What martial arts styles did Jean Claude Van Damme use?

Although now in his 60s, there was a time when Belgian star Jean Claude Van Damme was known as one of the hottest actors in Hollywood. After starring in the 1988 hit Bloodsport, Jean Claude Van Damme cornered a part of the market in the film industry where he was known as both an actor and a martial artist.

However, back then times were different, and although he could famously do the splits, could Jean Claude Van Damme actually fight, and was he a martial artist? These were questions asked before the internet helped answer such questions. It turns out that he is a legit martial artist and has the proof to back these claims up. Here’s a list of the martial arts that Jean Claude Van Damme trained during his prime.

Jean Claude Van Damme knows Karate

During the late 70s to early 80s, a younger Jean Claude Van Damme was actually a very skilled fighter on the amateur scene. In fact, he retired from amateur Karate with an impressive record of 44-4. Many of these fights were done with semi-contact rules, which is probably similar to the Olympic standard of Karate today.

In other words, it wouldn’t be full blown Kumite but would still be physical with strikes being landed by either fighter. Remember, it’s important to note this did take place in Belgium during the 70s, so on the one hand, the quality may not have been the best – but on the other hand, it still shows that Jean Claude Van Damme was fighting during a time and place when the public perception of martial arts was very different to today.

Speaking of today, Jean Claude Van Damme is currently a second dan Karate black belt. It’s assumed that he’s sporadically trained Karate over the years but mostly focuses on his acting career, hence the reason he’s not a higher rank. Nonetheless, a Karate black belt is still nothing to be ashamed of.

Jean Claude Van Damme knows Kickboxing

Perhaps Jean Claude Van Damme’s most famous martial art is his Kickboxing which was showcased in Bloodsport and certain other movies. Around the same time as his Karate run, he also competed in Kickboxing which had full contact rules. Once again, his record was very solid, going 18-1 and finishing his run with a 17 fight win streak. Undoubtedly, this is impressive and once again shows that he was legitimate. Remember, it would also be very difficult to get professional fights back then – as this was a different era and martial arts like Karate and Kickboxing didn’t have the financial infrastructure or following (in Belgium) that they do today.

However, there are some issues with Van Damme’s records, both in Karate and Kickboxing. MMA commentator and Taekwondo black belt Joe Rogan has gone on record to question the legitimacy of Van Damme’s bouts and the skill level of his opponents. As mentioned, this was a long time ago but for instance, he never once fought a Dutch kickboxer, with the majority of his opponents being from Belgium.

This makes sense, seeing as this is where he was based at the time. Nonetheless, as both countries are in mainland Europe, it does seem odd that he never tested himself against better opponents. Similarly, you would expect his Karate bouts to be against more Japanese or US opponents who were the best at the time. Sadly, the truth about his record will probably never come out.

Jean Claude Van Damme knows Taekwondo and Muay Thai

Although Karate and Kickboxing are the main martial arts that JCVD trained, he is also known to have dabbled in other arts such as Taekwondo and Muay Thai. It makes sense that he would train these martial arts as well. Like the previously mentioned disciplines, these have a lot of similarities with one and another and are both big on striking. For instance, many agree that Taekwondo is similar to Karate in style, whilst Muay Thai also has a lot of similarities with Kickboxing.

They’re also big on kicks, which is considered Van Damme’s forte. Not only this but Taekwondo often relies on great flexibility which is something that Van Damme is also known for. As a result, it’s not too surprising that Van Damme is well versed in these martial arts too as there’s a lot of crossovers.

One thing worth mentioning is that little is known about his background in Taekwondo and Muay Thai. This may be because he got into these disciplines later on in life when he had less time to learn and train them. As a result, he was already known as a Kickboxer and Karateka and didn’t compete in his new martial arts either.

Jean Claude Van Damme vs Steven Seagal?

According to Sylvester Stallone, back in 1997 he held a house party where both Jean Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal were in attendance. An altercation broke out where Seagal left after making excuses. Van Damme later met Seagal in a nightclub and confronted Seagal but nothing happened. However, Stallone was clearly in favor of JCVD if a fight were to break out, claiming “Van Damme was too strong. Seagal wanted none of it.” Obviously, this suggests that in the mind of Stallone, Van Damme was the far superior fighter and martial artist despite Seagal’s background in Aikido.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, Jean Claude Van Damme was a legitimate martial artist in his day whose kicks were very technical and his amateur record is very impressive. Even if the majority of his opponents weren’t exactly world class, it’s still a decent record to be proud of, especially given the circumstances and the time. Even just looking at his body back then, you could tell he trained a lot due to his flexibility and athletic physique.

Remember, this was during an era that had many celebrity martial artists without much credibility or background, so at least Van Damme has that going for him (we’re looking at you, Steven Seagal). In other words, it’s fair to say that Van Damme may not have been world class in Karate or Kickboxing like some imagine – especially after his acting career started. However, it’s also fair to say that he’s certainly a black belt and a very good one at that in those selected disciplines.

If you’d like to see Van Damme at his peak then check out his Kickboxer movie.