This is one of the great movies of the 80s in MY collection that I think about all the time.

Minor Spoilers

Bloodsport is arguably Jean-Claude Van Damme`s best film next to Hard Target. It begins with such a cool intro with the fighters and cool music by Paul Hertzog. It has a few good songs too! It has very good fighting and it is a serious movie. Here is a brief look at the film`s best competitors that are most likely to win the Kumite.

Bolo Yeung as Chong Li - Chong Li is the undefeated champion that holds many records and will do anything to win a match whether it is to break a man`s leg, knock him out or even kill his opponent. He has huge muscles and there is no telling how strong he is. Every fighter is in trouble when they step in the ring against him.

Jean-Claude Van Damme as Frank Dux - Frank Dux is a great fighter taught by Tanaka. He a hansome,musclar,smart,and kind man that cares. He know just about it all when it come to fighting thanks to his great master. He really cares for his new friend Jackson.

Paulo Tocha as Paco - There is one kickboxer type fighter named Paco. He is a great fighter but he doesn`t block well but he has two advantages. 1. Paco`s opponent`s should not trust him when he reaches out to shake hands because he is a cheater and 2. is when he grabs ahold of his opponent its all over with!

Donald Gibb as Jackson - Jackson is a massive man with a bad attitude but is a good friend to Frank Dux. He is very tuff,strong, and is able to beat up anyone though he fools around too much and that`s his only mistake.

Michel Qissi as Parades - Parades has big thick legs that hits his opponents hard but like Paco he is not a good blocker and that is his only flaw.

Bloodsport has many other great figters but these are top ones in the Kumite. If you like Jean-Claude Van Damme and fighting films then be sure to check this awesome Jean-Claude Van Damme movie out soon because in MY opinion it is a classic!

When it debuted, "Bloodsport" was to have been a story of the famed martial artist and miltary hero, Frank Dux. According to Dux, he won the ultra-secret 'Kumite'...a no holds barred martial arts international competition. He also was a top secret operative for the military and went on all sorts of scary missions in various countries. Unfortunately, pretty much none of Dux's claims turned out to be true! However, I assume no one other than Dux knew it at the time AND the star of "Bloodsport", Jean-Claude Van Damme, was no phony--having been a very accomplished full-contact fighter with championships to his credit. So, while the story turns out to be a load of crap, you cannot fault Van Damme and it's among his best films.

The lead up to Dux (Van Damme) going to the Kumite is confusing....like two separate movies tossed together. One shows him running away from the army to fight in the competition. Another shows him working for years with his Master to get ready for the competition! This was confusing and the chronology made no sense.

Once the film heads overseas to the Kumite, things improve considerably. Dux strikes up a friendship with a nice but dopey lug who is also in the Kumite (Donald Gibb). Ultimately, an insanely sociopathic competitor unleashes EVERYTHING on the lug and leaves him a battered mess. And, ultimately, Dux must also fight this Chong Li. Is such an ignominious ending also in store for Dux as well?

While I am not a huge fan of the Van Damme films, he did make some good ones and his martial arts skills are truly amazing. If you watch "Bloodsport", you'll see what I mean. Van Damme is a very impressive athlete instead of just being some actor....and his athletic skills are far superior to his acting skills. Seeing his splits and many of the action scenes leave you breathless!

So is the film itself any good? After all, we know now that nobody (other than Dux) believes the story to be true. Well, despite the spotty background to Dux and the film, it is a very good film for the genre. Like many 80s films, it has montages, 80s pop music, slow-motion and all the standard cliches...but it does them all so well and Van Damme is so good in the story. Overall, a surprisingly good film that holds up well today.

Fighters from around the world are gathering in Hong Kong to compete in the full contact Kumite tournament. U.S. Army Captain Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is going. After Senzo Tanaka's son Shingo's death, Frank was trained to take over the Tanaka legacy. He goes AWOL and the Army sends officers Helmer and Rawlins (Forest Whitaker) to retrieve him. Looming over everyone is the brutal Kumite champion Chong Li.

The setup is banal. The acting is mostly poor to utterly embarrassing. None of that matters because the matches are so fun. The UFC would arrive years later. Van Damme's acting is horrible but his kicks are things of beauty. It's my first introduction to his splits and I was amazed. It's a simple movie with simple pleasures for the simple parts of my brain.