“He was tough as a post, short-sighted as a mole, ugly as a louse”: said Jean-Claude Van Damme in an ARTE documentary.

Whether you’re a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme, don’t miss Coup sur coup, a documentary dedicated to Arte. Because the movie aired this Friday at 10:25 PM and Available on Arte.tv Until November 11 paints a fascinating and quite exciting portrait of a man known for his very muscular films as well as his frequent appearances on television.

How did Jean-Claude Van Vaerenberg become Jean-Claude Van Damme (by the way, why is it called Van Damme?)? How did this young man from Brussels rise from a humble background to become a true icon of popular culture to even make it into a cult video game? These are the questions that Coup sur Coup aims to answer, the title of which clearly refers to the film Coups pour coups, which is carried by a body-built actor.

His first steps on the tatami (“He was stiff as a post, short-sighted as a mole, ugly as a louse”says Claude Götz, his first teacher), His training as a dancer, his arrival in the United States with Muhammad “Michelle” Kissi, his role as Chuck Norris’ sparring partner, his first successes in Bloodsport and Kickboxer, his rise to Hollywood fame, then his fall and finally his return to grace. JCVD’s life is a novel told wonderfully in the documentary Coup sur Coup.

If Coup pour coup is a real success, it’s because it’s full of delicious moments. Thus we discover that Tong Po, the kickboxer villain played by Michelle Keys, was created behind the producer’s back. Or that Van Damme saved Bloodsport by re-editing the film. Or that the Belgian imitates very well Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, other big boys with whom he has been competing for many years.

Would you like to discover a very nice portrait of Jean-Claude Van Damme, an actor who is worth much more than the caricature of which he is sometimes the subject? So don’t miss Arte’s documentary Coup sur Coup!

“JCVD” trailer: