# Van Damme To Return To The Big Screen



## DeLamar.J (Nov 12, 2004)

This is great, after this everyone else will start using van damme avatars, bwwaaaahaaaa front runners!

LOS ANGELESIn 1996, after teaching the martial arts for 25 years, I decided to move to Hollywood. I dreamed of being part of the next Enter the Dragon, The New Karate Kid or the cult of Bloodsport films. I was prepared to take any job I was offered be it sweeping floors or carrying towelsjust to be part of the excitement. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be working with Jean-Claude Van Damme on his new blockbuster, Kumite.

Most people know that Van Damme was a martial arts  champion in Europe, but he gave all that up to start a film career. He immediately moved to Tinseltown to become the next action star. Following the success of Bloodsport, he made one spectacular movie after another, which his legions of fans lined up to see. 

But Kumite is expected to be even better. The ultimate fight film, it will feature the best martial artists and champions from around the world. The fighting arts will be elevated by fresh ideas, an engrossing story line and a new type of tournament. It will create a  fresh approach for showcasing the arts by casting real champions in leading roles.

Van Damme worked on the script for more than three years to achieve the perfection he demanded. He assembled a team of professional actors, stunt choreographers, consultants and filmmakers to bring this extraordinary story to the screen. K-1 veteran Jerome LeBanner, muay Thai champ Malaipet "The Diamond" Sitpraprom and top Japanese karate competitor Kenji Yamaki (discovered after his appearance in the January 2004 issue of Black Belt) are among the skilled practitioners whove been brought on board. Having read the script, I believe Kumite will restore to the martial arts the dignity and respect they deserve. I  recently visited Van Damme at his home, where he explained the inspiration behind the final fight scene. The idea includes featuring quality martial arts and a level of respect that masters like Jigoro Kano, Gichin Funakoshi and Mas Oyama would have loved.

When I asked Van Damme why he was so passionate about the project, he replied: "Its time the public got to know the martial arts for exactly what they arereal karate, real muay Thai, real savate and real no-holds-barred. They are all equally good with their strong and weak points, and they all deserve the respect of non-practitioners. That is my goal in Kumite." 

Van Damme is taking the attainment of that goal very seriously. He and one of his co-stars, Bolo Yeung (Enter the Dragon), train for three to four hours a day to prepare for their roles. Their regimen includes weightlifting, stretching, bag work and cardio exercise. Sparring and diet are also important components of their daily routine, and both are pushing themselves to achieve their personal best. 

They realize this film has the potential to revitalize the martial arts industry the way The Karate Kid did in the 1980s. Because several characters have yet to be cast, martial arts experts, fighters, coaches and instructors are invited to send a professional demo reel (no longer than five minutes) and a martial arts résumé for consideration. Aspiring actors should mail the materialsincluding their current height and weight, head shot, nationality and contact information to Rising Sun Productions, Kumite, 628 North Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, California 90069. For more information about Van Damme, visit http://www.jeanclaudevandamme.net.


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## Adept (Nov 12, 2004)

That sounds like it could be a fantastic movie. I just hope he picks fighters who can act, or if not, casts them in roles where the only acting they need to do is fighting. I'm hoping for a movie sort of along the lines of the original script for Game of Death. Not the abortion of a film they churned out after Bruce died.


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## MA-Caver (Nov 13, 2004)

Hmm, according to the Internet Movie Data-base www.imdb.com the movie Kumite has been done once before in 2000. Presumably this is a different movie. 
I like Van Damme his early works have been good and the sci-fi ones (TimeCop and Universal Soldier) were good films. Other favorites of mine are Hard Target and Bloodsport. 
He's getting along in years, like Segal. Hopefully there's a good director for him with this new one.


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