You’ll never believe what the fighter who played the villain in Jean-Claude Van Damme’s blockbuster hit Kickboxer looks like now
- Mohammed Qissi recently appeared at a gym in Melbourne
- Qissi is best remembered for his roles in action films
- Qissi grew up next to film star Jean-Claude Van Damme
It’s been 35 years since he played Jean-Claude Van Damme’s hulking nemesis ‘Tong Po’ in the cult classic Kickboxer, and Mohammed Qissi is still in top form.
Appearing at a training seminar in Melbourne on Tuesday, the martial arts icon proved to a new generation of students that at age 61 he’s still capable of throwing down.
A lifelong martial artist, Qissi grew up in Belgium with close friend Jean-Claude Van Damme and became an amateur boxing champion at the age of 17.
After also training in kickboxing, Muay Thai and Shotokan karate, Qissi and Van Damme moved to the US in the hopes of becoming action movie stars.
“We went through some very difficult times over the next four years,” he told a martial arts magazine.
Mohammed Qissi is best remembered for his role as the hulking villain Tong Po in the 1989 hit Kickboxer (pictured)
A lifelong martial artist, Qissi gave a training seminar at Melbourne’s Alton Kickboxing gym this week, proving he looks a little different from his most famous film appearance
Qissi has trained in many disciplines, including boxing, Muay Thai and Shotokan karate
‘We had a lot of odd jobs, often slept on the beach, and continued to train and persevere there until 1986, when we got our first big roles in Bloodsport.
“After that we signed a contract for three more films and it went from there.”
Qissi is best remembered for his role as Thai champion and antagonist Tong Po in the 1989 film Kickboxer, which required him to wear heavy makeup.
“Even my mother didn’t recognize me,” Qissi laughed.
“Some people knew my body movements from the moment they saw me boxing, but not the face.”
Tong Po was a sadistic and ruthless fighter in the Kickboxer film series, but also a cold-blooded killer.
“The utter filth of Tong Po is clearly visible in the film,” Qissi told The Postil Magazine.
‘It made an impression on the spectators. As for Tong Po’s past and why he became such an evil being, devoid of any light, the film remains a mystery.
Qissi said that the makeup he wore in the film prevented his own mother from recognizing him
Qissi grew up perfecting his martial arts alongside action star Jean-Claude Van Damme
Qissi and Van Damme moved to the US hoping to become action stars in 1982
“While it is true that some are born with mental illness, we are never born bad. We are all angels when we come into the world.
“An unhappy childhood, marked by abuse and sexual abuse, is one of the things that may explain why some people take a fatal path as they grow up.”
In 2016, Kickboxer was remade as Kickboxer: Vengeance with WWE star and Hollywood actor Dave Bautista playing Tong Po – and Qissi was very happy with the casting.
“It is an honor for me that Dave Bautista, someone who is very important in the film world, who we have seen play in important films such as Blade Runner 2049, has taken over the character of Tong Po, with whom I was the first to bring to life bring,” said Qissi.
‘An honor and a pleasure.’