Why VAN DAMME is the BEST Onscreen Fighter EVER! / JCVD Top Martial Arts Movie Star!

In this Video I lay out my 5 reasons why Jean-Claude Van Damme is the best onscreen martial arts fighter period. I've put a lot of thought into this, so it's not just pure fanboyism speaking.

We’ve had a lot of great on-screen fighters truly showcasing exceptional martial arts talent throughout the decades both on the big screen as well as the small screen. Of course, Bruce Lee’s name should come up in any discussion. Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, newer guys like Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White. Oh, and let’s not forget the guys I talked about in my video series on the Top 5 martial arts movies stars of the 90s who weren’t Jean-Claude Van Damme or Steven Seagal.

See that video here:
https://youtu.be/_cyqLMZ7vL0

I’ve watched a lot their movies and martial arts movies in general and I’m gonna tell you why I stick to this, what some of you may call a bold claim, that Jean-Claude Van Damme IS the Best onscreen fighter period.

Here the the Reasons as I plead the case as to why Van Damme is the best action movie star:
02:36 Reason 1: The Man himself!
06:45 Reason 2: The Martial Arts Background
09:20 Reason 3: Presentation
11:34 Reason 4: Acting within the Fight Scene
13:17 Reason 5: The Sound
14:11 Summary

Number 1: This should be the most obvious reason and come as no surprise; the man himself! Now, since cinema is a visual medium, a good onscreen fighter should definitely look the part, which Van Damme clearly does. He’s always looked to be in “fighting shape”, unlike some of his contemporaries.

Number 2: So nobody could even be considered as being the best onscreen fighter unless they actually had some sort of martial arts background, skill and training. And Van Damme’s goes back to 1971, when he was 11 years. He started in Shotokan Karate and earned his black belt at the age of 18. He’s also trained in Taekwondo and Muay Thai kickboxing. But it would be his training in ballet in conjunction with the karate and his ability to seamlessly combine the 2 art forms that really set him apart.

Number 3 Presentation. As far as Van Damme movies go, at least in what I like to call the golden era, which I consider the late 80’s to early 90s. They were truly a showcase for his martial arts skills and were presented in such a way that I consider it cinematic perfection.

Number 4 on the list is where the actual acting within the fight scene comes into play. And this is vastly different from the fight choreography itself. It’s everything that happens before the move and after the move, which is often what audiences remember. Leaves a lasting impact. It’s the set up; it’s the reactions.

Number 5: The sound; there are 2 entirely different things at play here.
1) One of the most iconic things bout Van Damme is the sounds he makes while fighting; it’s also something Bruce Lee has done extremely well; in fact, I can’t even think of another guy who does this, at least not to the degree where it’s memorable and iconic. It just adds that extra level and you can tell their deeply involved and entrenched in the fight.
2) The other aspect has to do with the sound design of the film itself, this kinda ties back into the presentation. Where you can feel the impact; the deep bass of a Van Damme knockout compared to the higher hallow treble of so many Hong Kong martial arts films; its like Sticks versus Cannons.

Видео Why VAN DAMME is the BEST Onscreen Fighter EVER! / JCVD Top Martial Arts Movie Star! канала Viking Samurai