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The Muscles from Brussels is Back!
Posted in:
Articles by ProSource,
Superfeature Articles
By Daniel Collier
| Feb 9, 2009
At 48, Jean Claude Van Damme reflects on life, fitness,
and his most praised film to date 'JCVD'
Action movie star and former international martial arts champion
Jean Claude Van Damme is making a big screen comeback! In his recent film '
JCVD',
Van Damme portrays'¦well, himself, an aging action movie star whose
B-list status has fallen so far he's even losing roles to Steven
Seagal. Here's a short synopsis: After a failed custody battle over his
daughter, Van Damme retreats to his Belgian hometown only to stumble
into a hostage situation at a local bank. His cinematic martial arts
moves are no match for real bullets, and to make matters worse, the
police and the public believe he's the culprit, not the victim.
Unlike any of his previous roles,
Jean Claude's acting in 'JCVD' is receiving all of the attention'¦Yes, I
said his acting! In fact, Time Magazine recently called Jean Claude "A
bold, gifted actor" and awarded him the second best actor of the year
award in the magazine's annual list of top ten movie performances. New
York Magazine's David Edelstein calls the film's pivotal scene in which
Jean Claude faces the camera and reflects on his life in an agonizing,
tearful six minute monologue, "The most amazing piece of acting I've
ever seen by a martial artist."
I recently had the opportunity to
speak with Jean Claude about his new film 'JCVD' (currently open in
select cities) among other things. In seeing and speaking with the now
48 year old, two things are still very apparent: 1. He's as ambitious
as ever about life, fitness, and making movies. 2. He's as fit and
toned as he was in '
Bloodsport' and still very much deserving of the nickname "
The Muscles from Brussels".
Q: Where did the concept for your new film JCVD come from?
A:
Well the movie is based on a couple different elements. It's based on
some of the facts of my life and also it's part of a fictional story
created by a director (Mabrouk El Mechri) who gave me a lot of artistic
respect and creative freedom. The film was truly made out of heart.
The studio (Goumont) initially took
a chance on doing a movie with me as the lead without having any kicks
and punches in it. But based on the response it has received from
audiences and critics, they're risk has paid off.
Q: How long had you been thinking about making this movie?
A:
Mechri and I started talking about the idea of making a film loosely based on my life about two years ago.
Q:
The genre of the film and the role you play are very different from
most of the films you've done in the past. Given the subject matter,
were you intimidated going into filming?
A:
No, because I know who I am and what I was capable of doing. It's like
training or working out. Even as a small kid from Belgium I needed to
train to feel good physically and mentally. As you know, training,
whether it be in acting, martial arts, whatever, can give you a lot of
confidence in yourself. It has given me a lot of confidence from the
physical point of view and confidence from the mental point of view.
Q: 'JCVD' and
your performance in the film have received exceptional reviews from
fans and critics alike. How does that make you feel given how personal
the story is?
A:
Well, because of this film I was able to express myself more as a
truthful guy rather than just an action film character who's just
putting on a show or portraying an empty person. 'JVCD' is full of
life, full of feeling and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity
to put these things on the table for once in a film.
Q: How close is your portrayal of yourself in the film to real life?
A:
A piece of it was real. Some of it actually hit pretty close to home,
but much of it was fictional as well. At one point in the film I have a
seven minute nonstop monologue explaining some of the aspects of my
life story. But you know, I didn't really have enough time to explain
my entire life story which is like two cycles in a sense. However, in a
couple of years from now, I will be doing a well structured film of my
life. The film will be shot on a basic HD camera and will consist of me
speaking about my dream as a child that eventually became reality in my
adult years.
Q: For the
people who have heard your name and have seen some of your films but
really don't know much about you, can you tell us a little bit about
your background?
A:
Sure. I'm from Belgium. I was born and raised in a poor area near
downtown Brussels. Because I was born into a poor family, I truly did
appreciate going from nothing to something when I started experiencing
success with my martial arts and acting careers. I wanted to become
something to honor my parents and my country. But then when I was on
top, I really didn't see anything special. I eventually got to a point
where something really felt like nothing.
I had lost contact with society and
the streets that I had known so well as a kid. Because I was constantly
traveling all over the world, from city to city, from hotel to hotel,
it seemed I never saw the ground anymore. That is why I now make it a
point to speak with everyone I come in contact with whether it be the
woman who cleans my hotel suite or the man who parks my car. I just
enjoy meeting and speaking to all kinds of people. I'm 48 years old,
I've been all around the world, and I'm not just talking about one day
here, one day there. When you're making a movie you generally stay in
any given place for about three to four months. So I've had the
privilege of getting to enjoy various cultures, philosophies, religions
and just the human side of many different places.
Q: How were you first introduced to martial arts? Did you compete professionally?
A:
Yes, I was 11 years old when I started training in a very traditional
style of karate in Belgium. Being by far the youngest person in my
dojo, I was forced and pushed to compete with guys more than twice my
age. I was encouraged to touch their faces with my kicks and just to be
an overall better fighter. Plus, I wasn't very gifted physically, so I
had to train extra hard every day to compete and be as strong as these
much older guys. I eventually started competing under my real name 'Van
Varenberg' and I won many competitions. At the time, not many
competitors used their legs. So when I introduced the infamous leg
splits between two chairs it created a lot of buzz. The film 'Blood
Sport' eventually came as a result because the studios saw something
unique in me without the help of cable work or computer graphics.
Ultimately, I stopped competing
because of the people surrounding martial arts at the time. The
language was constantly like; "Kill him! Kick his ass!" To me karate
was too noble for that, so I left the sport.
Q: What was your training like at the time?
A:
I've always had a very addictive personality, so when I train, I really
train hard. I would bike for two hours a day through the woods, I would
spar non stop for like an hour almost every day. I followed a very
complete training program in every area and it was very rigorous. I was
doing condition, cardio, sparing, stretching, and weight lifting.
To really be good in karate, you've
got to do everything except karate in your training because when you
have the techniques of kicking and punching down, you've got to build
around it with condition, balance, and the other aspects I previously
mentioned.
Q: Has nutrition always been important to you? Did you use any vitamins/supplements when you were younger?
A:
I began training with a very smart teacher at a very early age.
Everything with him was very scientific, he was like a doctor. His
approach to nutrition and vitamins was very individualized and
structured. Some guys needed more
calcium than others, and other guys needed more
B vitamins or
protein
than others. My teacher obviously had a major impact on the way I train
and the way I view nutrition. For example, every type of car uses
different tires, different stick shifts and parts depending on the
engine power, and depending on the suspension.
I always try to use examples and
analogies to help people better understand the myths of education in
regard to training. I didn't have a great education because I left
school early, but one thing I do know about training is (Long pause), I
came to a point in my training where I just feel, and when you feel
yourself, you start to internally talk to yourself. Not talking
verbally but just feeling and listening to what your body and muscles
are telling you about what works for you. It took me years to learn how
to do this. I hurt myself many times when I was younger by not
listening to my body. I mean, I was bench pressing 166 kilo at the age
of 19, and I actually really hurt some bone structure in my wrists. The
bones and joints just aren't made for that. So now I lift and train
very slowly and precise, meticulously listening to my body.
Q: You've been know to have exceptional flexibility. Did that come naturally or did it take intense training / stretching?
A:
No, I was not flexible at all. I was like a broom that would not bend.
Then eventually that broom became a bamboo, and how exactly to do that
is very difficult and takes years of training, stretching, etc. I still
do a lot of stretching particularly yoga very frequently not only to
keep my body flexible but also because I'm a hyper guy and yoga tends
to have a very calming affect.
Q: You're now 48 years old, and you clearly still workout. What changes if any have you made to your workout routine?
A:
Just wisdom really. I'm consciously listening to my body and muscles
more now than I did when I was younger. I don't follow a piece of paper
or guidelines for how many sets or reps to do anymore. I just go by how
my body is feeling. It's better to listen to your body than to make
your body listen to some external guidelines or whatever.
Q: Do you still do a lot of weight training?
A:
Yes, I still regularly train with weights. Again, I've just learned
over the years to train very meticulously and slowly with weights. Like
with bench pressing for example, I go down very slow and precise, feel
the muscle, and come back up slow and straight. I elevate my knees
almost up to my chest so that my back is not curved at all. Let me tell
you, a person can totally change the shape of his or her body by
training very precise and correct.
Q: How important is cardio in your training?
A:
It's the most important. If you don't have any arteries to see the
muscle, you can't put on volume. So instead of taking too many
supplements to open your arteries and liquefy your blood, its good to
do cardio training to open up the veins so you have great results
faster. Plus cardio is also great for your brain because of the
increased blood flow.
Q: Given your busy schedule, how do you find the time to workout and eat the right foods?
A:
Again, I just listen to my body. One thing I've learned over the years
is that sometimes you think you're tired but you're really not. The
trick is to always go to the gym with the feeling you'll only be there
for about 10 minutes or so. Then after working out for about 10
minutes, you'll often realize you're not really all that tired and you
work out longer. But if your body is still very tired after 10 minutes,
you should listen and stop. You have to go with what I call the flavor
of the day.
Q: Has your nutrition plan changed at all over the years?
A:
I eat a lot more vegetables now I can tell you that much. I'm not quite
a vegetarian because I do still eat meat on occasions but I can't say
it enough, veggies and plant based foods are the best things for you.
Q: Have you
noticed any difference in your training, performance, stamina, etc.
since incorporating more plant based foods into your diet and less
meats?
A:
To be honest with you, it was kind of strange at first and took some
getting used to for probably about the first month or so. But my body
adjusted and I feel great now!
Q: What project or projects are you currently working on?
A:
I just finished filming a movie called 'The Eagle Path' that I wrote,
directed, financed and star in. It's a great story with a lot action
and drama. It's about a guy with a troubled past hiding from society,
living in a foreign country. It's a very strong movie and it should
hopefully be released in the U.S. some time in the summer of 2009. I
was fortunate to have some really talented people attached. My director
of photography did movies like, 'Full Metal Jacket', 'The Last of the
Mohicans', and worked with Stanley Kubrick, and Michael Mann and other
prominent directors. All of the actors in the film are brand new like I
was in Bloodsport. As you can see, I'm very excited about this film.
Q: It sounds really good, I look forward to seeing it. Do you have anything you'd like to say to our readers?
A:
Well first I'd like to thank
ProSource for sending me a package of their products.
I look forward to trying them out and training with them when I get
back to Hong Kong in a few weeks. Also, I'd like to thank the readers
because they are sports minded people and to be honest with you, I
wouldn't be where I am today without them. And I feel that '
JCVD'
will show them something completely different, that's really a new
chapter in my life as far as my movies are concerned. So again, I thank
you!
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