The Truth About Jean-Claude Van Damme's Crotch Punch

In times of crisis, Jean-Claude Van Damme's hands famously gravitate towards the testicles of assailants like moths to flame. 

Now don't get the wrong idea. While his heart is certainly pounding and his blood flow's undoubtedly stimulated in moments of heated physical interaction, Van Damme's iron fists aren't magnetically drawn to crotches of steel. If it were lust, it would be blood lust; but it's sport... Bloodsport. Here's the video proof. 

Oh, and here. And here as well. You're probably thinking, "This guy's nuts." But there's hard logic behind Van Damme's banana split combo. In an interview with Huffpost, here's what he had to say about the nutshots fit for a nutjob:

"I mean, in real life it always works. Especially against big people, because I'm a small guy... In martial arts they have a kick to the temple, to the sternum, under the chin, to the throat, to the testicles. And it hurts ... but they used that in the show because it's kind of cool."

Jean-Claude Van Damme isn't joking. Groin kicks, and punches too, are a classic, common self-defense move, capable of temporarily stunning male assailants, according to Healthline. The move, first performed in the 1988 film Bloodsport, became so popular that it was a signature move for Johnny Cage in just about every Mortal Kombat game, and even made it into the Mortal Kombat film, though the creators of the franchise never asked permission from Van Damme, who served as inspiration for the character.

"I will never sue anybody," he said to HuffPo. "It's against my rules... Bloodsport -– all that stuff in Mortal Kombat came from there."

So while the move is rather ridiculous, it is grounded in legitimate martial arts practices, and also serves as a demonstration of Van Damme's truly impressive flexibility and physicality. In certain ways, Van Damme is a visionary  -– truly the Tchaikovsky of our time.