Van Damme gets his kicks from acting now, not karate

If things had worked out differently for Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme, he would be in Chicago running a karate school today.  But he couldn’t get enough money to finance the operation, so Van Damme headed for Hollywood to pursue his childhood dream of becoming an actor.

Ninja actor gets a kick from karate film work

Cannon Films is touting actor Michael Dudikoff as the next big action hero. Luckily for him, there’s not a lot he can’t do physically.A longtime fitness enthusiast, he’s adept at most sports – except karate. That may surprise fans who saw him play a martial arts expert in “American Ninja.”
Dudikoff’s latest film, “American Ninja 2: The Confrontation,” is now playing at local theaters. The sequel to the successful 1985 thriller marks Dudikoff’s return as stoic superhero Joe Armstrong.