Also known as

Description

Belgian martial artist and actor best known as an action film star. He took up karate in Brussels at age 11 under Claude Goetz at the school that became the Centre National de Karate, earned his Shotokan black belt from Goetz in 1978, and briefly trained in full-contact kickboxing with Dominique Valera. He then built a competitive record in semi-contact karate (44 wins, 4 losses, 1976-1980) and kickboxing (18 wins, 1 loss, 1977-1982) before moving to the United States to pursue acting.

Teachers (2)

• Cl
  Claude Goetz

  linkShotokan 3

  Confirmed

  Van Damme has consistently named Goetz as his original and principal instructor in multiple interviews across three decades

  sports_kabaddiCentre National de Karate badge (1971-1978)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources

  fact_check

  Van Damme has consistently named Goetz as his original and principal instructor in multiple interviews across three decades

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "I started training in Brussels [Belgium] when I was 11, in 1971. [...] My original instructor, Claude Goetz, taught three styles. He adapted karate to your anatomy."

  — Corcoran, John. (1988). Jean-Claude Van Damme Interview (Fighter International, November 1988) linkinfo

  "He received his black belt in Shotokan karate from Claude Goetz in 1978 and briefly studied kickboxing in Paris with French karate king Dominique Valera."

  — Corcoran, John. (1988). Jean-Claude Van Damme Interview (Fighter International, November 1988) linkinfo

  "He was like my second father. His name was Claude Goetz. He's a Belgian fellow and a wonderful man."

  — Colasanti, Rob. (2004). Up Close and Personal with Jean Claude (Martial Arts Professional)linkhistoryinfo

  "I enrolled in Claude Goetz's Shotokan karate school in my hometown in Belgium. I was just eleven years old at the time."

  — How Karate Changed My Life (Jean-Claude Van Damme) linkhistoryinfo
• Do
  Dominique Valera

  (1977-1980)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  Van Damme confirms training with Valera in the 1988 Fighter interview, and later sources corroborate brief full-contact work with Valera in the late 1970s

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Fighter: "Didn't you also train with France's Dominique Valera, Europe's counterpart to America's Joe Lewis?" Van Damme: "Yes, I trained with him for a few weeks.""

  — Corcoran, John. (1988). Jean-Claude Van Damme Interview (Fighter International, November 1988) linkinfo

  "At the age of 12, Van Damme joined the Centre National de Karate (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."

  — Jean-Claude Van Damme - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

Ranks (1)

• linkShotokan

  military_tech2 dan 2

  Probable

  Black belt received from Goetz in 1978 is well attested; the 2nd dan grade is reported by the English Wikipedia but its date and granting authority are not documented

  Dan-Kyu System

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  Black belt received from Goetz in 1978 is well attested; the 2nd dan grade is reported by the English Wikipedia but its date and granting authority are not documented

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "He received his black belt in Shotokan karate from Claude Goetz in 1978."

  — Corcoran, John. (1988). Jean-Claude Van Damme Interview (Fighter International, November 1988) linkinfo

  "He eventually earned his black belt in karate at 18, and earned the rank of 2nd-dan."

  — Jean-Claude Van Damme - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

Honors (1)

• receipt_longEuropean Professional Karate Association (EPKA) middleweight champion 1balance

  Uncertain - conflicting evidence recorded

  Contested claim. The English Wikipedia states Van Damme won the middleweight championship of the European Professional Karate Association in 1979, but the French Wikipedia asserts he won no karate title, characterizing the official biography's Belgian and European light-contact titles (1978) and WAKO world run in Florida (1979, where he was eliminated by Patrick Teugels) as unsubstantiated. Recorded as an asserted title with one supporting and one denying source.

  Title (1979)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  Contested claim. The English Wikipedia states Van Damme won the middleweight championship of the European Professional Karate Association in 1979, but the French Wikipedia asserts he won no karate title, characterizing the official biography's Belgian and European light-contact titles (1978) and WAKO world run in Florida (1979, where he was eliminated by Patrick Teugels) as unsubstantiated. Recorded as an asserted title with one supporting and one denying source.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "As a teenager, he won the middleweight championship of the European Professional Karate Association in 1979 and the Mr. Belgium bodybuilding title in 1978."

  — Jean-Claude Van Damme - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

  blockdisputes

  "Jean-Claude Van Damme ne possède aucun titre de karaté."

  — Jean-Claude Van Damme - Wikipedia (français). Wikipedia (French)linkinfo

Sources