The Insane Story Of Frank Dux, Whose Life Formed The Basis For ‘Bloodsport’

The Insane Story Of Frank Dux, Whose Life Formed The Basis For 'Bloodsport'

Frank Dux, a martial arts expert who claimed to have participated in and won a secret underground fighting tournament. If the story of Bloodsport sounds straight out of fiction, maybe you understood something. You see, real events in Bloodsport or not, but Dax is inclined to exaggerate the history of his career. Dux claims the title of a legendary fighter with several world records, but only he can confirm them. He also says that he worked undercover in the 80s, and he was offered a contract to destroy another well-known militant. The whole story, regardless of its credibility, is just as interesting, if not more, than Bloodsport itself.

Dux Challenged Van Damme To A Fight On Set

On set, Van Damme and Dux nearly got into a rooftop battle royal after disagreeing on how the fight sequence would play out. However, Dax decided to up the ante in the fight. Instead of striking in the middle of the roof, Dax walked up to the ledge of the 60-story building. When Van Damme and his entourage arrived, Dux, standing on an I-beam hundreds of feet in the air, made a “jumping heel kick”. Van Damme laughed, told Dux that he had made his point, and treated him to dinner.

Dux Mas Not Impressed By Van Damme’s Athletic Abilities

During his career as a fighter, Van Damme had 18 knockouts to his record, but that didn’t do him much good when it came to training for Bloodsport. Dux trained Van Damme for three grueling months, but it paid off; the fight scenes in Bloodsport are incredible and Van Damme looks ready to fight to the end. When Dux met Van Damme, Dux realized Van Damme wasn’t exactly flexible:

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He was very stiff. He had a karate background. But, I mean, he couldn’t do a forward roll when I first got him. He frickin’ landed on his head, in front of all my students. Are you kidding me? I mean, he couldn’t do a throw. You try to get him to do a judo throw and he couldn’t throw anybody. He was good at boxing. He was good at stiff karate moves, but that was it.

Dux Coached The Only Known Kumite Witness

Screenwriter Sheldon Lettich, who wrote the screenplay for the film, discussed the “based on a true story” story that the film plays before the credits roll. Lettich said he met a man named Richard Bender, who Dux says would back up every word of his story and actually showed up at the legendary Kumite. Years after the film was made, Bender retracted everything he said about fighting and stated that Dux even taught him what to say to confirm his story.

Dux Said He Worked As A Covert CIA Operative

Frank Dux claims he worked as an operative for the CIA and even says he played a role in covert operations in Central America in the 1980s. Dux’s website even features a letter from Lt. Cmdr. Alexander Martin of the US Navy corroborating his claims.

His Fight Record Is Impossibly Impressive

Over the span of his fighting career, Dux claims that he has broken several records, including most knockouts (56) and fastest punch with a knockout. However, fighting experts say his knockout record alone is impossible to achieve.

The Organization That Holds Kumite seems To Have Disappeared

The Kumite, the mysterious tournament at the center of Bloodsport, takes place every five years. Dux says his trophy and records in the tournament show proof of his fighting prowess. However, the organization that puts on the fights is extremely difficult to track down. At some point, the International Fighting Arts Association, which Dux claimed held the Kumite, ceased to exist, and any traces of the organization only led back to Dux’s door. More strangely, the organization now claiming to hold the event, the Black Dragon Fighting Society, recognizes Dux as one of its “10 Patriarchs.”

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Dux Claims He Was Offered $25,000 To Kill Steven Seagal

According to Dux, someone offered him $25,000 to assassinate another noted martial artist Steven Seagal. No records exist of Dux reporting this to the police or of him actually attempting to snuff out Seagal, however.