Bloodsport (1988)

Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Forest Whitaker

based on experiences in the life of martial artist Frank W. Dux
Reel Face: Real Face:
Jean-Claude Frank W. Dux
Van Damme Born: 1956
Born: Birthplace:
October 18, Toronto, Canada
1960
Birthplace:
Berchem-
Sainte-Agathe,
Brussels,
Belgium

Roy Chiao Jack Seki

Born: Born: July 7, 1914
1927 Birthplace: Los
Birthplace: Angeles,
Shanghai, China California, USA
Death: April Death: April 20,
16, 1999, 1998, Bullhead
Seattle, City, Arizona,
Washington, USA
USA (heart
disease)
Donald Gibb Richard
Born: Robinson
August 4, 1954
Birthplace:
New York City,
New York,
USA

My involvement in that tournament was part of a plan, launched in 1975, to

infiltrate the criminal organizations that organized the fights. The original idea
was to participate in the Kumite tournament and make a few contacts. We
initially assumed I would lose, but eventually I became one of the best Kumite
fighters to ever participate in the event.
-Frank Dux (Martial Arts Magazine)

Questioning the Story:

Is the underground Kumite Tournament in the movie Bloodsport real?

Frank Dux (right, circa 1975) shared a

similar resemblance with his onscreen
counterpart Jean-Claude Van Damme (left).
According to the movie, the Kumite tournament is a no-holds-barred mixed
martial arts competition held in secret every five years. In the 1988 film, we see
Jean-Claude Van Damme, playing Frank Dux, triumphing over a ruthless fighter
named Chong Li, portrayed by a then 50-year-old Bolo Yeung.

As stated in the November 1980 Black Belt magazine interview, titled "Kumite:
A Learning Experience," the real Frank Dux did in fact attend and win the 1975
Kumite, weighing in as a heavyweight. His experience became the inspiration
for the onscreen events in the 1988 movie Bloodsport. However, according to
Frank's accounts, "The Kumite" was held in Nassau, Bahamas in 1975, not in
Hong Kong like we see in the film. Controversy has arisen around Dux's own
past and his stories of The Kumite. In our own correspondence with Frank, he
named numerous organizations as acknowledging the existence of The Kumite,
including the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame, The Alliance, Black Dragon
Fighting Society, Shinjimatsu (Yokohama, Japan), Golden Globe International
Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and Imperial, among others.

Black Belt magazine's November 1980 issue states the following, "The truth is
that a full-contact kumite event is indeed held at a private location once every
five years. The event is sponsored by the International Fighting Arts Association
(I.F.A.A.) which, although not a publicity seeking organization, is far from
secret." (Black Belt Magazine, 1980, p. 28).
Bloodsport t-shirts, including the bestselling
Kumite t-shirt, have helped fans celebrate
the movie and the legendary tournament.
Considering that the Kumite took place nearly two decades before the
emergence of the internet, coupled with the I.F.A.A.'s desire to remain out of the
public eye, it is not hard to understand why an online search for the I.F.A.A.
organization yields little evidence of its existence, other than a brief mention on
the website FasstDuxRyu.com. The website is run by one of Dux's former
students, Sky Benson, who uses the website to help promote Dux's fighting
system, FASST™/Dux Ryu.

In communications with Frank, he stated that the I.F.A.A. has since disbanded
and that the Black Dragon Fighting Society is a "derivative affiliate" of the
former organization, which was still in existence when the 1980 Black Belt
magazine article was written. This might also help to explain why an online
search for the I.F.A.A. yields such a small number of results. The Black Dragon
Fighting Society (BDFS) is a sponsor of the Kumite in the Bloodsport movie. It
should be noted that the BDFS acknowledges Frank Dux's championship titles
and world records, which are listed on their South African website.

Franks records also appear at the end of the Bloodsport movie, displayed as
follows:

From 1975 to 1980 Frank W. Dux fought 329 matches.

He retired undefeated as the World Heavy Weight
Full Contact Kumite Champion.

Mr. Dux still holds four world records:

Fastest Knockout - 3.2 seconds
Fastest Punch with a Knockout - .12 seconds
 Fastest Kick with a Knockout - 72 mph
Most Consecutive Knockouts in a Single Tournament - 56

Those who believe that the Kumite was a fantastic exaggeration need only to
fast-forward thirty plus years to the Mixed Martial Art cage fight genre of today,
as CNBC reporter Scott Wapner points out during the segment "From
Bloodsport to Blue Chip." Wapner explains that the Kumite essentially gave
birth to today's publicly recognized MMA.

What does the word kumite mean?

Translation of he Japanese word kumite means "free fighting" or roughly
"sparring." The westeren sense of the word incorporates a broader meaning that
includes "sparring" in boxing and even some forms of karate, like Shotokan.

Kumite is one of the three main areas of traditional Japanese karate training,
along with kata and kihon (form and fundamentals). In the movie Bloodsport,
Kumite is the name given to the deadly, underground, full-contact fighting
tournament to which the main character, Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme),
is clandestinely invited. Other real life names used to refer to the tournament
include Vale Tudo, San Soo, No Holds-Barred, etc.

How did Frank Dux get invited to the Kumite competition?

Dux found himself entered in the International Fighting Arts Association
(I.F.A.A.) competition because his instructor, a Japanese man named Senzo
Tanaka, had participated in past events. After performing well enough in smaller
kumite matches held by the I.F.A.A., the organization granted him an invitation
to the international event.
-Black Belt Magazine, November 1980

In the movie, is Frank's nemesis, Chong Li (Bolo Yeung), based on a real

life individual?

Dux said that Bolo Yeung's

character was based on a real
person.
Yes. According to the real Frank Dux, actor Bolo Yeung's character in the
movie, Chong Li, was based on a real person. "I understand he passed away
before the film was made," Dux said, "due to brain tumors from fighting (like
what almost killed me, in 1993). Other people say it was a car accident. I have
no way of knowing for sure."

Did the real Chong Li blind Frank Dux during their fight?
Yes. Dux said that the real Chong Li openly admitted to blinding him during
their fight. However, Chong Li assured Dux that the incident was purely
accidental, regarding blurring his eyes with liniment. "In the movie, the incident
is shown as him intentionally tossing powder, but it was beads of sweat and dit
dao mixed in that temporarily burned my eyes, blinding me, which is not a
single unique occurrence for fighters. Muhammad Ali for instance shares a
similar experience," Frank said.

Does the 1980 Black Belt magazine article offer definitive proof of the
Kumite and Frank Dux's achievements?
The now legendary Black Belt magazine article "Kumite: A Learning
Experience" is prefaced with the following disclaimer. "Although there is no
convenient way to verify each and every detail connected with the story, the
editors have verified enough of the basic facts to feel confident in publishing it.
But since we are not at liberty to share the corroborating evidence with the
public, we acknowledge that each reader may have a different idea of what the
facts permit him to believe." Regarding Dux, the magazine states, "Although the
details of his story are impossible to check out completely, BLACK BELT has
spoken with other I.F.A.A. members from the United States and abroad who
have privately confirmed that the basic facts are indeed as Dux says they are."

In 2009, Frank Dux sent ChasingtheFrog.com a copy of a cover letter from John
Stewart, the editor of Black Belt magazine and author of its Kumite article.
Stewart's letter, dated May 21, 1980, makes general statements about Frank
Dux's unique martial arts expertise and knowledge, stating, "BLACK BELT
magazine has conducted a lengthy series of interviews with Mr. Dux, and it is
the opinion of the editor that:

1. Dux is highly skilled in a number of martial arts and has mastered some
extremely unusual techniques, many of which may never be seen by the
general public.
2. Dux is a fully knowledgeable consultant on the details of such subjects
as full-contact fighting, breaking objects, weapons technique, and anit-
terrorism.
3. He has had military experience of a unique nature."

In the letter's closing, John Stewart wrote, "While this magazine ordinarily does
not act as an agency for the verification of skills or credentials, in this case we
happen to know that the above statements are true."

What made Frank Dux decide to talk about the existence of the Kumite in
Black Belt magazine?
In Martial Arts Illustrated, the real Frank Dux answered this question by saying,
"The stated purpose in doing the article is the fact I issued an open challenge
encouraging others to fight in the Kumite circuit I championed as a
heavyweight, in 1980. It is the reasons why I was "green lighted" to act as a
spokesperson for the I.F.A.A. then trying to commercialize the event, with a
foothold in the United States."

Can Frank Dux prove that he fought in a tournament called the Kumite?

Frank Dux holding his 1975 Kumite

tournament trophy. Dux said the
photo was taken in 1976.
Dux is shown on the left holding his 1975 Kumite tournament trophy, as inset in
Black Belt magazine, November 1980. Yet shortly after the movie's release in
May of 1988, writer John Johnson published an an editorial in the Los Angeles
Times' local San Fernando Valley Metro Section accusing Dux of making
everything up. The editorial is written in a format one may easily mistake for an
objective article. Johnson states that Dux's Kumite trophy didn't come from a
1975 tournament in the Bahamas, but rather it was merely ordered and picked
up by Dux at a trophy shop just a few miles from his Southern California home.

Johnson's claims contradict the facts regarding Dux's achievements that are
displayed at the beginning of the Bloodsport movie credits. "There exists as
public record eyewitness testimony and photographic evidence of my winning
the Kumite made available through court proceedings," Dux says. This is in
addition to the journalistic research undertaken by print and broadcast media
outlets and the fact finding done by the legal firms of the movie studio and the
publishing house behind Dux's book.
When interviewed by Martial Arts Illustrated as part of their "Asking the
Masters" series (December & January 2008), Dux tackled Johnson's allegation
that he bought his trophy, and in speaking with ChasingTheFrog.com, he
supplied a copy of the alleged receipt and responded, "One cannot litigate or
force a retraction of opinion. To demonstrate how untrustworthy John Johnson
is, keep the following in mind. My trophy has been in my possession and on
public display, since January 1976. John Johnson alleges, in 1988, he was able
to obtain the receipt for my trophy made out to me and commissioned in my
name - TWELVE YEARS AFTER MY TROPHY IS IN MY POSSESSION!
The trophy shop owner, Mr. Moody, is quoted by John Johnson as saying that it
was "partially" manufactured by Moody in his trophy shop, located near my
home. After the editorial, I spoke with Mr. Moody, who denied ever supplying
Johnson this mysterious receipt and acknowledged he informed Johnson he was
misquoted, referring to partially repairing another trophy of mine, damaged after
my studio was broken into by students of a business competitor. These
perpetrators were arrested and convicted. This is a verifiable fact, a public
record. This alleged trophy receipt was shown in a court of law to be an obvious
fabrication, thus withdrawn from evidence due to these facts:

• The alleged trophy receipt is a Xerox document where Frank Dux's

signature is cut and recopied from another document onto the receipt, in
addition to giving the incorrect address for him. Anyone could create this
on their home copier.
• The trophy inscription name is incorrectly spelled D-U-K-E-S and not
D-U-X (contrary to the correct spelling inscribed on Dux's trophy).
• The alleged trophy receipt is dated 1979, which is three years after the
trophy was first viewed in my possession, both on public display and in
the photo that was taken of me holding the trophy (above) that appeared
in Black Belt magazine, November 1980.
• No resemblance exists between the John Johnson photocopy of a trophy
receipt and Dux's trophy. The Johnson receipt is for a three tiered trophy
with two gold cups on and four judo figures. The kumite trophy has a
two foot pedestal base with a large engraved silver bowl as its crown,
and it is not even remotely close in its size specifications and materials to
the description on the alleged receipt."

In the interview with Martial Arts Illustrated, Dux also stated that the article's
author, John Johnson, was an acquaintance of his ex-wife and that the article
was written at the same time that he was embroiled in a bitter divorce. View
the alleged trophy receipt produced by John Johnson.

Was Dux's instructor in the movie based on an actual person?

Yes. The Bloodsport true story reveals that Frank Dux's instructor in the movie
is a composite of two individuals, Jack Seki and Senzo Tanaka. "Jack Seki is an
extended Tanaka family member and is related to my other instructor who I met
through Seki, Senzo Tanaka," Frank said. When asked about instructor Senzo
Tanaka, Frank said that they "did not part the best of friends."

Did Frank Dux really meet his karate instructor after breaking into his
house?

As a boy, the real Dux

never broke into his
instructor's house.
No. The movie shows the Dux character as a teenager breaking into Tanaka's
house. Tanaka (Roy Chiao) catches him attempting to steal a sword. The real
Frank Dux said, "My meeting my instructor by breaking into his house was the
producer's idea, which I objected to, but now in hindsight I must admit he was
right to do this, given screen time limitations. It was a clever device to help
make people understand the importance of martial arts training and how its
discipline played a role in putting and keeping young impressionable minds on
the right path."

Did Frank Dux have to evade U.S. Military police to fight in the Kumite?
No. In the movie Bloodsport, Jean-Claude Van Damme's character is a valuable
U.S. Military Operative who tries to evade two military police agents so that he
can fight in the Kumite. Contrary to internet gossip and unsubstantiated
allegations, no evidence exists of the real Frank Dux having directly claimed he
worked for the CIA or military as an in-expendable agent, as depicted in the
movie.

Initially, recognizing the intelligence gathering value, as a contract agent Dux

entertained only participating in the Kumite in order to formulate a plan to get
closer to the Asian criminal element that organized the fights. He says that he
never expected to win. Regarding his character being on the run from military
agents, "The AWOL bit was the producer's idea," Frank said.

Did spectators really place bets on Kumite fights?

Yes. According to Black Belt magazine, gambling did take place at the Kumite.
Frank said that documentary video footage taken by eyewitnesses who attended
the events also verifies the fact that gambling was an aspect of the Kumite. "We
rarely knew each other by our names," Frank said of the fighters, "due to fear at
any moment the doors to the room could be kicked in and we would end up
jailed, with all the gambling going on." (Martial Arts Illustrated)

Is Dux's friend in the movie, Ray Jackson, based on an actual person?

Frank Dux and actor Don Gibb on the

Bloodsport movie set in 1986.
Yes. The basis for Dux's friend and fellow fighter in the movie, Ray Jackson
(Donald Gibb), can be traced back to two different individuals. "The majority of
the Ray Jackson characteristics are chiefly based upon Richard Robinson," said
the real Frank Dux. Robinson, a Jujitsu black belt, went from being a biker in
Venice, California, to transforming himself today into a prominent stockbroker
for Montgomery Scott. Robinson also founded The River of Life Martial Arts
and Wellness Center, a million dollar facility that teaches numerous Japanese
koryu martial arts in Pennsylvania. In an earlier interview with Martial Arts
Magazine, Dux said that the Ray Jackson character is also partially based on
Swedish Karate Champion Kurt Peterson.

Is Jean-Claude Van Damme's love interest in the movie Bloodsport based on

a real person?
No. In the movie, the main character becomes involved in a romantic and sexual
relationship with an American journalist named Janice Kent (Leah Ayres). "As
far as the love interest, she did not represent a single particular person," Frank
said, "nor would I be intimate with a woman right before a fight."

Did Frank Dux sue Jean-Claude Van Damme over a script titled The
Kumite?
Dux battled Jean-Claude Van Damme
in court in 1998.
In October of 1998, the real Frank Dux sued his former friend and the man who
portrayed him in the movie Bloodsport (1988) for breach of a 1991 oral
contract. Dux, who had been dating Jean-Claude Van Damme's sister-in-law,
penned a script for a movie that focused on the Kumite tournament. Known
simply as The Kumite, the film was to utilize Jean-Claude Van Damme's rising
star power to capture a bigger budget with real world locations. The production
company behind the movie, Epic Productions, went bankrupt and the film was
never made. As a result, the $50,000 agreement that Frank Dux had signed with
Epic Productions to pen the script also fell through. Dux was left out in the cold
while Van Damme moved on to film his 1996 hit The Quest. In the trial, Frank
Dux claimed that The Quest and The Kumite were essentially the same movie
and that Van Damme had verbally promised him 2.5 percent of the The Kumite's
box office gross. Prior to suing Van Damme, Dux had brought his case before
the Writer's Guild of America, who deemed that he deserved only a "story by"
credit for The Quest. Dux felt that he also deserved $50,000 for his work on The
Kumite script and 2.5 percent of The Quest's box office gross, believing that the
latter was a derivative of the former. The Dux vs. Van Damme trial was heavily
covered by Court TV.

Did Frank Dux win his court case against Jean-Claude Van Damme?
No. Frank Dux lost his case against Van Damme. CourtTV.com states that Van
Damme's attorney, Martin Singer, centered his closings on two witnesses who
attacked the truthfulness behind Dux's claims.

Dux (center) and Van Damme on the Bloodsport set

during happier times, with costar Paulo Tocha.
Dux testified before the court that Van Damme had written an outline and had
made an audiotape of their supposed agreement. However, Dux said that both
items were lost when an earthquake destroyed his apartment in 1994. Dux's
former neighbor, Kim Owens, testified that the earthquake did not cause severe
structural damage to the apartment building. She submitted photos to prove that
the building's balconies had not crumbled as Dux had claimed. As a result,
Frank Dux's credibility was damaged, suggesting that his written proof of the
contract may not have existed at all. The testimony of the second witness is
detailed in the following question.

An independent observer to the trial, the Hollywood trade magazine Point Of

View, offers up another observation and raises an eyebrow at how the trial was
run. Point of View's Jennie and Terrie Frankel write, "The judge karate kicked
Dux below the belt with a series of unprecedented rulings that precluded the
testimony of any rebuttal witnesses, any impeachment witnesses, and all actual
eyewitnesses to the deal. Kramer (Dux's attorney) argued these witnesses were
critical to his case, but to no avail."

Dux states, "Regarding Kim Owen's testimony, I wasn't able to put before the
jury any substantive rebuttal evidence, such as a FEMA engineering report
detailing and condemning the structure at the time in question. This directly
contradicts Owen's testimony. Notably, the contractor's invoices making the
repairs that detail the reconstruction of balconies were precluded. Her
photographic evidence wasn't taken by her and it could have been taken before
the earthquake."

"I recently received an inquiry via my myspace page by Jean Claude Van
Damme," Frank reveals, "asking me to please set aside our past differences in
order that I might collaborate with him on doing another Bloodsport. One thing
is for certain given our last communication, we recognize we are both fighters
who fought for what we believed was the truth for us, and unfortunately the
people around us, who could not understand this, began a mudslinging campaign
on both sides to our mutual detriment. It was out of our control."

Did Frank Dux set a record for breaking bulletproof glass with his bare
hands?
Yes. Dux performed the world record feat at the 1993 International Martial Arts
Festival at Bercy Stadium in Paris in front of representatives of numerous
martial art organizations taking part in the event; an international press corps;
bushido magazine staff; and approximately 40,000 spectators who were able to
inspect the glass before and after the break. "The pieces of bullet-proof glass
were handed out to members of the press, as well," Dux said. The onsite doctor's
medical report substantiates glass (not sugar-glass) was embedded in Dux's foot
and hand for which TV camera close-ups take notice of.

Watch a video of Dux breaking the bulletproof glass.

In the 1998 Dux vs. Van Damme trial, Richard Alexander, who claimed to be
Frank's friend for over twenty years, testified against him saying that Dux's feat
of breaking bulletproof glass with a single punch was a hoax. Alexander said
that it was really Plexiglas that Dux had found. In his testimony, Richard
Alexander also described another stunt that he alleges Dux staged, whereby Dux
shattered a glass bottle with his bare hand. Alexander claimed that Dux used
candied glass instead of the real thing. Alexander stated under oath that Dux is a
liar who "tries to get something for nothing." Court TV Online states that Dux's
attorney, Steven Kramer, attempted to discredit Alexander by accusing him of
having a grudge against his client, revealing that Alexander had attempted to
steal Dux's car.
"Court TV Online fails to report that Alexander was dismissed by the judge
before my attorney Steven Kramer could even complete his cross examination,"
Dux cites. "Kramer exposed that Richard Alexander lied under oath about his
real identity, that he is really Richard Shimer, a convicted felon." Dux provided
to ChasingTheFrog.com, a mug shot of Alexander (aka Shimer).

In our communications with Dux, he stated that Alexander did not witness him
breaking the bulletproof glass, "Richard Alexander (aka Richard Shimer) who
was not a witness, is not my friend for twenty years and documents in my
possession prove my relationship with him amounts to he attempted to steal my
car, as was exposed in a court of law." It should be noted that Alexander was the
only witness contesting the break, yet this testimony is repeated over the internet
with no mention of the many reliable witnesses who contradicted Alexander's
testimony while under penalty of perjury.

With regard to the bulletproof glass, Dux told Martial Arts Illustrated, "In
breaking the bulletproof glass it took me two attempts. Candy or Plexiglas
would obviously break on the first strike, considering I generated enough force
to have cracked the glass with the bullet wad still in it and visibly bent the ¼
inch steel frame holding it backwards with my first strike, as captured by the
European telecast and watched by millions."

Dux also provided ChasingTheFrog.com a copy of the declaration of Jose

Bermudez, who testified in the 1988 Dux vs. Van Damme trial. Bermudez is the
fabricator responsible for supplying the bulletproof glass and documenting its
authenticity by videotaping the glass being shot by a fully loaded 9mm bullet.
The impact area and bullet wad in the glass is seen on the video being circled
and signed by the shooter. In trial, Bermudez further produced cancelled checks
and paid invoices verifying it was indeed bulletproof glass.

Did the scene really happen where Dux crushes the bottom brick in the
stack?

The real Frank Dux (right) performed brick breaking stunts

similar to those seen in the movie (left).
In the movie Bloodsport, the Dux character, portrayed by Jean-Claude Van
Damme, is seen crushing the bottom brick in a stack of five bricks. To achieve
this feat, the movie says that he must be capable of executing the dim mak, or
death touch. A different, visually less extreme version of this feat was
performed by the real Frank Dux on numerous TV shows and at various
exhibitions. However, instead of crushing the bottom brick in a stack of five,
causing it to visibly explode, the photo on the right shows Frank breaking in half
the bottom concrete slab in a stack of two concrete slabs alternated with two
fragile and easily broken ceramic tiles that are left intact. The stunt offers proof
that one can hit the outside of the body leaving no noticeable harm, while
damaging an essential internal organ like the heart. Like in the movie, the strike
is commonly referred to as the "death touch." -Martial Arts Illustrated

Did Frank train actor Jean-Claude Van Damme for his role in the movie
Bloodsport?
Frank said, "…I trained him three times a week for several months in
preparation for Bloodsport, as acknowledged in the film's credit role."
According to Frank, Van Damme attempted to conceal this in 1998 when he was
on the stand during their litigation over The Quest. -Martial Arts Illustrated

Did the real Frank Dux nearly lose his life to a brain tumor?
Yes. In 1993 Frank Dux was very ill with two brain tumors (The Artesia Daily
Press, July 18, 2008). He spoke of this experience in an interview with Martial
Arts Magazine, "In 1993, when I began writing this memoir, neither monetary
gain nor fame seemed relevant at the time, as I was extremely ill, due to a brain
tumor. ...Ultimately, I would become comatose due to surgical complications
resulting in a spinal fluid leak that led to spinal meningitis. When I recovered, I
realized I wasn't living up to that responsibility which outweighs personal gain.
What needed to be said could have died with me, so I tossed my completed first
book and wrote this book [The Secret Man] instead, fully aware that if I lived I
would be subjecting myself to criticism by envious and would be compromising
my personal safety."

Was Frank Dux really an inexpendable soldier in the U.S. Military?

Frank Dux on graduation day in
1975, at the Marine Corps Recruit
Depot in San Diego, California.
This is another aspect of Dux's life that has sparked a great deal of controversy.
In 1980, Black Belt magazine stated that Dux "compiled a distinguished military
record during the Vietnam conflict." The magazine's inability to elaborate on
this statement and others, due to the fact that they were not at liberty to share
corroborating evidence with the public, has in part led to a misrepresentation of
the facts regarding Dux's military past. According to Dux, journalists, authors,
and bloggers have continued to misconstrue the truth.

For example, researcher B.G. Burkett states that he used the Freedom of
Information Act to obtain a copy of Dux's Marine Corps records, and thereby
discovered that Dux served in the Marine Corps Reserves in the U.S. from 1975
to 1981, never seeing any overseas action. If these records are correct, it means
that Dux was not even in the U.S. military during the United States efforts in
Vietnam, since the U.S. left Vietnam in 1972 and the North took it over in 1975.

"Burkett's rational is somewhat misleading," says Dux, "in light of the

observable fact the U.S. military and intelligence services only suspended their
conventional military operations in 1973, all while clandestine, covert special
operations continued, including their fronts (i.e. Air America employing private
contractors photographed evacuating the US Embassy in 1975). Such activities
still remain ongoing in Southeast Asia, to this day." For more details, see B.G.
Burkett's 1998 book Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of
Its Heroes and Its History and be sure to check out Frank Dux's website where
you can review The Legal Analysis and Breakdown of Stolen Valor with
regards to Dux's court case of libel and slander (Dux vs. Soldier of Fortune
magazine). "The Legal Analysis and Breakdown reveals over 600
unsubstantiated allegations made by Burkett, whose book is self-published, not
subjected to unbiased independent external scrutiny, unlike my book The Secret
Man," says Dux.

It appears that the main problem with Burkett's research is that it ignores the fact
that Dux never claimed to be a veteran of the Vietnam War in the first place. "I
never represented myself in my book or otherwise as a Vietnam War veteran,
was in the CIA, or murdered anyone," Dux said. However, it's easy to see why
so many people have been led astray with regard to various facts about Dux. For
instance, the Publisher's Weekly review of Dux's 1996 book The Secret Man,
which is no longer in print, states, "It's hard to tell whether the author is merely
posturing or expressing his fantasy life in a memoir that reads as if patterned on
the early paperback Avenger series. … He was a contract operative for William
Casey, who supposedly recruited him in a urinal after introducing himself as
‘head of the f*cking CIA.' The missions Dux recounts include killing a mass
murderer and aiding the U.S.S.R. in investigating what proved to be a scam
anthrax scare." Dux called the Publisher's Weekly review, "over the top and
deceptive." (Martial Arts Illustrated)

Was Frank Dux really a CIA Operative as his book claims?

Used copies of Dux's

controversial memoir can
still be found.
Dux's book The Secret Man tells of his often graphically violent James Bond-
like experiences as a CIA operative, who masked his covert operations under his
international reputation as a martial artist. The cover of the book refers to Dux
as "the CIA's finest covert operative." "To say I worked for the CIA is
misleading," Dux said in a 2008 interview with Martial Arts Illustrated. "The
publisher's marketing director and publicist of The Secret Man made the
interpretation I worked for the CIA as it appears on the book jacket, not me,"
insists Dux. "But the book jacket also points out I was given the moniker 'The
Secret Man' because I worked in anonymity, specifically, unknown to and
outside the military or the CIA's auspices to avoid compromise by intelligence
oversight procedures or violation of the Boland and Logan amendments." Dux
emphasizes that he never worked as a card carrying agent for the CIA, stating,
"it is historical fact guys like me ended up working for their front companies."

Dux describes himself as being a third generation descendant of covert

operatives. "From 1981 to 1987, I served as a covert operative for CIA director
Bill Casey," Dux told Martial Arts Magazine. His alleged contact in the CIA,
director William Casey, passed away from a brain tumor in 1987, almost ten
years before Dux's book was published. William Casey was not around to either
confirm or denounce Dux's statements, or the existence of their relationship.
However, other individuals have stepped forward to help lend credence to Dux's
role as an operative.

Congressional expert witness, Iran-Contra insider, US Navy Lt. Cmdr.

Alexander Martin stated in court proceedings under penalty of perjury, "During
my intelligence career, I have met with and been introduced to many covert
operatives, whose existence has often been officially denied by the government
agencies that these parties have been associated with. One of these covert
operatives was one Frank Dux." Lt. Cmdr. Martin's declaration was entered into
evidence as Exhibit #25 in Dux's suit of libel and slander against Soldier of
Fortune magazine.

Frank has additional military related experience as noted by Kathy Kolt in her
2008 Artesia Daily article, "In 1996, he (Frank Dux) was with HIDTA, High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area at the Criminal Justice Center. He designed
strategies and tactics and evaluated their existing training program. In 1997, he
received awards from the Multi Jurisdictional Counter Drug Task Force for drug
task investigations. He also was sponsored by the Department of Defense to
teach NEOA, Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association, covert activities. He
is an adjunct faculty member of the Saint Petersburg, Florida Criminal Justice
Institute. He was knighted in the Order of Saint Michael, Knight Chevalier, by
the Police Hall of Fame, Miami, Florida. He was a source contributor to the US
Navy Seal SpecWar Manual."

Why did Frank Dux decide to pull his book The Secret Man from store
shelves?
In an interview with Martial Arts Illustrated, Frank explained, "I felt compelled
to take into account the sensitive nature of my book, The Secret Man,
HarperCollins, 1996 given its revelations. My strong sense of duty prompted me
to pull it from my publisher and to continue to withhold its circulation to this
day, in light of uncharacteristic behavior of government agencies and shadowy
requests, on their behalf." Frank said that by writing his book he "dared to do the
unthinkable and reveal ongoing corruption and war crimes being committed by
persons working under the color of authority…"

Did Frank Dux sue Soldier of Fortune Magazine for attempting to smear his
military past?
Yes. The real Frank Dux sued Soldier of Fortune Magazine for defamation of
character after they praised B.G. Burkett's book (see above) and published a
photo of Lance Corporal Dux wearing Navy jump wings and four rows of
ribbons headed by a Navy Cross, calling him a wannabe. Dux says that he and
Soldier of Fortune publisher Robert K. Brown were intending to launch similar
movie projects, and that Brown wanted to discredit his competition so that his
own project would succeed (jameshom.com). In his court declaration, Dux
explained the photo of himself in the Marine costume by stating, "…it was
snapped on my way to a fraternity costume party, when I was still in college or
shortly, thereafter." This fact is corroborated in Dux's complaint by the
declaration of Jeff Stromph, one of several eyewitnesses who attended the party
(Dux Declaration, Dux vs. Soldier of Fortune Magazine).

Where can I read more about the Frank Dux controversy?

Frank Dux does not shy away from responding to his critics, including those
individuals who he feels have slandered him or misrepresented his past, as
evidenced in Frank Dux v. Robert Brown, Alexander McColl, Larry Baily and
Soldier Of Fortune Magazine, Case No: BC198883, Superior Court Of
California, Los Angeles County. "I have done everything in my power within
reason to correct any misconceptions being made about me," Frank stated in his
declaration, "not only being spun by my fans but through journalists who have,
innocently, made reports of my being a decorated Vietnam veteran, based upon
the erroneous facts attributed to me in articles they use for their research."
(FrankDux.net) To learn more about the controversy regarding Frank Dux's
past, including events chronicled in his book The Secret Man, visit the
controversy section of his official Dux Ryu website.

Have any other fighters claimed to have fought in the Kumite?

Actor Bolo Yeung poses on the set with Muay

Thai Champion and fellow Bloodsport star
Paulo Tocha (right), "Paco" in the movie.
In addition to Frank becoming the first American to win the Kumite, a handful
of other fighters have come forward with regard to participating in the event.
Perhaps the most notable is Irving Soto, who's resume includes being an 8-time
middleweight World Kumite Champion, holding the title from 1973-1980.

In an interview with Martial Arts Illustrated, Frank said that on the Bloodsport
movie set, some of the crew and producers had the opportunity to hear
eyewitness accounts of various unsanctioned Kumite fighting events, told by
various fighters and champions who were present on the set. This included
Muay Thai Champion Paulo Tocha, who portrays the character Paco in the
movie. Frank said that Swedish Karate Champion Kurt Peterson was also
present to share his Kumite stories (Martial Arts Illustrated).

Did Frank Dux create his own martial arts fighting style?
Yes. Frank created Dux Ryu Ninjitsu, a practical fighting style that builds on
one's own strengths and weaknesses. He has also developed a system that he
calls FASST/Dux Ryu, which strives to teach the individual an effective
approach to conflict resolution. -FrankDux.net

Where can I find the songs from the movie and who sings them?

The songs from

the movie can be
found on the
Bloodsport
soundtrack.
Most of the Bloodsport songs from the movie can be found on the Bloodsport
Soundtrack. The song in which the singers chant "Kumite" is called "Fight to
Survive" by Stan Bush. The slower soft-rock song is called "On My Own -
Alone," also sung by Stan Bush.

Did the real Frank Dux come up with the movie's title, 'Bloodsport'?
"My original contract with producer Mark Disalle, the fact I retain full literary
rights to my story and the film title Bloodsport in literature, memorializes I was
the first to use and invent the term Bloodsport regarding martial art competition,
in the mid 1970's," says Dux.

In a radio interview from On The Edge hosted by Kelly S. Worden, Frank talked
about how he came up with the movie's title years earlier when he was nineteen
and fighting in a junkyard in Tijuana, "I'm a young kid and I'm getting really
kinda nervous and I... the one way I fight... for me I fight my feelings of
nervousness is I use a lot of humor sometimes...and so I immediately started
doing this Howard Cosell imitation and said 'Here we are'..ya know...'at the Red
Cross'..you know..'blood drive' ya know. 'Bloodsport... where everyone's
guaranteed to give an ounce.' ..you know [laughs]...and that's where that whole
term came from. And then we're sitting around with Mark DiSalle he says...he
was trying to think of a name and a title for the movie and I said, 'well why don't
you just call it Bloodsport.'" Listen to the entire radio interview below.

Have any sequels ever been made to the movie Bloodsport?

Daniel Bernhardt
replaced Van Damme
in the sequels.
Yes. In 1996, Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite was released direct-to-video. The
movie featured Daniel Bernhardt, Pat Morita, and Donald Gibb, who reprised
his role as Ray 'Tiny' Jackson from the first Bloodsport movie. Jackson was the
only returning character. In the following years, Bloodsport 3 and Bloodsport 4
were released in 1997 and the latter in 1999. Both films featured Swiss actor and
martial artist Daniel Bernhardt in the lead role.

Has Frank Dux appeared in any major motion pictures?

Yes, but as a stunt coordinator and stunt player. For example, Frank Dux
appears in the 1993 film Only The Strong as the welder fighting Mark Dacascos,
who climactically had a car dropped on him. He appeared in Force Five
opposite Richard Norton. Frank Dux states that he was trained by Stuntman Hall
of Fame legends Boyd 'Red' Morgan and Hubie Kerns, who taught motion
picture fighting to Bruce Lee and became head of training for the Canadian
Stuntman's Association in the 1980's.

Apparently, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has it all wrong, as the same
Frank Dux behind Bloodsport is not the same Frank Dux who appeared as the
"Old Man in Car" in the 1986 cult classic Highlander, nor is he the same Frank
Dux who is listed as being "Patient #2" in the 1986 movie Little Shop of
Horrors, among other credits.

Frank Dux Radio Interview:

Radio host and martial artist Kelly S. Worden interviewed the real Frank Dux on
May 1, 2004 on his show "On the Edge". Over the course of the near hour-long
interview that you'll hear below, Dux attempts to answer some of the
controversial questions that surround his life. It's worth listening to even though
Worden never really presses Dux for the truth, nor does he dig deep enough into
the controversy.

Listen to the Frank Dux Interview - MP3 Format, 56:24

Listen to the Frank Dux Interview - Windows Media, 56:24

Frank Dux Video and Interviews

Meet the real life Frank Dux portrayed by Jean-Claude Van Damme in the
movie Bloodsport. The Frank Dux videos below show the martial artist
punching through bulletproof glass, moving with an opponent while blindfolded,
and teaching a teenager who had been confined to a wheelchair.

Frank Dux Blindfold Demonstration 2008

Dux wears a blindfold and uses his senses to
follow and anticipate a student's movements. The
martial artist came into the public eye in the late
1980s with the release of the movie Bloodsport,
based on events in his life.
Frank Dux on That's Incredible
Martial artist Frank Dux appears on the TV show
That's Incredible in the early 1980s. The episode
shows Dux teaching Les, a determined sixteen
year old young man, who was turned away by
other martial arts instructors.
Frank Dux Bulletproof Glass Video
Watch martial artist Frank Dux, subject of the
movie Bloodsport, break a pane of bulletproof
glass with his fist. He also crushes a Jack
Daniel's bottle with his hand and kicks through
two wine bottles. Video is from his performance
at the 1993 International Martial Arts Festival at
Bercy Stadium in Paris.
Frank Dux Interview
King 5 News interviews Frank Dux, the real life
individual behind Jean-Claude Van Damme's
character in Bloodsport. Frank addresses the
controversy surrounding his accomplishments,
including an explanation of the physics behind
smashing a Jack Daniel's bottle.
 Frank Dux Interview by Justin Harvey -
Part 1
Fan Justin Harvey interviews Frank Dux about
the movie, his book The Secret Man, the
controversy surrounding his life, and also what
he's doing today. They discuss how the movie
Bloodsport came to be, including the film's title.
Frank Dux Interview by Justin Harvey -
Part 2
Watch Part 2 of fan Justin Harvey's interview
with martial artist Frank Dux. In this segment,
the controversy surrounding the Kumite trophy is
addressed. Justin also asks Frank about his
current projects, which include a film and a book.
Frank Dux Interview by Justin Harvey -
Part 3
See the closing segment of Justin Harvey's
interview. Justin tells Frank that he has nothing
left to prove, and Frank responds by offering his
final thoughts on those individuals on the internet
and elsewhere who have attempted to discredit
his achievements.

Link-to-Learn More:
1980 Black Belt Magazine Frank Dux Interview Via Google Book Search
Martial Arts Magazine Frank Dux Interview
Frank Dux vs. Jean-Claude Van Damme Trial on CourtTV.com
Frank Dux's MySpace Page
FrankDux.net - Offers Military and Court Documents Related to Frank