.

As some of the other posters said, there is a tremendous difference between raw talent and experience. This difference is epitomized in the rivalry between Gai and Kakashi.

It is not impossible for a normal genin to defeat a jounin, it's just really unlikely. Most jounins should have the talent that got them where they are, and the experience to use that talent to the best effect.

Another way of phrasing the contrast between genins and jounins would be the rock-paper-scissors analogy. A genin might have the most badass jutsu (a really big rock, strong paper, or really sharp scissors), but the jounin would have tons of each kind to fall back on, and would have a good idea which item would counter which.