3. The film claimedto be based on a true story
Bloodsport casts Jean-Claude Van Damme as Frank Dux, a soldier and highly skilled martial artist who goes AWOL to compete in a secret, ancient fight tournament called the Kumite. As we’re told by several title cards at the end of the movie, Frank Dux is actually a real person. A former US Marine and martial arts teacher, Dux worked closely with the cast on the film’s fight choreography.
The film’s final moments also tell us that the plot of Bloodsport is based on real events, that the Kumite really exists, and that Dux really did compete in it, and of course emerged victorious. Dux (who went on to co-write Van Damme’s 1996 film The Quest) also claimed to hold a vast number of world records for his fighting, which are also listed at the climax of Bloodsport. On top of all this, Dux has also claimed that as well as serving in the Marines, he also worked for the CIA, and was awarded a Medal of Honor for his efforts.