Briefly
Brothers Kurt and Eric Sloan go to Thailand, the birthplace of kickboxing, to prove to local fighters the superiority of the American school over the Thai. Eric, the American kickboxing champion, meets Tong Po, the champion of Thailand. Tong Po turns out to be a real beast. He deliberately cripples the already exhausted Eric Sloane, dooming him to disability. Kurt enters training with Thai wrestling master Zen to defeat Tong Po and avenge his paralyzed brother.
Budget: $1,500,000
Box Office: $14,697,005
Duration: 1 h 37 min
Production: USA
Premiere: April 20, 1989
Director: Mark DiSalle, David Worth
Producer: Mark DiSalle
Screenplay: Glenn Bruce
1.
Dennis Alexio, who plays Eric Sloane, was a light heavyweight and heavyweight kickboxing world champion in real life.
2.
The scene in which Kurt had meat tied to his leg and Xian Chow’s dog was being chased was inspired by a real-life event in which a young karate teacher ordered young Jean-Claude Van Damme to wear a hazmat suit and resist a trained dog’s attempts to pull him to the ground .RELATED:
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3.
Michel Kissy was the technical consultant/choreographer when he overheard the production team saying they were looking for a tall, oriental-looking Muay Thai guy. He volunteered and got the role of Tong Po.
4.
Tong Po is mistakenly billed as playing himself (in the film’s credits). In fact, Michel Kissy played the villainous Thai for this film and its sequel Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991). Kamel Krifa played the character in the 4th. Kissy can also be seen in two other Van Damme films, Bloodsport (1988) and Lionheart (1990). In Bloodsport, Qissi is the fighter who Chong Li broke his leg. In The Lionheart (AVOL), Kissy plays Mustafa, who, along with another legionnaire, is trying to bring Lyon from America back to Africa.
5.
The title of Denis Alexio’s character in the movie, the International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) Heavyweight Championship, is the actual championship that Alexio held during his fighting career. The belt in the film, however, is not modeled after the actual belt.
6.
All of the fight scenes were staged and choreographed by Van Damme.
7.
Chuck Norris was originally supposed to star as Kurt Sloane. (kurt Slaone – Van Damme)
8.
As a backdrop to some of the training scenes, Kurt Sloan (Van Damme) trains outside the temples at Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Ratchaburana, part of the ruins of Ayutthaya in Thailand.
9.
The camp that Jean-Claude Van Damme’s character visits while looking for a trainer is Sor Thanikula Gym in Bangkok. Although not in operation since 2003, it was a true training center for Muay Thai practitioners – it could accommodate over 50 kickboxers at any given time.
10.
Directors David Worth and Mark DiSall both appear early in the film as “The Ring Announcer” and The U.S Reporter #2