Cynthia Rothrock is one of the greatest American martial artists ever to come along since Bruce Lee, and runs a close close close second to him. I fell in love with her and her athletic kicks and chops in the bad B-movie “China O'Brien” back in the 80's, but I didn't know she had such a storied past until this I saw this film YEARS ago in Germany while I was in the Army.

She has been competing since the early 80s, and she is five-time undefeated World Karate Champion in Forms and Weapons from 1981 to 1985, a category are NOT segregated by male OR female. She also holds five Black belts in various Far Eastern martial disciplines, including Tang Soo Do (Korean), Tae Kwon Do (Korean), Eagle Claw (Chinese), Wu Shu (contemporary Chinese), and Northern Shaolin (classical Chinese). She was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame and Inside Kung-Fu Hall of Fame.

The legendary martial arts production company Golden Harvest was looking for the next Bruce Lee here in America, and they found it in her. In 1985 she signed a contract and went overseas and starred in her first martial arts movie “Huang gu shi jie,” also known as “Yes Madam” or “In the Line of Duty, Part 2,” which also starred a young Michelle Yeoh.

She made 7 more movies in Hong Kong until 1988, and she may be the first Caucasian actor that ever had a lead role in a Chinese picture as the “good guy” (at the time, the typical role for Caucasian was cast as either the bad guy or as comic relief). She became a star in Hong Kong before achieving success in their own country. She came back to America had a co-starring role with Chad McQueen in “Martial Law.”

She made a lot of films in the next ten years, from “China O'Brien” and “China O'Brien 2,” to “Guardian Angel,” “Honor & Glory,” “No Retreat, No Surrender 2” and “Prince of the Sun” among a roster of thirty films. Rothrock also appeared as Bertha Jo in the 1997 television film The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion. She was also an inspiration for the video game character Sonya Blade.

I love this woman. She's only 5' 3“, has had a fantastic career, and is the self-proclaimed Queen of Martial Arts Films and Kung-fu Video Queen.

Let's face it, if you've seen any of her movies, you'd know that she 's got something. she has a boundless energy, has done all of her stunts in EVERY film or TV project she's been hired to do, has been injured numerous times, and still keeps on ticking.

She's got the moves of a Jackie Chan, the heart of a lion, and her tears can cure Chuck Norris' cancer. They can!

Just go rent a movie of hers, and you'll see for yourself.