Remember ‘Kickboxer’?? Aside from ‘Bloodsport’ this was the flick that made Van Damme a household name. But with all his fancy kicks and splits in the air, it was really the character of Tong Po who left a lasting impression. The fact that most Americans back then had no idea what Muay Thai was made it even more realistic to accept Tong Po’s character. I mean, he was strong, looked deadly and had devastating kicks, so devastating that he could kick walls. Yeah, Tong Po was one crazy Muay Thai fighter. Or was he? Looking back, I realize that Tong Po looked more like a menacing Chinese fighter, with his pigtails and shaved head, than a real Thai kickboxer. But in the end, it didn’t really matter. Think of it this way: back in the days, there was virtually no Muay Thai representation. So what if Van Damme was doing his signature splits, or that his teacher in the movie was actually Chinese, or even the fact that Tong Po was Van Damme’s personal trainer? I say, “it’s all good”, because back then, it was sort of guilty pleasure seeing two guys punish each other with power kicks, knees and elbows, not to mention the climactic use of hand rope dipped in glass.

Of course, nowadays, that kind of character misrepresentation won’t work. Or would it?? Tony Jaa reminds us of what authentic Muay Thai should be like. And while Van Damme’s character has long been forgotten, Tong Po lives on!