If you grew up in the 1990s and were into martial arts in real life, then movies like Kickboxer, Bloodsport, and Lionheart knew nothing for you. One common factor in these films, besides the martial arts, of course, is the actor who plays the title role. Yes, we are talking about Muscles from Brussels, none other than Jean-Claude Van Damme. His films are mostly martial arts themes.
Even when they are not there, he never hesitates to show off his skills with his hands and feet, and we never get tired of it.
Therefore, it is not surprising that before he became successful in Hollywood, Van Damme was a martial artist. In fact, he trained in various styles, especially karate and kickboxing. She started training when he was 10. At 16, he also started ballet to learn how to balance and balance.
It paid off when he received a black belt in karate at the age of 18.
When he was 12, he trained at the National Karate Center and four years later found a place on the Belgian karate team. He later took up full contact karate and kickboxing. Between 1976 and 1980, he competed in 48 semi-contact matches, winning 44 of them. He was part of the team that won the 1979 European Karate Championship.
At the Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Challenge), he defeated 25 opponents before losing in the final to his teammate Angelo Spataro.In 1977, he began his full contact kickboxing and in 19 fights he won 18 of them by knockout. He also trained in Taekwondo and Muay Thai. In 1982, Van Damme announced his retirement as he wanted to devote himself to acting.
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 the martial arts was evident.
For over 3 decades he has mesmerized us on screen with his martial arts skills. But if he continued his career as a martial artist, he would no doubt have achieved a lot. That’s what made him special both on and off the screen. This man had a unique talent and was poetry in motion with his punches and kicks.