Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (born 18 October 1960),
known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (French pronunciation:
​[Ê'É'̃ klod vÉ'̃ dam], Dutch: [vÉ'n ˈdÉ'mÉ™]) and JCVD, is a
Belgian actor and retired martial artist best known for his martial
arts action films. His most popular projects include Bloodsport
(1988), Cyborg (1989), Kickboxer (1989), Lionheart (1990), Death
Warrant (1990), Double Impact (1991), Universal Soldier (1992),
Nowhere to Run (1993), Hard Target (1993), Timecop (1994), Street
Fighter (1994), Sudden Death (1995), The Quest (1996), Maximum Risk
(1996), JCVD (2008), Jean-Claude van Johnson (2016â€"2017 series), and
The Bouncer (2018).Van Damme was born Jean-Claude Camille François
van Varenberg, on 18 October 1960, in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels,
Belgium, the son of Eliana and Eugène van Varenberg, who was an
accountant and florist. His father is from Brussels and bilingual, and
his mother is Flemish (Dutch-speaking). The Roman Catholic Van Damme's
paternal grandmother was Jewish.He began martial arts at the age of
ten, enrolled by his father in a ShÅ tÅ kan karate school. His styles
consist of ShÅ tÅ kan Karate and Kickboxing. He eventually earned his
black belt in karate at 18. He started lifting weights to improve his
physique, which eventually led to a Mr. Belgium bodybuilding title. At
the age of 16, he took up ballet, which he studied for five years.
According to Van Damme, ballet "is an art, but it's also one of the
most difficult sports. If you can survive a ballet workout, you can
survive a workout in any other sport." Later he took up both Taekwondo
and Muay Thai.
known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (French pronunciation:
​[Ê'É'̃ klod vÉ'̃ dam], Dutch: [vÉ'n ˈdÉ'mÉ™]) and JCVD, is a
Belgian actor and retired martial artist best known for his martial
arts action films. His most popular projects include Bloodsport
(1988), Cyborg (1989), Kickboxer (1989), Lionheart (1990), Death
Warrant (1990), Double Impact (1991), Universal Soldier (1992),
Nowhere to Run (1993), Hard Target (1993), Timecop (1994), Street
Fighter (1994), Sudden Death (1995), The Quest (1996), Maximum Risk
(1996), JCVD (2008), Jean-Claude van Johnson (2016â€"2017 series), and
The Bouncer (2018).Van Damme was born Jean-Claude Camille François
van Varenberg, on 18 October 1960, in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels,
Belgium, the son of Eliana and Eugène van Varenberg, who was an
accountant and florist. His father is from Brussels and bilingual, and
his mother is Flemish (Dutch-speaking). The Roman Catholic Van Damme's
paternal grandmother was Jewish.He began martial arts at the age of
ten, enrolled by his father in a ShÅ tÅ kan karate school. His styles
consist of ShÅ tÅ kan Karate and Kickboxing. He eventually earned his
black belt in karate at 18. He started lifting weights to improve his
physique, which eventually led to a Mr. Belgium bodybuilding title. At
the age of 16, he took up ballet, which he studied for five years.
According to Van Damme, ballet "is an art, but it's also one of the
most difficult sports. If you can survive a ballet workout, you can
survive a workout in any other sport." Later he took up both Taekwondo
and Muay Thai.
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