History Film / Bloodsport

* SmugSnake: Chong Li spends essentially the entire movie with a contemptuous sneer on his face.

* MrFanservice: Van Damme is topless for much of the movie, and then there's the hotel room scene...

Starting with his childhood he accidentally earns the (mild) respect of an Asian martial arts master, Senzo Tanaka, who uses him merely as a living practice dummy for his son. When the son dies in an accident, Dux convinces Tanaka to teach him his secrets. As an adult Dux grows into a very talented, precise and flexible warrior. Learning of the Kumite, he skips out on some military obligations to participate, bringing him into conflict with his superiors.

* BloodSport: You know, "Kumite...kumite...kumite!"

* CruelMercy: Rather than kill him, Frank makes Chong Li say Matte. No fighter before Dux was able to beat him, but making him pretty much say uncle was especially humiliating. Frank was even prepared to snap his neck for refusing.

* MartialArtsHeadband: Worn by a few fighters. Notably Chong Li wears a blood red one.

* OpenShirtTaunt: In a legendary example, Frank Dux baits Paco this way, during the climax of the semi finals of the Kumite. Begins with, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiOlYZB6fEg "Come on! Come on!!"]]

** Chong Li echoes Bruce Lee's "Boards, don't hit back" statement from ''Film/EnterTheDragon'' after Dux performs an improbable brick breaking stunt to prove he was legitimately trained by his legendary master.

* SympatheticInspectorAntagonist: Helmer and Rawlins, the two policemen who want to bring Dux back to the US. They just do it because Dux deserted from the army. They do not even intend to punish him: they just want to bring him back because they are afraid he could be wounded or killed and so he could not fight any more in the US army.

* TrainingFromHell: Dux suffers a few insane training moments including having his legs stretched out in the air while hanging on rope from the limbs.

* WalkingShirtlessScene: Dux. Between the fight scenes, training scenes and bedroom scenes it's easier to count how many times you see him with a shirt than without. On the villains' side, the most clothing Chong Li wears is a cooldown robe.
* WhenYouSnatchThePebble: Taken one step further in Bloodsport. When Hussein is propositioning Janice, and meeting with no small amount of resistance, Dux steps in to resolve the situation with a wager: Hussein holds a coin (a U.S. quarter) on his outstretched palm. The objective is for Dux to grab the coin before Hussein closes his hand; the winner of the bet gets to take the girl home with him. After taking the bet, there is a brief pause, Hussein gives the go signal and closes his hand, grinning as he proclaims "Ha! You lose, American ass!" He opens his hand to reveal that Dux not only got the quarter from Hussein, he put a Hong Kong coin in its place.

* YourEyesCanDeceiveYou: Frank is forced to utilize it, when his Chon Li tosses some kind of powder in his eyes.

* ActorAllusion: Bolo Yeung is readily identified as an opponent of Creator/BruceLee in ''Film/EnterTheDragon'', here as the villain many of his lines come almost directly from that movie. [[ShoutOut "Impressive, but brick not hit back."]]

-->That hurts me just ''lookin' '' at it.
* ShoutOut: Chong Li echoes Creator/BruceLee's "Boards, don't hit back." statement from ''Film/EnterTheDragon'' after Dux performs an improbable brick breaking stunt to prove he was legitimately trained by his legendary master.
-->Chong Li: Very good, but brick not hit back.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The film starts with brief scenes introducing various fighters, inclunding Chong Li, and Jackson.

* PastVictimShowcase: "You are next." Said after Chon Li pummels Jackson.

* ChekhovsGun: Frank Dux demonstrates the Dim Mak, a powerful palm strike, by breaking a brick. In the quarterfinal of the tournament, he applies this technique against the Hawaiian wrestler. And it fails to work, so he has to follow up with a cheap shot.

* GoldTooth: One of the Kumite staff in charge of wiping blood off the fighting platform notices a gold tooth lying there after one of the fights. He quickly grabs it, bites it and, after being satisfied that it's gold, pockets it with a big smile.

* KickTheDog: Chong Li delivers a few of these, most notably snapping the neck of an opponent who he'd already viciously [[CurbStompBattle curbstomped]].

* TastyGold: One of the Kumite staff in charge of wiping blood off the fighting platform notices a gold tooth lying there after one of the fights. He quickly grabs it, bites it and, after being satisfied that it's gold, pockets it with a big smile.

* ShoutOut: Chong Li echoes Tang Lung (Creator/BruceLee)'s "Boards, don't hit back." statement from ''Film/WayOfTheDragon'' after Dux performs an improbable brick breaking stunt to prove he was legitimately trained by his legendary master.

* ArtisticLicenseMartialArts: Screenwriter Frank Dux claims that the story is based on his own accomplishments, but the choreography is obviously not based on any fight that took place on planet Earth.

* MentorOccupationalHazard: Senzo Tanaka, Dux's mentor, died. Dux wants to compete in the Kumite primarily to honor his memory.

* SelfDefenseless: Some agents try using a taser on Frank Dux, but he catches the wires in midair and throws them back, stunning them.

* InMediasRes: The film starts with a brief introduction of the Kumite and various of its competitors, including Participants. Then it switches to Dux's backstory (his training by Tanaka). Then we see Dux arriving in Hong Kong.

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* ChekovsGun: Frank Dux demonstrates the Dim Mak, a powerful palm strike, by breaking a brick. In the quarterfinal of the tournament, he applies this technique against the Hawaiian wrestler. And it fails to work, so he has to follow up with a cheap shot.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Bolo Yeung, who plays the sadistic BigBad Chong Li is a sweetheart in real life and him and Van Damme became life long friends and occasional co-stars after appearing in the film.

* HotScoop: Janice Kent.

* StoutStrength: Ray Jackson.