Cynthia
Rothrock
Cynthia
Rothrock
(born 8 March 1957) is an American actress
specializing in Martial arts films. She was born in Wilmington,
Delaware, and was brought up in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Cynthia Rothrock
is five-time (and undefeated) World
Karate Champion in forms and weapons between 1981 and
1985. These categories are not combat-orientated, being
displays of fluidity of movement rather than fighting,
and are therefore not segregated into male and female
categories but fully open to both sexes.
Cynthia Rothrock
holds five Black belts in various Far Eastern martial
disciplines, including Tang Soo Do (also "tangsudo", Korean),
Tae Kwon Do (Korean), Eagle Claw (Chinese), Wu Shu
(contemporary Chinese), and Northern Shaolin (classical
Chinese). She also works as a martial arts instructor.
Northern California was Cynthia Rothrock home in 1983 where she worked
with the West Coast Demonstration Team. At this time Golden
Harvest was searching in Los Angeles for the next Bruce Lee.
Rothrock's forms and maneuvers were observed and the Golden
Harvest signed a contract with her. It was two years (1985)
later that she made her first martial arts movie for them,
Huang gu shi jie (also known as Yes Madam or In the Line of
Duty Part 2) which also starred Michelle Yeoh. It proved to be
a box office success. She ended up staying in Hong Kong until
1988 doing seven films there. She may be the first Caucasian
actor that ever had a lead role in a Chinese picture as a "good
guy." At the time, the typical role for Caucasian was cast as
either the bad guy or as comic relief.
Cynthia Rothrock
became one of the few Caucasian performers to achieve genuine
stardom in the local Hong Kong film industry before achieving
success in their own country. Producer Pierre David initiated
Rothrock's move to the American turf. David offered her a
costarring role with Chad McQueen in Martial Law, Rothrock's
first U.S. production. For the next ten years led successful
career in B-grade action movies. Her films include China
O'Brien and China O'Brien 2, Guardian Angel, Honor & Glory,
No Retreat, No Surrender 2 and Prince of the Sun amongst a
roster of thirty films. Rothrock also appeared as Bertha Jo in
the 1997 television film The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion. She was
an inspiration for the video game characters Sonya Blade[1] of
Mortal Kombat and also King of SNK's The King of Fighters and
Art of Fighting games, and lent her voice on the animated
series Eek the Cat.
Cynthia Rothrock
stated that, "throughout my life, I've been opening the door
for other women to get involved with this (martial
arts movies). I was the first woman to be on the
cover
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