The Making of Bloodsport with Sheldon Lettich

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Bloodsport is a 1988 American martial arts action film directed by Newt Arnold and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Leah Ayres, Forest Whitaker, Donald Gibb, Roy Chiao, and Bolo Yeung. The film centers on Frank Dux (Van Damme), a United States Army Captain and ninjitsu practitioner, who competes in an underground, full-contact martial arts tournament called the Kumite in Hong Kong. It was one of Van Damme's first starring films and showcased his athletic 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.[4] The real Dux served as the film's 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 existence of the Kumite.

Bloodsport was produced by Cannon Films and released by Warner Bros. on 26 February 1988. Despite mixed reviews from critics, it was a considerable box office success, grossing $50 million on a budget of $1.5–2.3 million. It developed a strong cult following, and has been cited as an influence on the development of mixed martial arts. It spawned three direct-to-video sequels.

Co-writer Sheldon Lettich came up with the idea for the film. According to Lettich:

"I had known Frank Dux for a number of months before I came up with the idea for Bloodsport. Frank told me a lot of tall tales, most of which turned out to be bullshit. But his stories about participating in this so-called "Kumite" event sounded like a great idea for a movie. There was one guy who he introduced me to, named Richard Bender, who claimed to have actually been at the Kumite event and who swore everything Frank told me was true. A few years later this guy had a falling-out with Frank, and confessed to me that everything he told me about the Kumite was a lie; Frank had coached him in what to say."

Producer Mark Di Salle said he was looking for "a new martial arts star who was a ladies' man, [but Van Damme] appeals to both men and women. He's an American hero who fights for justice the American way and kicks the stuffing out of the bad guys."

Bloodsport has been credited with popularizing the concepts of full-contact and mixed-style martial arts competition among mainstream audiences. Early mixed martial arts events, such as UFC 1, were sometimes compared to the film.

The "shoot-style" professional wrestling event GCW Bloodsport, promoted by mixed-martial artists Josh Barnett and Matt Riddle, is inspired by the film.

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