Quick Note - This theory is meant to be fun, and is based on observations and statistics. I’m not saying “see, what I would do is deliver a quadruple spin kick, then land a quintuplet elbow on JCVD.” I fully realize that Dux and Chong-Li (heck, any of the Kumite fighters would hurt me) would obliterate every bone/joint/blood vessel in my body. Also, please read at least half of it before you say I'm wrong.While researching Bloodsport for a data article, the seed of an idea was planted in my mind. The added scrutiny and analysis made me wonder if Chong-Li, the ultimate badass, lost the championship fight on purpose. Think about it, in his first eight fights in the tournament, he proved himself to be a tactician, who despite a few rough spots, showed everyone that he understands angles, utilizes footwork well, and knows how to take down his opponents with strategic strikes. Watch this GIF, and remember it when I break down the final fight.https://ift.tt/3xubJwl the eight fights again (link here, or find timestamps in breakdown of fights below), then watch the final. Chong-Li completely falls apart. There’s a reason for this, as the championship brawl was choreographed and filmed to showcase the many skills of JCVD. The problem is, by showcasing these skills, the final fight plays completely false. In the context of the movie, it seems like Chong-Li either completely forgot how to fight, or was forced to lose after killing his opponent and losing favor with the Triads who were allowing the tournament to be fought in Hong Kong, and the Black Dragon Society (who have a rich and powerful heritage - 00:35:25), and their co-sponsor the International Fighting Arts Association (IFAA) - who clearly didn’t like that Chong-Li snapped a semifinalists neck. Or, he could’ve been threatened after his semi-final match by the Royal Hong Kong Police who were working with the American military to keep the US asset (Frank Dux - the US military spent a lot of time and money training him) alive and healthy. Either way, Chong-Li was a different fighter in the finals, and in the context of the film, there has to be a reason.Here’s the first of many examples. During the film, there are many shots of Chong-Li watching Frank Dux fight. He’s clearly examining Dux’s style, and learning what makes him dangerous (for instance, 86% of his strikes come from his right kicks or punches). He’s already seen Dux land a rick kick immediately in his fight against Joao Gomez (00:56:35), so, why does he let Dux do the same exact thing again (01:17:58)? In his prior fights, he avoided 21 strikes via blocking, footwork, or jumping. The best fighter in the world wouldn’t let this happen.https://ift.tt/3nIGIRO workshopping this theory, several people brought up legitimate concerns (or told me I was insane) such as the blinding salt, and the fact that he didn’t seem to care that the fighting community turned their backs on him. However, you saw the reaction to everyone in the tournament when he killed Chuan IP Mang. Yes, he had killed someone in the Kumite tournament five years ago, but, it sounds like he landed a throat strike during the fight, and that killed his foe. However, in the tournament featured in the film, he blatantly snapped a guy’s neck after winning the fight. This is a really bad look considering the recent sponsorship by a major martial arts association, and the fact that he’s fighting an AWOL American (who the army spent a lot of money on) who has the American Military, Hong Kong police, and well funded journalists on his tail.Here are some examples of the added scrutiny and pressure that Janice (a reporter), and the American/Hong Kong police placed on the KumiteJanice goes to the Hong Kong Police, and says”I have a friend fighting in it, and I don’t want him to get hurt.” (01:04:46). She’s a reporter. Imagine if Frank is killed, and she writes about how she warned authorities. It’s game over for the Kumite, who have been working deals with the Triad, and allowing people to be killed.Frank is told “Look Frank, the government has invested a lot of time and money in you. Uncle Sam can’t afford to let you get hurt.” (00:45:28:00) - Frank then says “I won’t get hurt.” The response is “That’s why we’re here, to make sure of that.” - I know they are trying to stop him from fighting, but when that doesn’t work, they work other anglesRawlins says “Now what? How are we going to stop him? - Helmer says “Follow me.” (01:09:25). Rawlins clearly has a plan, and with Chen with him, they have enough power to get a seat at the tournament.After the neck snap, the Black Dragon Society (and their hundreds of years of tradition) and the entire fighting community literally turned their backs on him. Which is saying something considering nobody turned their backs when Paco dropped three face destroying knees to an opponent's face (00:43:30:00 - he would have killed the guy), Frank Dux hit a man so hard in the testicles, he passed out (00:59:31), Pumula was clearly trying to break backs (00:44:00), and Chong-Li head stomped Ray Jackson’s head (01:01:35). The death was excessive, and opened doors for outsiders to put pressure on Chong-LiI don’t think it was a coincidence that Chong-Li forgot how to fight during the final. During the final, he had several chances to “break” Dux, and he didn’t. After he blinded Dux, he let 70+ seconds of screen time pass before he threw a telegraphed punch. To hide being forced to take a fall, Chong-Li added the blinding salt element to disguise any trace of him throwing the fight. Think about it, after the fight, everyone is going to be talking about how a momentarily blinded Frank Dux landed pinpoint strikes on the prior champion. Yes, it destroys Chong-Li’s honor, but, after snapping a dude’s neck, he didn’t have any left. Also, he can hide behind the fact that he lost to someone trained by the famous Shinzo Tanaka, who has quite the reputation at the tournament, and his ninjutsu teachings (blindfold fighting) must be known around the world.To build my theory, here’s a stats breakdown of Chong-Li and Frank Dux. I also included highlights from each fight (and their timestamps), to show that Chong-Li lost the final fight on purpose.Quick note - I’ve based the theory on an assumption. But, to build this theory, I’ve made sure to include boatloads of stats to hopefully make you consider it for a minute or two.Chong-Li Statshttps://ift.tt/3cLBiiw a look at this collage. He is ducking, blocking, jumping, exploding, and catching in his first eight fights. It’s worth mentioning the way he handled Chuan Ip Mung (01:13:05), who is a legit fighter (fights at 00:43:10 - 00:44:06 - 00:56:30) and capable of knocking people out with his hands and feet. Chong-Li does get tagged a few times, but he absorbs the strikes, adapts to the style, then blocks everything thrown at him. Chong-Li is legithttps://preview.redd.it/fc05n3wuxc181.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b7c5b6243202fb988ba2ebcd9744da81e1f47b5cHere’s a breakdown of the final fight. I’ve included timestamps so you can see how he lost the fight on purpose.01:17:58 - Chong-Li has watched all of Frank’s fights, and knows that of his 50 landed punches/kicks during the tournament, 43 of them come from Frank's right hand or leg (86%). What does Chong-Li do? He immediately gets kicked in the face by the same right high kick that Frank used in his fifth fight.01:18:35 - When they get back into the center of the mat, Franks lifts his leg, and just unloads on Chong-Li.01:18:39 - Chong-Li’s first major strike of the fight sends Dux flying onto the mat. Chong-Li does not capitalize, and he looks a bit worried that Frank might be done..01:18:57 - When Frank is hurt, Chong-Li throws him back towards the center of the mat. He could’ve kicked him out, instead he lets him recover01:19:17 - Chong-Li walks directly into a kick.01:19:34 - Chong-Li runs at Frank, stops, and gets kicked in the head. Also, Frank jumps over him, Chong-Li has seen him do this before.01:19:47 - Chong-Li throws the worst waymaker in the history of the Kumitae01:20:12 - He lets everyone know that he is cheating. Seriously, the ref, the crowd, and everyone in the building sees him blind Frank.01:21:05 - After knocking Frank down, he takes a page from Jackson’s playbook, and starts jumping around like a big dummy. He also could’ve stomped Frank’s head into nothingness and won.01:21:37 - Chong-Li lets Frank regain his bearings for 71 seconds of screen time.Theory - It’s 100% possible that Chong-Li knew about Frank’s Ninjutsu training, and that Senzo Tanaka (of the Tanaka Clan) trained him. Sp, the blinding attack, would only make Frank look better in hindsight01:22:52 - Chong-Li completely falls apart and throws telegraphed punches, and does nothing to avoid any strikes. Dude lost on purpose.01:24:06 - Chong-Li rolls under Frank. Why?Take a look at this punch - 01:24:12:00 - It looks like Chong-Li wants to slap Frank. Instead, he leaves himself completely open to get kicked.01:24:21 - Chong-Li stands there and gets leveled by four spinning kicks..NahTake a look at this collage. Dude wasn’t trying.https://preview.redd.it/cwiy274xxc181.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3c1eef499f24bd8652d7b40f30766ea19fb551fIt’s interesting that in a tournament that allows strikes to the back of the head (Chong-Li does it in an earlier brawl), he avoids this proven technique, and instead throws a telegraphed punch that is blocked easily, followed with a Dux kick from his right leg.It’s interesting that when he first blinded Frank, he found success on his left side (01:20:48:00). Then, he delivers these strikes on his right side.https://ift.tt/2ZgMO2x questions arise when you realize that it took 71 seconds of screen time for Chong-Li to attack a blind(ish) Dux. Slow motion was clearly used, but there is still a good chunk of time that went by.https://ift.tt/3HNRxKf - Yes, the final fight makes JCVD look awesome. However, Chong-Li, a world class martial artist, who has been practicing martial arts his entire life, completely forgets how to fight, and loses to a temporarily blinded opponent, whom he would have destroyed with ease. I’m thinking either the Black Dragon Society, Hong Kong Royal Police, or the Triads forced him to lose because they didn’t want an international incident. Also, with Janice being a journalist, if Frank was seriously injured, she would’ve written a piece that highlights the violence, secrecy, and criminal connections of the Kumite. It would’ve been game over. Chong-Li most likely lost on purpose.Here is a breakdown of Frank and Chong-li’s fights, to prove that I analyzed them closely, and looked for strategy, footwork, usage of angles, and all around fight IQ.Breakdown of Chong-Li and Frank’s fights for referenceFirst Fight - Vs. - Budiman Prang - 00:39:52:00Blocks Right High KickTelegraphs straight right hand - Lands body kick with right legSubmissionWhat we learned - He can block high hicks, and telegraphs a straight right. He also works nice angles to land a kickSecond Fight - Vs. Mouthguard Guy - 00:43:56:00He catches right handKnocks him out with one punchWhat we learned - He sees punches coming, and can catch themThird Fight - No name guy - 00:44:13:00He right sidekicks a guy out of the ringWhat we learned - He is cool kicking people off the mat, he doesn’t need to destroy themFourth Fight - Vs. Suan Paredes - 00:54:09:00He gets caught with several lefts - This is where things get neat. He makes an adjustment, moves away from the left, telegraphs the right, and lands a left leg kick, on his opponent's lead leg (smart, if it’s hurt, he can’t plant for punches). The leg is immediately done.Chong-Li backs away from the left jabs, and once again catches a right and lands a right kick.He catches a gut punch, and once again kicks his lead leg.He breaks his leg.What we learned - He adjusted, took out lead leg, and wonFifth Fight - Vs. Black Belt who gets taken down easily - 00:55:48:00Blocks a right punchLands right kick and a right punchLands a takedown, and punches in back of headWhat we learned - He can block punchesSixth Fight - Vs. Guy with baggy pants - 00:58:00:00Elbow in backTwo gut punchesGrabs left arm, and knocks him out with a right jump kickWhat we learned - He can land jumping kicks, and knows to work the bodySeventh Fight - Vs. Ray Jackson - 01:00:55:00Jackson runs at him and gets kicked in the gut - Right leg - Angles!Backhand - CreativeRight leg - Goes again caughtHe underestimated JacksonHe gets double-handed punched and clubbedHe starts to cheer earlyHe clearly isn’t outFlying right kickTakes out lead legRight kick to headKicks leg againHe legit tries to kill him via headstompTaunting happensDux tries to help him by shaking his neck….What we learned - He clearly underestimated Jackson and got caught with a solid spinning backfist. Before that, he worked nice lateral movement, and later on he went back to his leg kicks against punch heavy opponents.Eighth Fight - Chuan Ip Mung - 01:13:05:00He immediately is in a defensive position and backs upTwo right land immediately - Blocks left - Grabs right - non reacts to left punchesLands a rightCatches a gnarly body blow and leg kickLeft KickLands a beautiful front kickBLOCKS Three PUNCHESLands rightAnother block and a headbuttDucks right kickLands a body blow before a right - Punch hits his shoulderNut shotPunch handThe ref should’ve stepped inREF and Judges turn back - THEY ARE VERY MAD AT HIMThe ref looks at the judges like “this is bad.”What we learned - He can block and move away from strikes. He also is on the defensive immediately, and avoids several strikesFrank Dux - I included these fights because Chong-Li scouted them, and would know what Frank is all about. He knows he can lands expert elbows without looking at opponent, mainly throws strikes form his right side, and capitalizes on fighter mistakes.First Fight - 00:41:002:00 - 12.2 secondsLands four rightsThe guy sneaks up behind him - Dux realizes this (he stops), and lands a perfect right elbow.Second Fight - 00:44:07:00Lands four right kicksFinishes him with a left wheel kickThird Fight - 00:53:45:00Two left kicksSix right kicksFourth Fight - 00:55:24:00Dux jumps over a kick - This is important laterThe guy runs at him and catches a spinning right kick to the back of the head - This is important laterFour right hand strokesRight knee knockoutFifth Fight - 00:56:35:00He immediately lands right kickHe does a roll and kicks guy out of ring with a left kickSixth Fight - 00:58:18:00Four right kicksOne left kickOne right hand haymakerOne left hand haymakerThree headbuttsRight gut punchNUT PUNCH - Bad things happen whenever people run straight at himSeventh Fight - 01:11:00:00Paco lands a right leg kick and elbow - Almost KO’s him - Weak chinRight leg kick - Take out knee - Smart15 right kicksone leftMake sure to check out my other Reddit data posts if you like this one!Movies featuring snowmobile action scenes are way cooler than movies featuring jet ski action scenesAnalyzing the unnecessarily large trap in PredatorsHow old is MacGruber?The Con Air seating chartJacked Up - A Perfectly Bad Adam Sandler FilmWhat is the most Fast & Furious film in the Fast & Furious franchise?How long did it take The Joker's henchmen to build the cash pyramid in The Dark Knight?Brad Pitt eating and box office numbersJCVD and his splitsHow Far Did the Shark Travel in Jaws: The Revenge?Matthew McConaughey's massive jump in Reign of FireHow Far Does the Creature From It Follows Travel?People love a bearded Kurt RussellTracking the Merman's Murderous JourneyMichael Myers road trip in Halloween H20Stellan Skarsgard's journey in Deep Blue Sea was gnarlyHow Fast Can Leatherface Run?Jet Ski Action Scenes Are the WorstA Breakdown of the Events Leading Up to Sam Jackson's Demise in Deep Blue SeaThe Fast & Furious & CoronaHow Did the Geologist Get Lost in Prometheus?How Long Does it Take Horror Villains to Travel From NYC to San Francisco?Michael Myers Hates Using His Turn SignalCan Jason Voorhees teleport?How Long Did the Joker Need to Setup the Weapon Circle in Suicide Squad?How Much Time Did Batman Need to Setup the Bat Fire Symbol in The Dark Knight Rises?How Much Sand Did Elektra's Sandbag Trainer in Daredevil (2003) Require?Breaking down The Mariner vs. Sea Eater battle in WaterworldAnalyzing the Posters for Nicholas Sparks' Book AdaptationsHow far Did Nic Cage Run Around in a Bear Suit in The Wicker Man Remake?How Many Bullets Missed John Matrix in Commando?How Much Blood Poured Out of the Sprinklers During the "Blood Rave" in Blade?Michael Myers Loves Doing LaundryDolph Lundgren and His Front KicksHow Many Calories Did Shaggy and Scooby Doo Ingest When They Ate the Cotton Candy Glob? via /r/movies https://ift.tt/3DNaqLd
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