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Archive: Kamel Krifa: Enter the Aggressor

29th May 2014

In another article from the Impact archives we look back at an interview that Impact had with Kamel Krifa at the 1993 Milan Film Festival...

Kamel Krifa in Impact magazineWhen you consider the great p.r. job that Michel Qissi did in establishing himself as the character Tong Po in the Kickboxer series, it's amazing to learn that he was replaced in the role for the fourth film in the series. Kickboxer 4 was constructed by Albert Nemesis Pyun to give Tong Po his finest outing yet, and even the sub-title, The Aggressor, clearly refers to the antagonist, rather to series' hero Sasha Mitchell. Despite all his hard work, Michel was uncredited on the first Kickboxer, and now, just prior to his finest hour, has been replaced by another battling Belgian. Just to confuse matters further, the man concerned, Kamel Krifa, is a super nice guy with nothing but good wishes for Michel. The two are close friends. To find out more about the new Tong Po, and about the circumstances leading up to his casting, Impact met Kamel at the 1993 Milan Film Festival. We also discussed his background with Jean-Claude Van Damme, his work on Double Impact, his involvement with Bloodsport 2 and other forthcoming projects.

Bey Logan: Kamel, you've been friends with Jean Claude Van Damme for some time, I believe...

Kamel Krifa: Yes. Since he was thirteen years old, I trained at the same karate club as Jean-Claude, under Claude Goetz. He was our coach. We were best friends, and after he became established in Hollywood he invited me to meet him at the Cannes Film Festival. There I met the producer of Bloodsport, Mark DiSalle, and when he saw me with Jean-Claude all the time, he said "Kamel, I want to use you in Death Warrant". I ended up playing one of the killers in the prison, with a mohawk and tattoos on my head! I was very happy to be involved in the movie business, because that had always been my dream. Jean-Claude asked me to become his personal trainer, as a fitness trainer and sparring partner. We worked together almost three years. 

Bey Logan: So you worked an A.W.O.L.. Are you on-screen in that film?

Kamel Krifa: Yes. I am a confidante of the bad guy, with Attila, played by Abdul Qissi. Then I worked on Double Impact as the barman who gets killed by Cory Everson.

Bey Logan: Way there more to that scene than was the finished film or was that it?

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