Plenty of action stars rose to prominence through roles in iconic films in the ’80s. Arnold Schwarzenegger had The Terminator and Predator, Sylvester Stallone had Rambo, and Harrison Ford had Raiders of the Lost Ark. For Jean-Claude Van Damme, his rise to fame came with 1988’s martial arts movie Bloodsport. Bloodsport’s premise is simple, yet engaging: Frank Dux (Van Damme) enters the deadly fighting tournament known as the Kumite. However, he ends up deserting the Army to do so, meaning that he has to fight for his life and his freedom! As one does.
Bloodsport is notable for bringing the martial arts genre back to prominence in the United States, or at the very least, cementing its status after the success of The Karate Kid. Van Damme would even say as much during an interview: “It was ahead of its time in a lot of areas—it not only helped give the martial arts genre a boost but also foretold certain things like the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the idea of pitting different styles against each other.” Bloodsport’s influence spreads far and wide, and after watching it, it’s not hard to see why.
For years, people believed that Bloodsport was based on true events, since the real-life Frank Dux claimed he survived the Kumite. But Sheldon Lettich, who co-wrote Bloodsport, would later reveal that Dux fabricated most of his feats. Even if Dux’s story was fake, his dedication to being a stunt coordinator on Bloodsport was more than real; he put Van Damme through a training regimen that lasted for three months.
A few glimpses of this training routine can be seen when Van Damme is interviewed by Julie Moran, and it looks pretty intense. But that hard training paid off since Bloodsport boasts incredible fight scenes. One standout moment is the final fight between Dx and his nemesis Chong Li (Bolo Yeung), where Dux literally leaps into the air to deliver an incredible kick to Li’s chest. It’s the type of over-the-top fighting that makes Bloodsport an adrenaline-fueled watch.