The Art of Kicking Part 4: Hollywood Kickin’

While Asia has been an area where action films, notably martial arts films are a part of their repertoire, the United States has had its share of martial arts film glory, beginning with the 1970’s, at a time where a majority of the popular cinema would come from re-dubbed Asian martial arts films notably from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, to the good ol’ American filmmaking that is “blaxploitation”.

While blaxploitation and kung fu were still on the rise, America began to take note and would begin churning out their own martial arts action pictures. One of the first good ol’ American superkickers in cinema was an Oklahoma-born tang soo do stylist and karate champion who got his start taking on the legendary Bruce Lee in WAY OF THE DRAGON (1972). His name was Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris began training in the Korean art of tang soo do while serving in the United States Air Force. He would go on to become a champion in full contact karate as well as point karate tournaments. In 1972, he was hired personally by the late Bruce Lee to play American champion Colt in WAY OF THE DRAGON. Their climatic battle is still hailed as one of the all-time greatest fight scenes in film history. In 1974, Norris tried his hand again with playing the villain in the Lo Wei-directed SLAUGHTER IN SAN FRANCISCO, where he took on a newcomer by the name of Don Wong Tao. However, the film was shelved until 1981, where Norris became a successful action film star.

Norris earned his first starring role in BREAKER! BREAKER! (1977), an uninspired cross between SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and any classic kung fu film out during that time. Norris played J.D. Dawes, a trucker who uses martial arts to rescue his little brother from a corrupt mayor in a redneck town. Norris choreographed the fight sequences himself, but proved to be the only capable kicker in the entire film. He would follow it up with the more successful GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK (1978) and A FORCE OF ONE (1979), where he took on former world kickboxing champion Bill “Superfoot” Wallace.

During the early 80’s Norris kicked his way with playing a Ninja in THE OCTAGON (1980), avenged his master’s death in AN EYE FOR AN EYE (1981), and took on Hong Kong gangsters in FORCED VENGEANCE (1982), and use martial arts against an unstoppable killer in SILENT RAGE (1982). Shortly after, Norris took on KUNG FU star David Carradine in LONE WOLF MCQUADE (1983).

During the mid-1980’s Norris found himself mainly working on films that emphasized less on kicking and more on firepower. However, he furthered his status as the American hero with films like MISSING IN ACTION (1984), INVASION U.S.A. (1985), and THE DELTA FORCE (1986). Norris would make two more installments of MISSING IN ACTION, in which he dedicated the films to his late brother Wieland, who was killed during the Vietnam War, the setting of the trilogy. He would go on to make a sequel to DELTA FORCE in 1990, before his big television break for eight seasons as the titled character WALKER: TEXAS RANGER.

In 2003, Norris made his final film to date, THE CUTTER, opposite martial artist and actor Daniel Bernhardt (BLOODSPORT 2-4). In 2006, Norris founded the World Combat League, a new full contact karate organization that emphasized on combining kickboxing, full-contact karate, and tae kwon do. The WCL has been successful to this very day and Norris has been promoting martial arts as well and the occasional Total Gym informercial.

One of the most famous superkickers in Hollywood doesn’t come from the United States, but rather, from Brussels, Belgium. As a young boy, Jean-Claude Van Varenberg, as he was born, was skinny and weak. He would train in karate under the tutelage of Claude Goetz. However, the young man persevered and won the European Middleweight Karate Championship. In the early 80’s, the young man attempted to go to Hollywood under the name “Frank Cujo”. However, the name didn’t sound right and it was while working as a stuntman on Chuck Norris’ MISSING IN ACTION where he would be given the name that would become his known name in films: Jean-Claude Van Damme.

In 1985, Van Damme would get his first taste of martial arts mayhem when he scored the role of Ivan Krushinski in the Hong Kong-U.S. crossover cult classic NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER. While Van Damme only appears in the opening and finale, he makes a true impact showcasing his impressive kicking skills, even accidentally knocking out Peter “Sugarfoot” Cunningham during their fight in the movie.

In 1987, Van Damme was playing the titled role in the sci-fi adventure PREDATOR when he met Cannon Films producer Menahem Golan. Golan was impressed at Van Damme’s demo of kicking and invited him to play the lead in a new martial arts tournament film entitled BLOODSPORT. Van Damme left PREDATOR and traveled to Hong Kong to shoot the martial arts action film, which co-starred Bolo Yeung as Van Damme’s nemesis, Chong Li. The film was a hit at the box office and Van Damme’s rise to fame soon began.

Van Damme has had his share of hits and misses. Hits included CYBORG (1989), DEATH WARRANT (1990), and UNIVERSAL SOLDIER (1992) while misses included the dreadful STREET FIGHTER (1994) and SUDDEN DEATH (1995). Even working with legendary Hong Kong directors Tsui Hark (DOUBLE TEAM (1997)) and Ringo Lam (MAXIMUM RISK (1997)) all failed at the box office and with a combination of a faded career and personal problems, Van Damme looked to be disappearing from the spotlight.

However, Van Damme has made a major comeback thanks to the very popular straight-to-DVD circuit. Films like Ringo Lam’s IN HELL (2003), WAKE OF DEATH (2005), and recently, THE SHEPHERD (2008), have shown that Van Damme isn’t planning on leaving anytime soon. He continues to make films, recently directing his first film in 13 years, THE EAGLE PATH.

In the B-movie circuit during the late 1980’s to late 90’s, there was a trend of champion martial artists becoming actors in martial arts action films. In 1987, a search for a new lead actor in a sequel to a cult classic led to Loren Avedon, a tae kwon do and hapkido stylist, who began his training at the age of seventeen. He would go on to train under Jun Chong and Phillip Rhee when one day, Seasonal Films executive Roy Horan entered the school and was looking for someone to star in NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 2: RAGING THUNDER. Avedon was cast in the lead and signed a 3-picture deal with Seasonal.

While Avedon made NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 2 (1987) and NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 3: BLOOD BROTHERS (1989), it was the final picture in the contract, KING OF THE KICKBOXERS (1990) that truly shot him to true action star status. In the film, Avedon plays a cop on the verge of revenge when the snuff film ring he must stop is led by the man who killed his brother ten years earlier. The film some impressive martial artistry from Avedon and co-stars Billy Blanks and Keith Hirabayashi.

Since KING OF THE KICKBOXERS, Avedon has split time working on films such as DEADLY RANSOM (1997), which he also produced, and occasional television appearances. This included a memorable villain role on an episode of BAYWATCH, where he played an old rival from Mitch Buchanan’s military days. Avedon had the chance to show off his kicking skills against David Hasselhoff. Today, Avedon works with a charity organization as well as working on some upcoming film projects that he hopes to get off the ground.

One of Loren Avedon’s teachers, Phillip Rhee, was a protégé of Grandmaster Jun Chong along with older brother Simon Rhee. Phillip and Simon made their debut as henchmen of the late Master Bong Soo Han’s Klahn character in the hilarious spoof classic KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE (1977). The brothers would work on lesser fare, but Rhee made a small name for himself with a lead role in L.A. STREET FIGHTERS (1985). The duo would play rivals in SILENT ASSASSINS (1988), but none of that compared to their big on-screen match the following year.

BEST OF THE BEST (1989), a drama within a martial arts team training for competition in Korea, really highlighted the talents of the Rhee Brothers. Phillip, who co-starred and produced the film, played Tommy, a member of the U.S. Karate Team whose past comes back to haunt him when he must take on his brother’s murderer in the team competition. While the film showcased the acting talents of veterans Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, and Sally Kirkland, it was Phillip Rhee who clearly steals the show.

The climatic fight pits Tommy against Dae-Han, played by Simon Rhee. The brothers’ climatic fight, which takes place in Korea, showcases the art of tae kwon do in tournament style form and the Rhees show their best work here under the supervision of elder brother Simon. Since then, the brothers worked together again, this time reprising their roles as allies in BEST OF THE BEST 2 (1992) while Rhee would go on to direct the third and fourth chapter of Tommy Lee’s adventures.

While Phillip took time off to work primarily in children’s programming, Simon has made a name for himself as a stuntman and stunt coordinator, working on films like LETHAL WEAPON 4 (1998) and the SUBSTITUTE series (1992-2001), starring Tom Berenger in the original, then Treat Williams in the sequels. Rhee can be visible in films such as RUSH HOUR 2 (2001) alongside James Lew and appeared in the introduction sequence of the kung fu spoof KUNG POW! ENTER THE FIST (2002).

In the 1990’s, British kickboxer Gary Daniels made a name for himself when he got to work opposite Jackie Chan in CITY HUNTER (1992), a Hong Kong film directed by Wong Jing. Chan and Daniels got to take each other in a spoof of the video game STREET FIGHTER II. Daniels played Ken, while Chan starts out as E. Honda and then, Chun Li?! Daniels would make a little impact prior with a brief role in RING OF FIRE (1991), the first of a trilogy of action films that starred world kickboxing champion Don “The Dragon” Wilson as a kickboxing doctor.

Daniels trained in various forms of martial arts, from tae kwon do to Mongolian-style kung fu. Daniels began his film career in the Philippines, but came to America to restart after the films he made in the Asian country were pretty much forgettable. After RING OF FIRE, Daniels signed with Cine Excel Films and starred in CAPITAL PUNISHMENT (1991), followed by AMERICAN STREETFIGHTER (1992). It was during Daniels’ third picture with Cine Excel, FULL IMPACT (1992), that he went to Hong Kong to appear in CITY HUNTER and a brief fight against Moon Lee in MISSION OF JUSTICE (1993).

Upon returning to Hollywood, Daniels co-starred in FIREPOWER (1993), opposite Steve McQueen’s son Chad and former wrestler James “Warrior” Hellwig, who played the villain of the film. After that film, Daniels cut his trademark long blond locks and starred in the underrated DEADLY TARGET (1994) as a Hong Kong cop who must extradite a Triad boss in Los Angeles. It was the first of many Daniels’ starring roles for L.A.-based PM Entertainment, the same company responsible for RING OF FIRE. Films like RAGE (1995), RIOT (1996), and RECOIL (1997) solidified Daniels’ career as a big star in the B-movie circuit.

In 1997, Daniels signed on to star in BLOODMOON, which marked Hong Kong-based Seasonal Films’ final crossover to the United States. In the film, Daniels teamed up with American wushu expert and actor Chuck Jeffreys as a New York City cop who tracks down a martial arts fighting killer, played by British martial artist Darren Shahlavi, who like Daniels, had success in Hong Kong. Under the choreography of Tony Leung Siu-Hung, Daniels, Jeffreys, and Shahlavi showcased some impressive martial artistry on the screen.

Daniels continues to appear in films, including a short fight with Steven Seagal in SUBMERGED (2006) and a role as Bryan Fury in the soon-to-be released adaptation of TEKKEN (2009).

When it comes to superior kicking techniques in films in the 21st Century, one name seems to be rising above the rest. His influenced was one of Hollywood’s greatest superkickers and in fact, got to take on his idol in a recent film. His name is Scott Adkins.

Adkins was influenced in studying martial arts in 1987 after seeing Jean-Claude Van Damme’s BLOODSPORT. Trained in judo, karate and tae kwon do, Scott got his start in Hong Kong, where he appeared as a competitor in EXTREME CHALLENGE (2001) and Jackie Chan’s THE ACCIDENTAL SPY before nabbing the lead villain role against newcomer Andy On in BLACK MASK 2: CITY OF MASKS (2002). Scott ended his Hong Kong career with a role as a henchman in another Jackie Chan film, THE MEDALLION (2003).

Shortly after, Adkins went to Bulgaria to shoot SPECIAL FORCES (2003) for director Isaac Florentine. Under the supervision of Alpha Stunts member Akihiro “Yuji” Noguchi, Adkins was able to display hat he can really do in terms of his martial arts skills and his climatic fight against Russian-born martial artist and circus performer Vladik Jakucevicius was just the beginning of Adkins’ expectations. Scott would appear in a non-fighting role in PIT FIGHTER (2004) as well as appear in British television series such as HOLBY CITY.

In 2006, Isaac Florentine was working on a sequel to the 2002 Walter Hill film UNDISPUTED, starring Ving Rhames and Wesley Snipes. Instead of boxing, Florentine would use martial arts as the sport of the prison film. He casted Scott as the antagonist Yuri Boyka. Adding 20 pounds of muscle to play Boyka, the action pitted Scott against Michael Jai White. Fans all over the place found Adkins to be the true new breakout star with the film and it was a success.

A hit on the DVD market, Scott would be the name to talk about. The film would result in Scott appearing briefly in THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (2007) opposite Matt Damon and appears as Weapon XI in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE opposite Hugh Jackman. Adkins works with Isaac Florentine again on NINJA (2009) and currently, the sequel UNDISPUTED 3, where his character from the previous installmen, Boyka, is now the protagonist.

While many martial artists in Hollywood would rely on both their punching and kicking, the aforementioned were perhaps the biggest names in the art of mainly kicking in Hollywood action films, whether it was the big A-list film or the straight-to-video B-circuit. Nevertheless, in the world of superkickers, these guys have shown that Asia is not the only place in martial arts cinema that is “kicking”.