If you grew up in the 1990s and were into martial arts in real life, then films like Kickboxer, Bloodsport and Lionheart will be unfamiliar to you. The common factor in these films, other than martial arts, of course, is the actor playing the lead role. Yes, we are talking about the Muscles from Brussels, none other than Jean-Claude Van Damme. His films are most often devoted to the theme of martial arts. Even when they’re not there, he’s never shy about showing off his hand and foot skills, and we never get tired of it. So it’s no surprise that before he found success in Hollywood, Van Damme was a martial artist.
In fact, he was trained in various styles, especially karate and kickboxing. She started training when he was 10 years old. At age 16, he also began taking ballet classes to help him gain balance and poise. This bore fruit: at the age of 18 he received a black belt in karate.
At the age of 12 he trained at the National Karate Center and within four years had found a place on the Belgian karate team. He later took up full contact karate and kickboxing. From 1976 to 1980, he took part in 48 semi-contact matches, of which he won 44.
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He was part of the team that won the 1979 European Karate Championships. At the Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st trial), he defeated 25 opponents before losing to teammate Angelo Spataro in the final.
In 1977, he began practicing full-contact kickboxing and won 19 fights, 18 of them by knockout. He also trained in taekwondo and Muay Thai. In 1982, he announced his retirement as he wanted to pursue acting full-time. In the 1988 film Bloodsport, we see his mastery of the art of kumite, considered the deadliest form of karate.
As his fame grew, his prowess in martial arts became apparent.
For over three decades, he has captivated us on screen with his martial arts skills. But if he had continued his career as a martial artist, there is no doubt that he would have achieved great things. What Hollywood has gained, the martial arts world has lost.
This is what made him special both on and off screen. This man had a unique talent and his punches and kicks were a poetic movement.