10 Fascinating and Lesser-Known Facts About 'Bloodsport'

Kumite! Kumite! Kumite! Jean-Claude Van Damme's career skyrocketed with the debut of Bloodsport, the iconic martial arts film produced by Cannon Films, known for their delightfully campy productions. Both the studio and the actor reached a pinnacle with this movie, which showcased the talents of the Muscles from Brussels. Dive into the intriguing and almost unbelievable tale behind Bloodsport to see how much you really know.

1. IT’S INSPIRED BY REAL EVENTS ... OR SO THEY SAY.

Bloodsport is said to draw inspiration from the real-life adventures of martial artist Frank Dux (pronounced “dukes”). His tale was first shared in an article by Black Belt Magazine, detailing his alleged infiltration of a clandestine, no-rules martial arts competition called the “Kumite.” Dux reportedly aimed to dismantle the criminal syndicate behind the event, all while claiming to have undertaken covert CIA operations in Southeast Asia during the 1980s.

Dux allegedly emerged as the first American to win the tournament, which was held in various global cities every five years. The event brought together elite fighters from diverse disciplines to crown the ultimate champion—or so the story goes.

While Dux insists the Kumite and his achievements are genuine, skeptics argue his narrative about the Kumite and his CIA involvement is entirely fictional. (The Black Belt article even included a disclaimer: “While we cannot verify every detail, the editors have confirmed enough core facts to publish this story. However, as we cannot disclose the evidence publicly, readers are free to form their own conclusions.”) On May 1, 1988, over two months after Bloodsport premiered, the Los Angeles Times released an investigative piece casting doubt on most of Dux’s claims.

2. THE SCREENWRITER KNEW THE STORY WAS FICTIONAL BUT STILL WANTED TO CREATE A FILM.

Screenwriter Sheldon Lettich first encountered Frank Dux when his agent sought assistance in editing Dux’s unpublished Vietnam War novel, The Last Rainbow. Lettich mentioned in an interview with /Film that they “clicked immediately.” He later shared with AsianMoviePulse.com, “Frank spun many wild tales, most of which were pure fiction,” but added, “his accounts of the so-called ‘Kumite’ sounded like fantastic movie material.”

Lettich's screenwriting contributions to the third installment of the Sylvester Stallone series, Rambo III, eventually led to a meeting with producer Mark DiSalle. DiSalle proposed the concept for a martial arts film titled Kickboxer, which later featured Jean-Claude Van Damme. Lettich, however, suggested a film based on Dux's alleged life story, prompting DiSalle to prioritize that project.

3. VARIOUS TALES CIRCULATE ABOUT JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME'S RISE TO STARDOM.

Jean-Claude Van Damme, born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, relocated from Belgium to Los Angeles in the early 1980s. He took on several low-paying jobs, such as chauffeur, pizza delivery, and carpet factory worker, all while dreaming of leveraging his martial arts skills to enter the film industry. Legend has it that Van Damme once encountered Cannon Films' Menahem Golan outside a restaurant and impressed him by performing his famous high kick right in front of Golan.

Golan is said to have immediately signed Van Damme for Bloodsport with a $25,000 contract. Dux, however, contests the anecdote about the high kick, crediting Lettich for recognizing Van Damme's talent in the 1986 martial arts film No Retreat, No Surrender. Van Damme also appeared as an extra in earlier Cannon productions like Breakin’ and Missing in Action.

During a memorable 1987 interview for Bloodsport, Van Damme humorously demanded the interviewer train with him while asking questions. He revealed he secured the role by calling Cannon Films and falsely claiming to be a close friend of Golan with a scheduled meeting. Intrigued, the executive met him, and Van Damme demonstrated his flexibility with a split, flexed his muscles, and declared, “I’m the best, and I’m affordable,” which ultimately landed him the part.

Interestingly, Van Damme’s first major opportunity was to play the lead creature in the 1987 movie Predator. However, he was dismissed after voicing dissatisfaction with the cumbersome monster suit and the absence of martial arts in the film.

4. DUX ALLEGEDLY PENNED THE SCRIPT HIMSELF.

Dux asserted that Bloodsport was inspired by a script he authored titled “Enter the Ninja” (distinct from the similarly named Cannon Films production Enter the Ninja, directed by Menahem Golan), which he wrote using the alias “Benjamin Wolf.”

Dux claimed that Lettich disapproved of his script, which supposedly included authentic Kumite programs and real fight footage. However, Lettich maintained that “no script existed before the Bloodsport screenplay.”

5. THE INITIAL ACTOR CHOSEN TO PORTRAY FRANK DUX WAS DEEMED TOO TALL.

Michael Dudikoff, known for his roles in Cannon Films productions such as American Ninja, Avenging Force, and Platoon Leader, was initially cast as Frank Dux. However, the Bloodsport team rejected him due to his height of 6’2”, which they felt was unsuitable for the role.

6. THE FIGHT ATTIRE WAS INACCURATE.

Van Damme’s fight scenes were initially filmed with him wearing silk pajamas purchased in Hong Kong, where the movie was produced. However, the real Frank Dux criticized the outfits as unrealistic based on his supposed Kumite experiences. With no additional funds available, Dux took it upon himself to redesign the costumes, personally financing his wife to purchase appropriate uniforms in the U.S. and ship them to China for the film’s fighters.

“The initial costumes were completely off,” Dux explained to BuzzFeed in 2013, describing how he altered his character’s appearance for the climactic fight. “Eventually, I took matters into my own hands and created my own uniform by repurposing bicycle shorts.”

7. NO STUNT DOUBLES WERE USED.

To ensure the Kumite scenes felt authentic, the filmmakers enlisted real martial artists instead of relying solely on actors like Van Damme and Leah Ayres. For example, Paulo Tocha, who portrays the Muay Thai fighter Paco, is an actual Muay Thai champion and among the first Westerners to master the discipline.

Michel Qissi, who played kickboxer Suan Paredes, was both a martial artist and a close friend of Van Damme. The two trained together at a Shotokan Karate dojo in Belgium. Qissi followed Van Damme to Los Angeles, landing a small role in Bloodsport before later starring as the antagonist Tong Po in Kickboxer.

8. VAN DAMME PERSONALLY RE-EDITED THE FILM TO SECURE ITS RELEASE.

After filming wrapped, the movie was shelved for two years due to Golan’s dissatisfaction. Lettich revealed to /Film that the initial cut was “extremely poor,” prompting Golan to declare, “I won’t release this in theaters. It’s awful; I’m sending it straight to video.” However, instead of abandoning it, Golan allowed in-house editor Michael J. Duthie to rework the film around the fight sequences, which Van Damme later personally refined.

9. THE FILM IS LARGELY CREDITED WITH INSPIRING THE CREATION OF THE MORTAL KOMBAT VIDEO GAME.

The 1992 fighting game Mortal Kombat drew significant inspiration from Bloodsport, extending beyond the concept of a martial arts tournament with high stakes.

Originally, developers were tasked with creating a game based on Van Damme’s film Universal Soldier. When the deal collapsed, they adapted their work, channeling Van Damme’s persona into the character Johnny Cage (sharing the same initials). Cage, a self-absorbed Hollywood actor, featured a signature split move and wore a spandex-and-sash outfit identical to Van Damme’s in Bloodsport.

Here’s an interesting tidbit: The arcade game Frank and Ray Jackson (Donald Gibb) enjoy in the hotel lobby is the 1984 groundbreaking fighting game “Karate Champ.” You can now download and play this classic game on your iPhone.

10. VAN DAMME APPARENTLY PREFERRED THE SOUNDTRACK OVER THE FILM ITSELF.

Stan Bush, the musician behind iconic 1980s movie tracks like “The Touch” from 1986’s Transformers: The Movie, composed two songs for the Bloodsport soundtrack: “Fight to Survive” and “On My Own—Alone.” He also contributed three songs to Van Damme’s Kickboxer: "Never Surrender," "Streets of Siam," and "Fight for Love."

Years after the film’s release, Bush managed to get the then-famous Van Damme and his group into a crowded venue where he was performing. Upon recognizing Bush for his work on Bloodsport, Van Damme reportedly remarked, “The music was better than the movie!”