Bloodsport 1988

Bloodsport is a 1988 martial arts film directed by Newt Arnold and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, with a supporting cast of Leah Ayres, Donald Gibb, Roy Chiao, Norman Burton, Forest Whitaker, and Bolo Yeung. The film centers on Frank Dux (Van Damme), a United States Army captain and ninjutsu practitioner who competes in an underground full-contact martial arts tournament called the Kumite in Hong Kong. Based on Dux's real-life claims, the film was marketed as a true story. It was one of Van Damme's first lead roles and showcased his abilities, launching his career as a mainstream action star. The screenplay is based on many of Dux's claims first covered in the November 1980 issue of Black Belt magazine. The real Dux served as the action choreographer and technical advisor. After its release, many of Dux's claims were disputed, including by co-screenwriter Sheldon Lettich, who claimed Dux fabricated his fight record and the very existence of the Kumite. Bloodsport was produced and released by Cannon Films on February 26, 1988. Despite negative critical reviews, it was a considerable box office success, grossing $50 million on a budget of $1.5–2.3 million.