Steven Seagal has a passion for martial arts. It reportedly grew when he went to Japan to teach English. He went on to earn black belts in judo, kendo, karate, and aikido and he later on put his talents to use as a consultant for Hollywood films, choreographing combat scenes and acting as a bodyguard and trainer for prominent Tinseltown figures like mega-agent Michael Ovitz. With his cinematic debut in the action film Above the Law, he went on to do blockbusters like Hard to Kill and Under Siege.
It was noted that Seagal’s career as a big-screen action star had started to decline by the late 1990s.Seagal has always been consumed by controversies.
During this time, rumors of his strange behavior spread widely, and numerous celebrities were eager to share unpleasant incidents that portrayed Seagal as a negative person.
Steven Seagal beef with Jean-Claude Van Damme
Steven Seagal’s spat with Jean-Claude Van Damme began in the 1990s when Seagal was asked about Van Damme on The Arsenio Hall Show and claimed about his position as a martial arts champion. Then, in a clip from his reality series Steven Seagal Lawman, Seagal mocks the idea of going up against Van Damme. He said,
“It’d be like me squashing an ant,” he said. “If he sees me he runs.”
But Sylvester Stallone told a totally different tale when he hosted both guys at a party in 1997. Stallone stated that Van Damme had grown tired of Seagal’s insults and put forward a challenge to duel in the actor’s backyard. Talking about the incident with FHM Magazine, Stallone said,
“Seagal made his excuses and left. But Van Damme, who was berserk, tracked him down at a nightclub and offered him out again. Again, Seagal pulled a Houdini. Van Damme was just too strong. Seagal wanted none of it.”
