Editing Jean-Claude Van Damme (section)

=== Early 1970s to 1980: Martial arts and first film appearance ===

At the age of 12,<ref>Katherine Drobot Lawrence. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PlXN3oyymPsC&q=Jean-Claude+Van+Damme ''Jean-Claude Van Damme''] (The Rosen Publishing Group, 2002), p. 11.</ref> Van Damme joined the ''Centre National de Karaté'' (National Center of Karate) under the guidance of Claude Goetz in Belgium. Van Damme trained for four years and he earned a spot on the Belgian Karate Team; he later trained in full-contact karate and kickboxing with Dominique Valera.<ref name=StarSystem1>[http://www.starsystemkickboxing.net/Pages/JeanClaudeVanDamme.aspx "Standardized Tournaments And Ratings System Historic Kickboxing Ring Records"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801014538/http://www.starsystemkickboxing.net/Pages/JeanClaudeVanDamme.aspx |date=1 August 2012 }}. The Star System. 8 March 1980. Retrieved 3 April 2012.</ref> According to Van Damme, "it was tough growing up. I was kind of geeky, and physically I was not gifted".<ref name=Raz1>Razvi, Sam. [https://www.coachweb.com/exercises/celebrity-workouts/2116/jean-claude-van-damme-expendables-2-interview "Jean-Claude van Damme Expendables 2 interview"], ''Coach'', published 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2021.</ref>

At the age of 15, he started his competitive karate career in Belgium. From 1976 to 1980, he compiled a record of 44 victories and four defeats in tournament and non-tournament semi-contact matches.

He was a member of the Belgium Karate Team when it won the European Karate Championship on 26 December 1979 at La Coupe François Persoons Karate Tournament in Brussels.<ref name=StarSystem1/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jcvandamme.net/cnk/Anglais/CNKen/cnken.html |title=CNK – Centre National de Karaté |publisher=Jcvandamme.net |access-date=20 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423042708/http://www.jcvandamme.net/cnk/Anglais/CNKen/cnken.html |archive-date=23 April 2009}}</ref>

He placed second at the Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials). At the three-day tournament, he defeated 25 opponents before losing in the finals to teammate Angelo Spataro.<ref name=StarSystem1/>

On 8 March 1980, in Brussels, Belgium, he competed against his former teammate Patrick Teugels at the Forest National Arena on the undercard of the Dan Macaruso-Dominique Valera [[Professional Karate Association]] Light-Heavyweight World Championship bout.<ref name=StarSystem1/> Prior to this match, Teugels had defeated Van Damme twice by decision, including a match for the Belgium Lightweight Championship. Van Damme had a 1977 victory over Teugels. Teugels was coming off an impressive showing at the [[World Association of Kickboxing Organizations]] World Championships four months earlier, and was favored by some to win this match. According to reports, and Patrick Teugels' own interview (with photos), Teugels lost to Van Damme by [[Technical knockout|TKO]] in the 1st round. Teugels was kicked in the nose and was unable to continue as a result.<ref name=StarSystem1/> In a 2013 interview, Van Damme called this fight his most memorable match.<ref>[http://asianmoviepulse.com/2013/06/king-of-kung-fu-presents-the-jean-claude-van-damme-interview/ "King Of Kung Fu Presents: The Jean Claude Van Damme Interview"]. Asian Movie Pulse. 13 June 2013.</ref>

He began his full-contact career in 1977, when Claude Goetz promoted the first ever full-contact karate tournament in Belgium.

From 1977 to 1982, he compiled a record of 18 victories (18 knockouts) and one defeat. {{Citation needed|reason=previous link broken|date=February 2018}}

In 1979, he had an uncredited role in [[André Delvaux]]'s ''[[Woman Between Wolf and Dog]]'', a Belgian-French [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] starring [[Marie-Christine Barrault]], and [[Rutger Hauer]].

In 1980, he caught the attention of ''Professional Karate Magazine'' publisher and editor Mike Anderson and multiple European champion Geert Lemmens. Both men tabbed Van Damme as an upcoming prospect.<ref name=FightingArts>Warrener, Don (15 August 2011). [http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=320 "Jean Claude van Damme: Behind The Public Image"]. FightingArts.com. Retrieved 3 April 2012.</ref> Van Damme retired from competition in 1982.

During his early life, he sold flowers in restaurants, and got a loan to open a gym to save some money before his move to the United States.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/bqYh3dlKTOY Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190303230734/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqYh3dlKTOY&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqYh3dlKTOY#t=3m19s|title=Jean-Claude Van Damme Reveals Why He Left 'Predator'|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=1 March 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Aptly titled ''California Gym'', it was opened in 1979 and catered to "karate, dancing, aerobics, bodybuilding – everything". Van Damme adds that "I wrote special training programs for people, and it was a very upbeat atmosphere with music". At its peak, ''California Gym'' was making $15,000 per month; "when I decided to sell my gym my father thought I was crazy. He said, 'What the hell are you doing? You have the best gym in Brussels. You have a sports car, a beautiful apartment, you're making so much money that you can have anything you want — and now you're going to sell your business and go to America'. He was very upset".<ref name=bh1z>Fighter Magazine. [https://www.backkicks.com/jean-claude-van-damme-interview-1988/ "Jean-Claude van Damme Interview"], ''Fighter International Magazine'', published December 1988. Retrieved 31 May 2023.</ref>